Republican leaders resoundingly reject Rep. John Ragan’s primary loss challenge

Representative John Ragan (Photo by the Tennessee General Assembly)

Members of the Tennessee Republican State Primary Board resoundingly rejected Representative John Ragan’s, R-Oak Ridge, challenge of the August primary he lost to Former Clinton Police Chief Rick Scarbrough.

Republican leaders voted 41-7 against the challenge Saturday at a hearing in Mount Juliet.

Ragan lost the East Tennessee House District 33 GOP primary race to Scarbrough by 258 votes last month. At the time there were no complaints of voting irregularities, but the seven-term lawmaker challenged the loss anyway claiming Democrats helped Scarbrough win the Republican primary.

Rick Scarbrough (Photo by Rick Scarbrough's campaign)

Scarbrough said Ragan told supporters he intended to contest the race days before the August primary, and he argued the Republican Party would be following the wrong lead of their Democratic opponents if members throw out his election win. In 2008 Tennessee Democrats voted to invalidate former Senator Rosalind Kurita’s 18 vote win over Tim Barnes in their Senate District 22 primary. Crossover voting was a complaint in that challenge as well.

Republican leaders heard from both Scarbrough and Ragan along with five supporters of the challenge and five opponents before making their decision.  Scarbrough thanked his supporters on Facebook following the decision that moves his campaign on to the general election in November.

“Anderson County it’s hard to put into a FB post what all needs to be said! The State Republican Primary Board voted “no” to the challenge that was filed,” wrote Scarbrough. “Speaking to support the people of Anderson County and asking for the results to stand were Jody Wright, Russell Barker, Gary Long, Myron Iwanski and Jason Lawson. Mollie and I thank them for making the trip to Mount Juliet! After some discussion by the committee the vote was 41-7 against the challenge. Thank you to the Republican State Executive Committee for your dedicated service!”

Representative Ragan has attracted headlines and criticism in recent years for proposing legislation dealing with hot button social issues. He unsuccessfully sponsored bills earlier this year to prohibit public universities from creating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and antidiscrimination policies.

He also was among the House members who declined to vote on a bill outlawing marriage between first cousins.

Scarbrough has focused his campaign on community concerns like high-paying jobs, creating safe communities, and providing great schools. He specifically listed protecting the state’s high education standards and accountability that studies show have led to student improvement in Tennessee as a priority

Democrat Anne Backus ran unopposed in the Democratic House District 22 primary and will face Scarbrough in the November general election.