Flinn puts $1.4M into rematch with Kustoff

Multimillionaire perennial candidate George Flynn, who lost to Rep. David Kustoff by less than 3,000 votes in the 13-candidate 2016 Republican primary for the 8^th Congressional District, has put $1.4 million of personal funds into his 2018 effort to unseat the incumbent, according to a new report filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Flinn’s report says $866,365 of his money, in the form of a loan to the campaign, was spent in the first quarter, leaving a cash-on-hand balance. All but $3,000 of the money went to Caissa Public Strategies of Memphis for “campaign management expenses” that are not further explained in the report.

Kustoff reported receipt of $236,800 in contributions – including just over $100,000 from PACs – during the first quarter. Total campaign donations through March 31 are listed at $1.12 million. Flinn’s self-financing in the first quarter thus surpasses the total raised by Kustoff since he took office in 2017.

The congressman’s cash-on-hand balance was reported as $954,563. He listed just $21,138 in spending for the quarter. Total campaign spending to date: $357,581.

Flinn, who made his fortune in a chain of radiology clinics and ownership of radio stations, has previously run unsuccessfully for the 9^th Congressional District seat, losing as the GOP nominee against Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, and in the Republican primary against U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander.

Note: In the last weeks of the 2016 primary campaign, a round of TV and print advertising sponsored by a new PAC called Win for America that some credited as a significant cause of Flinn’s defeat. The ads bashed Flinn for supporting a Democrat (not mentioning that the Democrat was his son, a Memphis city councilman). Subsequently, turned out that former U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher gave at least $100,000 to the new PAC. (See Jackson Baker’s report HERE.)