Incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Trounces TN-5 Challenger Courtney Johnston in Straw Poll at Davidson County Republican Party’s Annual Picnic Event

Rep. Andy Ogles

Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) was the resounding victor among attendees at the Davidson County Republican Party’s annual picnic event on Saturday who participated in a straw poll weighing candidates running in the August 1 Republican primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.

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U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty Travels to the U.S.-Mexico Border

Senator Bill Hagerty at Southern Border

Tennessee U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border on Tuesday with Tennessee sheriffs and mayors to meet with law enforcement and property owners.

“I’m back at the southern border here in Texas,” Hagerty said in a video message posted to X. “We’re just in the outskirts of Eagle Pass right now. I brought another delegation of sheriffs and mayors and law enforcement from Tennessee just like I did two years ago. What we’re seeing is even worse than it was two year ago.”

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Tennessee Could be Next State to Call for Convention of States on Congressional Term Limits

After sailing through the Tennessee House of Representatives in March, a resolution proposing congressional term limits via constitutional amendment stands a solid chance of passing in the Senate, according to resolution proponents.

“I think it will go okay,” State Senator Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville), who recently announced that he will serve as Senate sponsor of House Joint Resolution 5, told The Tennessee Star.

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Tennessee Republican Leaders React to Attorney General Garland’s Statement Approving Raid on Trump’s Home

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Thursday that he approved the FBI raid on former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home and several Tennessee Republican leaders voiced their displeasure with both the raid and the attorney general’s role in it.

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) was one of strongest and most prolific voices in reacting to Garland’s statement.

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Tennessee Republican Leaders React to Inflationary Rate Rising to Highest Level Since 1981

Tennessee Republican leaders took the Biden administration and Democrats to task on Wednesday over reports that the inflationary rate rose to 9.1%, the highest level since 1981.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 1.3 percent in June after rising one percent in May, reported on Wednesday, July 13.

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Parents File Ethics Complaints Against Knox County Board of Education Members in Battle Against End to School Mask Mandate

A Knox County Schools (KCS) parent group fighting the end of school mask mandates has filed an ethics complaint against three members of the school board, alleging they violated one of the board’s own policies and also appeared at a Knox County Commission meeting without giving adequate public notice.

Parent Amanda Collins, who chairs Knox County Schools Parent Advocates for School Safety (KCS PASS), said in a press statement KCS board members Betsy Henderson, Susan Horn, and Kristi Kristy violated the board’s policy when they submitted a proposal to the Knox County Commission to hire private attorneys to help in the board’s fight against a lawsuit over masks in schools.

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Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs Calls Out Clinton-Aligned Group Involved in School Mask Mandate Lawsuit

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs on Tuesday called out a Washington D.C.-based litigation non-profit, which is aligned with the Clinton family, for its involvement in a lawsuit to implement a mask mandate in Knox County Schools.

Democracy Forward, which has filed briefs in multiple lawsuits in Tennessee, has advocated against Governor Bill Lee’s mask mandate opt-out. 

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Mayor Glenn Jacobs on Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Mandate: ‘Knox County Will Not Comply’

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs put U.S. President Joe Biden on notice Thursday regarding one of the president’s COVID-19 mandates and said his county will flatly refuse to obey. Specifically, Jacobs said Knox County will not honor Biden’s executive order mandating that all businesses with 100 or more employees require COVID-19 vaccines for workers or implement weekly testing.

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Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs Questions Bill Lee’s Stay-at-Home Order

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said in a video response on Twitter that although he appreciated Gov. Lee living up to the courage of his convictions, he “cannot applaud government monitoring the movements of its people” and that with this economic crisis as a result of Tennessee’s statewide shutdown, a mental health crisis will follow.

As The Tennessee Star reported, Gov. Bill Lee signed Executive Order 23, which requires Tennesseans to stay home through April 14th unless they engage in essential activities to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

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Former Knox County Employees Reportedly Allege Abuse of Taxpayer Money

  Two Knox County employees said their supervisors fired them for exposing a plot to use taxpayer money for political gain, according to KnoxNews.com These two employees, David Ball and Teresa Ferguson, have filed suits saying as much, the website went on to say. “The pair — both of whom worked in Knox County’s Office of Information Technology for decades — claim in the lawsuits that then-coworker Zack Webb (pictured left) repeatedly used his county credit card to buy computer equipment and office furniture in 2017 and 2018,” KnoxNews.com reported. “The duo contend in the lawsuits they suspected Webb and Knox County Finance Director Chris Caldwell of giving away the items ‘for political gain.’ The lawsuits do not detail the alleged plot’s political beneficiary.” Ball and Ferguson worked with Webb in 2017 when Ferguson reportedly received a county credit card statement with Webb’s name with tablet and laptop purchases at a cost of around $11,000. Ball and Ferguson reportedly said Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs (pictured right) “promoted Webb after he won the August 2018 election and fired Ball without cause. Webb, in turn, fired Ferguson without cause.” “Ferguson, the lawsuits say, was the only IT employee allowed to make purchases…

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WWE Wrestler Jacobs Wins Knox County Mayor Primary by 17 Votes

WWE wrestler Glenn Jacobs has won the Republican primary for Knox County mayor by a margin of only 17 votes, WATE reported. The Knox County Election Commission says there are, however, a few provisional ballots, so the results won’t be official until next week. Jacobs, a former WWE wrestler aka “Kane,” and insurance agent, faced off against county commissioners Brad Anders and Bob Thomas. The election was not without issues, WKYT reported. Just before 10:15 p.m. on Election Day, the Knox County Election Commission website showed Jacobs with a 17-vote lead taking the candidacy over Anders in the primary election. While Jacobs called it a “WWE finish” to sister station WVLT, Anders said he was not conceding until the provisional ballots have been counted. According to Knox County officials, the county website failed Tuesday night, and election results were delayed as a result of a computer problem, WKYT said. Cliff Rodgers with the Knox County Election Commission said they experienced a “widespread denial of services attack.” The Knox County Election Commission told WVLT that they had recorded 43 provisional ballots for all races, according to WKYT. Of those 43 ballots, 38 were classified as “green,” meaning they were submitted by people who had…

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Rand Paul Endorses Glenn Jacobs for Knox County Mayor

Glenn Jacobs, known the world over as World Wrestling Entertainment’s “Kane,” is also a longtime libertarian and conservative activist who recently stepped into the political arena when he announced his bid for mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. On Tuesday, Jacobs received the endorsement of one of the most high profile libertarian-leaning conservatives in Washington, Senator Rand…

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Pro Wrestler Glenn Jacobs Will Run For Knox County Mayor

Tennessee Star

  Glenn Jacobs, also known to WWE professional wrestling fans as Kane, has announced he will run for mayor of Knox County. Jacobs, 49, has lived with his family in East Tennessee for the past 22 years. “This is a great place to work, live and to raise a family,” he said in formally announcing his intention to run in the May 2018 race. But Jacobs said there’s often one thing standing in the way of business owners and community leaders who want to make Knox County an even better place: government.   A Republican businessman who has been active in libertarian politics, Jacobs said as mayor he would keep taxes low, eliminate waste and reduce red tape. He said Tennessee is fortunate to have a strong environment for business but that as a result, Knox County faces “intense competition” from other parts of the state. He said he would work hard as mayor to recruit new businesses to Knox County and maintain an environment in which existing businesses can flourish. He also said he would strengthen efforts to prepare students for college or the workplace after graduating from high school. Jacobs said he would ensure that government remains open and…

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