Nashville — Tennessee U.S. Reps. Mark Green and David Kustoff will not face opponents in the August primary after state Republican Party authorities eliminated their opponents owing to “bona fide” party membership issues.
Caleb Stack, who ran against Green, and George Flinn, who faced Kustoff, were removed from the ballot. Joe Doctora, a Republican candidate for Scott DesJarlais' seat, was too. Two Republican primary opponents remain for DesJarlais.
Those judgments eliminate primary opponents for six Tennessee Republican congressional incumbents. Congressmen Chuck Fleischmann, Tim Burchett, Diana Harshbarger, and John Rose were already expected to win party primaries. Republicans control eight of Tennessee's nine House seats. November brings Democratic opposition to each.
Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles will have one less opponent in August. Cybersecurity specialist Tom Guarente withdrew, leaving Ogles to face Nashville Metro Council member Courtney Johnston in August.
The Democratic candidate for the Nashville-area Ogles seat, Maryam Abolfazli, will now be unchallenged. Abolfazli's last major opponent has dropped out. Two state Senate and nine state House Republicans were removed from the ballot owing to party legitimacy issues.
The state GOP requires candidates to vote in three of the prior four statewide Republican primaries after a challenge to be considered "bona fide." However, party leaders vote on whether someone is “bona fide” and stays on the ballot. But others can vouch for them.
The condition was highlighted in 2022 after prominent candidate removals in the 5th Congressional District primary, which Ogles won. Meanwhile, state Democratic Party officials pulled Kevin Lee McCants from the ballot for U.S. Senate, two state House candidates, and one state executive committee candidate.
In the Democratic primary for Marsha Blackburn's seat, Gloria Johnson, Marquita Bradshaw, Lola Denise Brown, and Civil Miller-Watkins remain. GOP primary candidate Tres Wittum faces Blackburn. Candidates removed from the ballot can appeal with their parties.
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