Republican leaders resoundingly reject Rep. John Ragan’s primary loss challenge
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 Party leaders to decide Rep. John Ragan’s primary loss challenge this Saturday
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.
"We cannot become that which we strive to defeat." Rick Scarbrough responds to expected primary result challenge from Rep. Ragan.
Scarbrough beat seven term Representative John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, by 258 votes in the House District 33 GOP primary. At the time there were no complaints of voter irregularities, but Scarbrough says he expects his former opponent to contest the win anyway.
Primary challenges, voucher impact, and other things to watch in the state primary
Today voters across the state will decide the primary races for 16 State Senate seats along with all 99 State House seats. Very few of these seats are expected to be highly competitive in the November general election, so tonight’s primaries will have a big impact on the General Assembly that returns to Nashville next year.
Challenger Rick Scarbrough continues to outraise Rep. John Ragan
Former Clinton Police Chief Rick Scarbrough continues to outraise Rep. John Ragan.
Conservative challenger Rick Scarbrough is outraising Rep. John Ragan. Ragan responded with mailers that stretch the truth.
This year Representative John Ragan’s, R-Oak Ridge, has attracted headlines for proposing multiple bills dealing with hot button social issues that his own party rejected. Now he's facing a strong challenge to keep his House district 33 seat in East Tennessee from a challenger who’s focusing his campaign on local concerns like jobs, safety, and schools.
Tax dollars paid for this mailer during Rep. Jon Ragan’s re-election campaign. Few House members have spent more on mailings.
One of the more closely watched races this summer is East Tennessee’s House District 33 GOP primary between John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, and former Clinton police chief and current University of Tennessee Law Enforcement Innovation Center Executive Director Rick Scarbrough.
House education leaders decline to vote on bill outlawing marriage between first cousins
Two State Representatives who’ve played a big role in education legislation this session were among the nine Republicans who declined to vote on a bill Thursday that would ban marriage between first cousins. State Representatives Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, and John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, didn’t speak for or against the bill but joined Representatives Tandy Darby, R-Greenfield; Bud Hulsey, R-Kingsport; Chris Hurt, R-Halls; Brock Martin, R-Huntingdon; Jay Reedy, R-Erin; Tim Rudd, R-Murfreesboro; and Iris Rudder, R-Winchester in opting against voting on it.
House subcommittee votes down proposal to limit discrimination protection policies at universities
The House Higher Education Subcommittee killed another attempt to change discrimination protection policies at Tennessee universities and higher education institutions.Committee members voted down proposed legislation from Representative John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, Monday that would have prevented state universities and universities that receive state funding from creating antidiscrimination policies or recognizing protected classes that are not recognized by the state.
House committee shoots down bill that would remove diversity-sustaining programs
Members of the House Higher Education Subcommittee unanimously shot down a bill Monday that would establish prohibitions for public universities and other public institutions of higher education regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.Before the vote, bill sponsor Representative John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, told committee members that DEI promotes discrimination. Ragan said his bill is designed to be colorblind and sex neutral.
House committee advances bill to let public charter schools prioritize serving at-risk students
Members of the House Administration Committee advanced legislation Wednesday designed to help provide at-risk students with more accessibility to public charter schools.The legislation gives public charter schools the option of providing preference to students who are economically disadvantaged, including homeless, migrants, in foster care, runaways, and those eligible for free and reduce lunches.
Education Trust's Reginald Nash suggests three changes to improve Tennessee’s Third-Grade Retention Law
Few educational issues have generated more disagreement this year than Tennessee’s Third-Grade Retention Law.The legislation was designed in 2021 to ensure that students who a need additional help in reading would receive it before being promoted to the fourth grade.Wednesday afternoon Reginald Nash with advocate organization the Education Trust told members of the State House Education Instruction Committee that any tweaks need to include an emphasis on building the literacy foundations both at the start of third grade and much earlier.