Sethi blasts ruling by Trump-appointed judge who is son of RNC member
It didn’t take Republican U.S. Senate candidate Manny Sethi long to blast a federal judge in Nashville for issuing a temporary restraining order against enforcement of the new abortion ban Gov. Bill Lee signed into law on Monday.
According to Sethi, “an activist judge barely waited until the ink was dry to promote his own pro-choice view.”
An activist judge barely waited until the ink was dry to promote his own pro-choice view. We cannot allow the lives of unborn children to be jeopardized by radical judges. As your Senator, I will only vote to confirm justices who stick to the Constitution!https://t.co/BUnFpvmWWn
— Dr. Manny For Senate (@DrMannySenate) July 13, 2020
There’s two problems with Sethi’s logic. First, U.S. District Judge Chip Campbell was appointed by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate on a 97-0 vote. And second, Campbell’s mother, Beth Campbell, is a Tennessee representative on the Republican National Committee and served as host to a Sethi fundraiser in Nashville in September.
Sethi wasn’t alone in in criticizing the judge. Rival Republican candidate Bill Hagerty also spoke out against the ruling.
This is wrong.
As your Senator, I will always fight for life and vote to confirm constitutionalist judges who will protect the unborn. https://t.co/pcEbKviPON— Bill Hagerty (@BillHagertyTN) July 13, 2020
Internal polls give contrasting views of GOP Senate contest
Internal polling by Republican candidates Bill Hagerty and Manny Sethi show a stark contrast in the state of play in the U.S. Senate race.
The poll by the Hagerty campaign shows the former U.S. ambassador with a wide lead, while the survey by the Sethi camp has the Vanderbilt surgeon narrowly behind with 11 days remaining until early voting.
The Hagerty poll has him with 45%, compared with 29% for Sethi, and 5% for George Flinn.
Sethi’s poll has Hagerty with 33%, Sethi with 31%, and Flinn with 6%.
The Sethi campaign said its polling number have improved dramatically since early June, when he was down 27% to 11%. The poll of 800 likely Republican voters was conducted by Victory Phones between June 30 and July 1. The margin of error is placed a plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
The same pollster was used by Bill Lee’s successful gubernatorial campaign in 2018, coming within 2 percentage points of the outcome of that primary.
The Hagerty poll of 651 likely Republican primary voters was conducted by the Tarrance Group between June 28 and June 30. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
The Hargery survey found double-digit leads among primary voters in the Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, and Tri-Cities media markets and more than 50% those who have voted in four of the last four primaries.
Choosing sides in the Walley-Templeton state Senate race
Former state Rep. Page Walley and former Agriculture Commissioner Jai Templeton are assembling their campaign teams for this year’s only open state Senate race to succeed retiring Sen. Dolores Gresham (R-Somerville).
Walley is getting his campaign consulting from Bob Davis, a former state Republican Party chairman, and the Stoneridge Group. Templeton has enlisted another former state GOP chairman, Tommy Hopper, and consultant Layne Provine.
Former state Rep. Barrett Rich is backing Templeton, while retired Rep. Steve McDaniel is supporting Walley.
Senate District 26 comprises Chester, Decatur, Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, McNairy, and Henderson counties.
Mackler blasts GOP opponents for Blackburn tweet
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Mackler is criticizing his Republican opponents for being “clones” of Republican Marsha Blackburn, who was elected to the chamber last year. Mackler, a former Army helicopter pilot, took aim at comments Blackburn made about Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who testified in the congressional impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
Blackburn has said she stands by a tweet that stated: “Vindictive Vindman in the ‘whistleblower’s’ handler.” Republican candidates Bill Hagerty and Manny Sethi have defended the president and condemned the House probe.
#MoscowMarsha isnt on the ballot in ’20 but my opponents for the open #TNSEN seat will be her clone. I’m a combat veteran & running b/c TN needs a senator to stand up for what’s right & stand up to any president when they’re wrong. Join the team today >> https://t.co/REGFUU2rCp pic.twitter.com/omwxqPvxkr
— James Mackler (@James_Mackler) November 23, 2019
Mackler closed his law practice after the Sept. 11 terror attacks to join the Army. He spent three years as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot for the 101st Airborne Division, which included a deployment to Iraq. He later served as a military prosecutor for the Judge Advocate General Corps.
Surprise! Hagerty joins U.S. Senate race
Former U.S. Ambassador Bill Hagerty has officially joined the U.S. Senate race in Tennessee:
Here’s Hagerty’s statement:
Serving in President Trump’s administration was the honor of a lifetime, but when I saw the threat to Tennessee and our country from the Democrats’ socialist agenda, I felt called to act. We must stand up to radical liberals like The Squad and their liberal socialist agenda that would deeply damage the America we know and love. With President Trump’s support, I’m ready to fight for your family in the U.S. Senate. In the coming months, we’re going to be working hard and traveling to every corner of our beautiful state to earn your trust. If you’re looking for a conservative family man with real experience, who will stand with President Trump, we’re running this campaign for you.
We’ve officially launched our campaign! If you’re looking for a conservative family man with real experience who will stand with President @realDonaldTrump, we’re running this campaign for you. #TNSen
— Bill Hagerty (@BillHagertyTN) September 9, 2019
