FRANKLIN, Tennessee – At Saturday’s meeting of the Tennessee Republican Party (TRP) State Executive Committee, the majority voted to charge candidates for certain offices a fee to run as a Republican and won’t take up the issue of the House District 18 primary challenge until Wednesday.
TRP Chairman Scott Golden told The Tennessee Star he wasn’t sure why some people thought that the challenge to the House District 18 primary results would be taken up at Saturday’s meeting and said it wasn’t “because it’s against the law.”
Golden cited state law, T.C.A. 2-17-106, which states “The trial of an election contest shall be held not less than fifteen (15 days) nor more than fifty (50) days from the day the complaint is filed.” Golden said he received the challenge on August 18, putting September 2 at the 15-day mark.
Additionally, Golden cited T.C.A. 2-17-104, which reads in part, “The state primary board shall hear and determine the contest and make the disposition of the contest which justice and fairness require,” although he didn’t include the last part, “including setting aside the election if necessary.”
Gina Oster, one of the two candidates in the House District 18 Republican primary on August 6, has contested the results of a victory by Eddie Mannis, because of crossover voting from Democrats.
Oster maintains that the number of crossover votes from those who have a history of voting in the last four Democratic primaries is more than enough to offset the 99-vote margin in the race.
During the meeting, District 6 Committeeman Matthew Coleman asked about the lack of attachments that were referenced in documents provided to the SEC members.
Golden told The Star after the meeting officially adjourned that he assumed what Coleman was referring to was related to Oster.
Golden said, “I couldn’t bring up anything attached, so I printed off what I could print off,” from what he received in an email from Oster.
On the tables were three piles of documents left for each of the SEC members at the start of the meeting.
From left to right, the first was a list of the 2020 Tennessee Presidential electors. The second was a packet held with a binder clip that included agendas and other documents for the day’s meeting.
The third had a two-page letter from the law firm and lobbying group Baker Donelson on behalf of Eddie Mannis sitting atop a five-page document that appeared to be the basis for Oster’s contest against Mannis.
According to documents Oster provided to The Star, her five-page document titled “Oster Discussion” was sent to Golden as an attachment to an email along with 10 other back-up documents. All 10 of the documents had a reference such as “Ex. 1” followed by a description that corresponded to the exhibits referenced throughout Oster’s discussion document.
None of that back-up documentation was included in the information provided to the SEC members at Saturday’s meeting.
Golden has called a separate meeting of the State Primary Board (SPB) to hear the contest of the House District 18 election for Wednesday, September 2 via conference call.
The meeting will be open to the press, in accordance with Tennessee Sunshine Laws, Golden said.
The SPB consists of the members of the SEC, but are a separate and distinct body as provided for in T.C.A. 2-13-102.
As the Chair, Golden has the authority through the SEC Rules and Regulations to set the agenda, rules and order for hearing the arguments and has tentatively laid out the schedule for the SPB meeting:
6:00 p.m. C.D.T. – Start and overview of contest by SPB Chair Scott Golden
6:05 p.m. C.D.T. – Mrs. Gina Oster (or counsel) presentation
6:10 p.m. C.D.T. – Mr. Eddie Mannis (or counsel) presentation
6:15 p.m. C.D.T. – Discussion from SPB and vote by roll call
Robert’s Rules of Order will govern the SPB’s debate after the arguments have been heard.
A majority vote of the SPB present and voting will resolve the contest, including dismissal of the contest or overturning of the election. There is no option for appeal of the SPB’s decision.
In other matters, the SEC voted to advance a recommendation by its Political Committee to charge candidates a fee to run as a Republican. With some confusion over the roll call vote tally, despite a recount, it was determined that a majority voted in favor of the measure.
The fee, according to the political committee proposal, would be equal to 2.5 percent of the annual salary of the elected position and would apply to candidates running for the offices of U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, state Senate and state Representative.
Through discussion during the meeting with the members of the full SEC who were present, it was decided to add the office of governor to the list.
Payments from any Republican candidate, incumbent or otherwise, would be due when they qualify to run.
The assumption is that first-time candidates would be able to use campaign funds for the payment of their fee.
The issue will next be taken up by the SEC Rules & Bylaws Committee before being taken up by the full body of the SEC.
Two issues taken up by the Rules & Bylaws Committee – the vouching procedure, which Golden used to determine that House District 18 candidate Eddie Mannis was a bona fide Republican, and a county convention amendment – will be taken up at a separate meeting of that committee that will be scheduled in the future.
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Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star.
I am fine with Vouching.
It should however, be in the form of an Affidavit. It should require the affirmation of “essential” components or attributes, to include but not limited to, Voting Record/History, Credible Party Affiliation Actions and Activities, Pledge of adherence to Constitutional Conservative and Party Platform, Values and Principles, Zero tangible recent Liberal Progressive Votes, Support or Allegiance. Sadly, even many Conservatives struggle to define and describe “What constitutes a Real Constitutional Conservative Republican”
We MUST craft a CREDIBLE Yardstick or Litmus analysis.
False or Deceptive Voucher Affidavits, MUST have severe consequences!
A real Voucher Affidavit, lacking my above referenced ingredients, would be an indictment, rather than an affirmation.
We just need to remember and consider that; Liberal Progressive Activists (with both D & R designations) have consistently crossed over and voted in our Republican Preference Primaries, even though it is ILLEGAL to do so, to support THE most Liberal Progressive Republican (RINO) Candidate. Such Democrat Mischief Voters, WILL APPEAR to have stellar Republican Voting Records/History and yet be Flaming Liberal Political Hacks seeking to further harm our GOP. Democrat Mischief Voters with a stellar Republican voting record ARE NOT BONIFIDE REPUBLICANS.
The state GOP needs to declare primaries as closed to put an end to crossover voting.
The real question is why has this not already been done? What are the secrets behind not closing the elections.
The one word answer is fear, and the list goes on and on. The fact is, there are many reasons, all of which ultimately rest with a more engaged and informed electorate. Unless and until the public takes its rightful place in the role and function of government. None of this will get fixed. It is hard work and takes effort and understanding. The political process is not broken, it is the people manipulating it for reasons other than serving the public trust that has created the mess we are in. Be part of the solution and don’t look to others to solve a problem we are are responsible for.