Small Turnout Makes It Anyone’s Race in D7

Early voting for the 7th Congressional District special primary ends this Thursday. As expected, turnout has been pretty low. As of Friday, only 11,179 Republican and 9,795 Democrat ballots have been cast. In Davidson County, 4,307 of the 4,950 votes were in the Democrat primary. The winners of each respective primary will face off on December 2nd to replace former Representative Mark Green.

Green, who announced he would be prematurely vacating his seat earlier this summer, won his past two elections by more than 20 points. Though it’s the Republican’s race to lose, the special circumstances and low turnout could make a Democratic win possible once we get to the general election. 

As far as money goes, state Representatives Lee Reeves and Gino Bulso have the most cash on hand, with over half a million dollars at each of their disposal. Former state General Services Commissioner Matt Van Epps raised the most money through donations and was endorsed by Green.

Republicans

• Matt Van Epps — $360K (all donor contributions)
• Lee Reeves — $270K (donors) + $280K (self) = $550K total
• Jody Barrett — $235K (all donor contributions)
• Gino Bulso — $55K (donors) + $500K (self) = $555K total

Democrats

• Darden Copeland — $310K (donors) + $125K (self) = $435K total
• Bo Mitchell — $190K (donors) + $10K (self) = $200K total
• Aftyn Behn — $150K (all donor contributions)
• Vincent Dixie — $140K (all donor contributions)

State Representative Jody Barrett seems to be the dark horse pick on the Republican ticket. Despite ranking last among the top four GOP candidates in terms of fundraising, it’s his name that keeps showing up in attack ads.

Before hitting the ballot box, get voting information here and check out the candidates here.

🖋️ Edited by Megan Podsiedlik.

🪖 Send In The Reinforcements Phase one of “Memphis Safe Task Force” operations starts this week, and Tennessee National Guard troops will be deputized to support local law enforcement.

On Friday, Governor Lee said that the troops will remain unarmed unless it’s requested by local law enforcement, and various agencies will deploy resources to the city in phases. This week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration are set to arrive.

Lee also announced that the state is investing $100 million grant dollars in Memphis public safety initiatives and funding 300 extra state troopers. Memphis Mayor Paul Young is hoping for a sustained effort in the area. “My goal is to make sure that as resources come into our community, we find ways to use them effectively and for the benefit of the residents of our great city,” he said. Lee explained that the operation to tackle crime in Memphis will continue as long as it's needed.