Tag: Tim Burchett

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows Endorses Jimmy Matlock in 2nd Congressional District Race

Laura Baigert
Jimmy Matlock, Mark Meadows

Candidate for U.S. House District 2 Jimmy Matlock announced Wednesday that he has earned the endorsement of the current House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows. Matlock is in a heated race for the 2nd Congressional District seat which has been represented by a member of the Duncan family for over 50 years, with John J. Duncan Sr. preceding his son “Jimmy” from 1965 to 1988. The conservative known for his independence announced in August 2017 he would not seek re-election, and Congressman Jimmy Duncan has since thrown his support behind Matlock. While the Federal Election Commission reports a 10-year record of 17 candidates running for the office, since the Civil War the seat has not been held by a Democrat and the race is essentially between the two Republican front runners Jimmy Matlock and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett. Meadows, who has served North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District since January 2013, was one of the original nine founding members of the House Freedom Caucus which originated out of a Hershey, Pennsylvania Republican congressional retreat at the start of Meadows’ second term in January 2015. In 2017, Meadows became the second Chairman of the estimated thirty-plus member Caucus, following the two-year…

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Based on Claims from Anonymous Sources and Ex-Wife with Criminal History, Knoxville News Sentinel Reported ‘FBI Asks Questions About Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett’

Tennessee Star Staff

Relying upon claims from an ex-wife with a criminal history, three anonymous sources, and two unproduced documents they claim to have seen but refuse to reveal, the Knoxville News Sentinel published a story written by two Nashville-based reporters on Friday titled “Sources: FBI asks questions about Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett; mayor says ‘no truth to any of it.’” Burchett, who is term-limited in his current job, is a candidate for the Republican nomination for the Second Congressional District in the election to replace retiring Rep. John “Jimmy” Duncan (R-TN-02), where he faces a hard fought battle against State Rep. Jimmy Matlock (R-Lenoir City). Friday’s article was written by Dave Boucher and Joel Ebert, two Nashville-based reporters at The Tennessean, which is part of the USA Today-Tennessee network that now includes The Knoxville News Sentinel and The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “Four people tell the USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee federal agents have asked them questions about Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett,” Boucher and Ebert wrote in the article, adding: Allison Burchett [Tim Burchett’s ex-wife] said she began working with the FBI in 2012 but declined further comment. “I’m sorry I cannot comment on an ongoing FBI investigation,” she said. The three other sources requested anonymity for…

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Fundraising Support For Tim Burchett Comes With Elements of Controversy

Laura Baigert

Recent campaign fund raising events and reports reveal that support for Tim Burchett, candidate for the 2nd U.S. Congressional District being vacated by Congressman John “Jimmy” Duncan, is coming from sources involved in various levels of controversy. Burchett, term-limited as Knox County Mayor, announced on August 5, 2017, his intention to run for Congress after months of speculation about which office he would run for, largely induced by his own leading comments. Since the announcement, several fund raising events have been held for Burchett and the first FEC filing of the Burchett For Congress campaign was submitted October 15, 2017. For the period July 1 to September 30, 2017, Burchett For Congress has cash on hand of $113,676 after receiving contributions of $140,801 and having expenditures of $27,125 for the period. Contributions came from 212 individuals and two PACs, Red State PAC at $500 and former Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey’s PAC, RAAMPAC at $1,000. Ramsey, who introduced Burchett at a fundraiser held on September 28, 2017, the two having served together in the both the Tennessee House and Senate, repeatedly made references to “my friend, Tim.” Under Ramsey’s leadership, Republicans gained majorities in the House and Senate with Ramsey ending…

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Retiring Congressman John J. Duncan ‘Not For Tim Burchett’

Laura Baigert

  Since John “Jimmy” Duncan, Jr., the U.S. Representative for Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District, announced his retirement from the seat he has held since 1988, two potential replacements have announced their intention to run, and Duncan will not be supporting one of them. Duncan told the Nashville Post, “No, I’m not for Tim Burchett,” referring to the Knox County Mayor who formally announced his candidacy two days earlier at the Vol. Market #3, following months of speculation and his “teasing” about what office he would pursue after being term-limited out of his current office. Duncan went on to say, “Well, I really like Jimmy Matlock,” referring to State Representative Jimmy Matlock (R-Lenoir City), who beat Burchett to the punch by announcing his organization of a campaign to run for the 2nd District Congressional seat two days before Burchett. Matlock referred to Congressman Duncan as “my dear friend” in his official campaign statement. Duncan stopped short of an endorsement for Matlock, saying, “I’m not endorsing anybody right at the moment,” taking a “wait and see” position. While Duncan added, “Endorsements don’t mean a whole lot,” in a seat that has been held by “Jimmy” or his father, John Duncan Sr., since…

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Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett Announces Candidacy for 2nd Congressional District Seat

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

  On Saturday Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett announced his candidacy for the 2nd Congressional District seat in East Tennessee from which Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan (R-TN-02) announced his retirement earlier this week. Burchett, who is term limited in his current job, becomes the second major candidate in the Republican primary to replace Duncan. On Thursday, State Rep. Jimmy Matlock (R-Lenoir City) announced his candidacy for the seat. Several hundreds supporters attended Burchett’s announcement, held at the popular Vols Market in Knoxville. “During his speech, the candidate listed off successes during his time as mayor. One of those was cutting the county’s debt by $50 million,” WKRN reported: A big portion of his speech focused on improving health care for veterans. “I owe everything I have in my life but my salvation to the people that fought for our country,” said Burchett. “It’s tough for those guys. They come back wounded. They come back mentally challenged,” said Dennis Dunn. Dunn is a Vietnam veteran. He said Mayor Burchett shares his same values and will get things done in Congress. Prior to his announcement, there had been some speculation that Burchett would take on Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) in the…

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Gubernatorial Candidate Mae Beavers and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett Talk Politics in East Tennessee

Tennessee Star Staff

State Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet), one of three announced candidates for the Republican nomination for governor, and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, who recently said he will be running for Congress, presumably against incumbent Rep. John J. Duncan (R-TN-02), or the U.S. Senate against Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) in 2018, met for lunch at the Vol Market in Knoxville last week to talk politics. The meeting generated interested among Tennessee political observers and sparked discussions about a potential alliance in the August 2018 Republican primary between the two well respected independent minded conservatives. The two have plenty in common and are mutual admirers. “Tim is one of the best retail politicians in Tennessee and I appreciate him introducing me around the famous Vol Market. It certainly won’t be my last visit!” Beavers told The Tennessee Star. “His leadership as Knox County Mayor proves that actually governing as a conservative rather than just talking like one at election time produces great results for our citizens. Like many, I can’t wait to see what challenge Tim takes on next as his terms as Mayor come to an end,” Beavers added. Burchett was equally complimentary of Beavers. “I really enjoyed introducing Mae…

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Six Potential Challengers to Bob Corker in the 2018 Tennessee U.S. Senate Republican Primary

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

  With the new Tennessee Star polling data revealing significant vulnerabilities for Senator Bob Corker among likely Republican Primary voters, the speculation about potential opponents who may seek to exploit those vulnerabilities has increased dramatically. (Regardless of how many think about it, if more than one conservative challenger actually gets in the race they give it to Corker. And a successful race will almost certainly require a minimum of $7 million.) Who are these potential challengers? In alphabetical order: Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn. Topping the wish list of many Tennessee conservatives is the Representative from Middle Tennessee’s 7th District. Having represented a wide swath of West Tennessee before redistricting she has a significant base of support in both Middle and West Tennessee, which was reflected in the cross tabs in The Tennessee Star Poll head-to-head poll with Corker. Blackburn won the Middle portion of the state outside the margin of error (43-38) and beat Corker handily in West Tennessee (49-36). Statewide the two were within the margin of error with Corker edging Blackburn 41-39. A Tennessean story that was widely repeated across the state and country reported that Blackburn has indicated that she will NOT run for the Senate in 2018.…

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Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett: ‘I Would Expect Somebody To Have Some Guts and Enforce the Law’ on Reporting Female Genital Mutilation

Chris Alto

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett tells The Tennessee Star that female genital mutilation (FGM), which is illegal in Tennessee, is “something out of the dark ages” that must be reported when the barbaric practice is discovered in the Volunteer State. “I would expect somebody to have some guts and enforce the law. I can’t even imagine that. I’ve got a little girl, I mean I just can’t even imagine that. It sickens me to my core,” he says. “I can’t believe that in 2017 we’re having this discussion in this country,” Burchett tells The Star. The Star asked Burchett on Monday to comment on the lack of reporting requirements about FGM to either the Tennessee Department of Health or to the state’s Department of Children’s Services. Burchett is the first elected official in Tennessee to make the connection between reporting FGM to the Department of Health and medical licensure, noting that, “If anybody in the medical community is performing that, they need to lose their license.” The Health Professional Boards that oversee licensing for a long list of health care professionals, is a division within the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH).  These boards are also responsible for “investigation of alleged violations of the…

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Letter to the Editor: Governor Tim Burchett?

Tennessee Star Staff
Burchett

  Dear Tennessee Star, With Dr. Mark Green’s nomination to be the next Secretary of the Army it has left many in the state desperately trying to find a true conservative candidate they can support in next years gubernatorial race. There is one person that all conservatives can support, that person is Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, if he decides to throw his hat in the race. ● Why Burchett? As mayor he’s proven himself to be a fiscal conservative. Burchett isn’t afraid to stand up to anyone in his fight for limited government, even special interest groups that are influential at the local level. During one of his ‘budget fights’ with the schools he had this to say, “I want to very respectfully say that it is easy to claim that more money will solve our problems, but we need only to look to Washington, D.C., though, to see that this is simply not true.” When the big government folks on the School Board wanted more money which would have resulted in a tax increase he pledged to veto any measure to raise taxes. Gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd even testified before the Knox County Commission in support of the massive…

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