Record spending in Tennessee GOP congressional primaries

By BILL THEOBALD
Gannett Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -  Republican candidates trying to capture two open House seats in Tennessee have spent an unprecedented $7 million so far, according to the latest campaign finance reports.

About $1.7 million of that was spent in the first two weeks of July by the major candidates in the GOP primaries in the 6th and 8th districts.

"Open seats don't come along very often," Mark Byrnes, political science professor at Middle Tennessee States University, said to explain the spending.

Both districts are represented by Democrats who are retiring. Rep. Bart Gordon of Murfreesboro has represented the 6th District for 26 years, and Rep. John Tanner of Union City has represented the 8th District for 22 years.

In the 6th District, state Sen. Diane Black had spent $639,060 through July 16, according to the most recent reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. She spent about a third of that in the first two weeks of July, with $118,000 going to On Message Inc. of Alexandria, Va., for advertising. Black also loaned her campaign $200,000 on July 17, bringing the total she has loaned her campaign to $400,100.

State Sen. Jim Tracy had spent $543,770 through mid-July, including $157,557 in the first two weeks of the month. He paid $129,544 to Strategic Media Services of Washington, D.C., in early July for television ads.

Both Black and Tracy entered the final days of the primary campaign with about $200,000 in their campaign accounts.
Former Rutherford County Republican chairwoman Lou Ann Zelenik had spent $320,656 through mid July, including $100,796 in the first two weeks of the month. She had $255,983 in cash as of July 16 and had loaned her campaign $386,339.

Most observers believe the winner of the GOP primary will easily win the fall election. The Cook Political Report ranks the race as a likely Republican win, but says there's still time for a race to develop.

Democrats Brett Carter and Ben Leming are vying for the Democratic nomination. Their total spending on the primary race: $45,660.

The amount of spending and borrowing by Republican candidates in the 8th District race is even more startling.
Frog Jump farmer Stephen Fincher had spent $1.07 million through mid-July, including $257,261 in the first two weeks of the month. Fincher spent $82,000 in early July with West Rogers of Memphis to buy media time.

Doctor and businessman George Flinn of Atoka had spent $2.85 million through July 16, including $811,526 in the first two weeks of the month. He paid Strategic Media Services of Washington, D.C., $561,805 in early July for advertising.

The third major GOP candidate, Dr. Ron Kirkland of Jackson, had spent $796,066 through mid-July, including $289,860 in the first two weeks of the month. Of that last-minute spending, $182,240 went to SRH Media in Silver Springs, Md., for television.

Kirkland's brother, Robert, has spent nearly $1 million on television ads and other efforts to support Kirkland's campaign, according to independent expenditure reports filed with the FEC.

Flinn has loaned his campaign $2.9 million, Kirkland has loaned his campaign $300,000, and Fincher has loaned his campaign $250,000.

By comparison, the candidates vying for the Democratic nomination to replace Harold Ford Jr. in the House in 2006 – one the few recent competitive primary House races in the state – spent less than a combined $2 million on the entire primary campaign.

The 8th District is by no means a sure thing for the winner of the GOP primary. Cook rates the race a tossup. Democrat Roy Herron has raised more than $1.3 million and has spent only $377,369 so far.

Chris Devaney, state GOP chairman, acknowledged GOP candidates have spent unusually large amounts but thinks candidates will find plenty of additional financial support for the general election.

"They want a new direction," Devaney said of GOP voters. "And they are willing to fund it."
Devaney said he met with the 8th District candidates several months ago and they promised to support the winner of the primary.

Byrnes, the political science professor, said the massive amounts candidates have loaned their own campaigns raises another question: "Do you have to be a millionaire to win elective office?"