Republican Party leaders to decide Rep. John Ragan’s primary loss challenge this Saturday

State Representative John Ragan (Photo courtesy Tennessee General Assembly)

Members of the Tennessee Republican State Primary Board will decide State Representative John Ragan’s, R-Oak Ridge, primary loss challenge Saturday afternoon in Mount Juliet.

Tennessee Republican Party Chair Scott Golden and the board scheduled a hearing for the challenge 2:30 P.M. September 7 at the Mount Juliet Hilton Garden Inn.

Ragan lost the East Tennessee House District 33 GOP primary race to Former Clinton Police Chief Rick Scarbrough last month by just 258 votes. 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 received 2963 votes and Rep. John Ragan received 2705 votes. Rep. John Ragan has contested the primary election on the grounds of crossover and illegal voting,” wrote Republican Party leaders on the announcement of Saturday’s hearing.

The Republican State Primary Board plans to allot 10 minutes for public comment in Saturday’s hearing, along with 9 minutes for Ragan and Scarbrough to make their case, and 2 minutes of rebuttal time for Ragan.

According to the meeting announcement, members have the option of: 1) Upholding the election results; 2) Overturning the election results; 3) Setting aside the election; 4) any other solution the Board sees fit to deem that is legally allowed by law.

Pre-planned Challenge?

Rick Scarbrough (upper left) with campaign staff (Photo courtesy of Rick Scarbrough' Facebook Page)

Scarbrough says Ragan actually told supporters he intended to contest the race days before the August primary. In a letter to party leaders obtained by the Tennessee Firefly, Scarbrough 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.

 “We cannot become that which we strive to defeat. Our shared Republican values call us to respect and uphold the rule of law.” wrote Scarbrough in a letter last month. “I am writing you today to ask that we remain Republicans rather than act like Democrats. Allowing the consideration of Ragan’s forthcoming election contest would do irreparable harm to our Party, our unity, and our ability to remain an effective force for protecting the freedoms of Tennesseans.”

During Saturday’s hearing Scarbrough and Ragan will be allowed to have attorneys speak on their behalf though the meeting will not necessarily operate like a court of law. The Republican board will have no requirement to follow the rules of evidence or other procedures followed in regular courts.