Corlew puts $1.3M into 6th Congressional District campaign, topping Rose’s $1M

Bob Corlew reports loaning $1.3 million to his campaign for the Republican nomination in the 6^th Congressional District in his initial disclosure report to the Federal Election Commission.

That put him slightly ahead of John Rose in cash on hand as of March 31. Rose had loaned his campaign $500,000 and added another $500,000 loan in the new report for a $1 million self-financing total. Both men are dramatically ahead, at least financially speaking, of state Rep. Judd Matheny of Tullahoma. Corlew contends that Matheny’s campaign is actually in debt.

Corlew and Rose press releases on their campaign finance status are below.

Here are the basic figures from the three leading GOP candidates to succeed U.S. Rep. Diane Black, who is running for governor instead of reelection, as reported to the FEC.

John Rose

Contributions: $137,150 (campaign total $544,285)

Loans: $500,000 (campaign total $1 million)

Spending: $313,880 (campaign total $527,311)

Closing balance: $1,016,973

Bob Corlew

Contributions: $14,382 (first report filed)

Loans: $1.3 million

Spending: $240,211

Closing balance: $1,074,170

Judd Matheny

Contributions: $16,239 (campaign total $216,283)

Loans: $0

Spending: $35,320 (campaign total $200,623)

Closing balance: $15,520

Note: The biggest expenditure listed in Matheny’s disclosure is $13,698 to Beaman Automotive of Nashville for a “campaign vehicle.”  The Beaman Automotive Group is headed by Lee Beaman, a generous donor to conservative Republican causes. He made two $2,700 contributions to Matheny’s campaign last year, one of them designated for the general election rather than the primary.

Corlew, in a press release, calculates that Matheny’s campaign is actually $11,479 in debt if such general election donations are deducted from his cash-on-hand balance. Corlew made a similar calculation on Rose and declares that the businessman had “actual cash on hand” of $908,073 if general election donations are subtracted.

Press release from John Rose campaign

COOKEVILLE, TN– Congressional candidate John Rose outraised his next two closest opponents ten to one in the first quarter of 2018. Rose surpassed $1.5 million in campaign funds, a sizeable advantage over other candidates, with an additional $137,000 raised in Q1. A successful fundraising haul paired with strong grassroots support, shows Rose clearly has the momentum
necessary to win.

“I am grateful to have meaningful support for my campaign from within the 6th Congressional District. This is my lifelong home and I am determined to take Tennessee values to Washington, and get Washington out of Tennessee,” Rose said. “I am a small business owner and political outsider ready to fight side by side with President Trump to enact his bold vision for America. We need strong leaders in Washington who know what it means to meet a payroll and balance a budget, not another career politician,” Rose continued.

Fueled by a bevy of supporters from across the district, Rose’s fundraising will grow in the second quarter to help garner even more support for his campaign. As a first-time candidate, Rose is uniquely motivated and qualified to run a sustained, top-notch campaign. The Rose Campaign has $1.01 million on hand. For the next few months leading to the August 2nd primary, the Rose campaign has a strategic plan for connecting with voters through personal outreach, public appearances, television commercials, print media, mail, and more.

Rose is a conservative Republican, small business owner, farmer, staunch supporter of the 2nd amendment, and 100% pro-life. He is an eighth generation Tennessean who has spent his life in the district working to improve and contribute to his community. Rose is seeking the Republican nomination for Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District, a seat left open by Diane Black who is running for Governor.

Press release from Bob Corlew campaign (partial)

(Note: Here is a handy chart provided by the Corlew campaign.)

Despite no contributions from corporate PACs, Bob Corlew for Congress has $166K more than our closest opponent to spend in the primary campaign. Additionally, Bob Corlew for Congress has the most cash-on-hand of ANY Republican primary candidate in the three open congressional races in Tennessee.

Candidate	Reported cash-on-hand	Actual Cash-on-Hand  for Primary*	Contributions from  corporate PACs
Bob Corlew	$1,074,170.36	$1,074,170.36	$0
John Rose	$1,016,973.53	$908,073.53	$17,200
Judd Matheny	$15,520.29	-$11,479.70	$13,000

Most Cash-On-Hand in open GOP Primaries

* “Actual Cash-on-Hand for Primary” is calculated from reported cash-on-hand minus donations earmarked for the general election.