Senate Education Chair faces misleading attack ads in GOP primary race supporters say “skirt” campaign rules

Bobby Harshbarger (left) and Senator Jon Lundberg (Right) (Photos by Bobby Harshbarger Campaign/Tennessee General Assembly)

Tennessee is not expected to have many truly competitive races in the August 1 state primary, but one that will be is already seeing misleading campaigning and a formal complaint of “skirting” campaign finance limits.

That race involves Senate Education Chair Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, and his Senate District 4 Republican challenger Bobby Harshbarger, East Tennessee pharmacist and son of Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger, R-Tennessee.

Harshbarger has attempted to run to the right of Lundberg and is misleadingly criticizing the Senator for the failure of legislation to ban pride flags from Tennessee classrooms.

Lundberg opposed an earlier version of the bill in committee but was one of 13 Republicans who voted in favor of the final version on the Senate floor.

“I am sickened and worried at Jon Lundberg and the Senate’s inability to protect our children from radical indoctrination. The classroom is no place for extreme gender ideology,” said Harshbarger in a press release following the bill’s failure. “Lundberg is quick to tout his position in leadership, why didn’t he use his leadership to protect our children? “

Ethics complaint filed over text messages

The race is also seeing an ethics complaint involving misleading text messages sent to voters in East Tennessee.

In a story first reported by WJHL, the texts wrongfully claim Senator Lundberg supported providing undocumented immigrants with in-state college tuition. Tennessee General Assembly records show then State Representative Lundberg opposed the legislation in its 49 to 47 vote defeat.

“I was the deciding vote against providing illegal immigrants in-state tuition,” said Lundberg to WJHL. “So it’s not only factually wrong, but it is the exact opposite of what that ad claims that I did.”

The newly formed East Tennessee Conservatives PAC (Political Action Committee) is behind the text messages.  The PAC lists no direct ties to Harshbarger, but its treasurer is Thomas Datwyler who also serves as the treasurer for Congresswoman Harshbarger’s PAC.

Senator Ken Yager (Photo by Tennessee General Assembly)

The connection prompted Senate Caucus Chair Ken Yager, R-Kingston, to file a complaint asking the Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance to investigate if the PAC might be violating ethics and registry requirements.

“While dirty campaign tricks are an unfortunate part of the political process, we are concerned this is something far more serious. A quick review by us shows the PAC’s Treasurer is also the Treasurer of Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger,” said Yager. “We are concerned there is collusion between the Harshbarger campaign (both) and the PAC.  In addition to collusion between the campaigns, we believe there may also be an effort to skirt campaign finance limits.”

This isn’t the first time Datwyler has been involved in a question about campaign finance violations involving a candidate in Tennessee.Last October the Federal Election Commission agreed to a settlement that fined Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles and Datwyler, in his capacity as treasurer, $5,750 for campaign reporting violations.

State records show the East Tennessee Conservatives PAC established last year with a $95, 0000 contribution from the Virginia based American Policy Coalition.