Image Credit: West Knox Republican Club
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
State Representative David Wright (R-Corryton-District 19) and Senator Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville-District 7) came under fire after the Knox County Republican Party’s (KCRP) town hall last week as they fielded questions about their stance on closed primaries and why the legislature can’t (or won’t) get it done. But Rep. Wright may have said the quiet part aloud when he admitted he relies on Democrats to keep him, and others like him, in office.
Billed as “an opportunity for constituents to learn how the elected office holders represented voters -on a number of issues- in the just-concluded legislative session in Nashville,” a large portion of the forum’s discussion revolved around closing the primary elections as the issue of illegal crossover voting continues to be a top priority for GOP primary voters.
But state legislators evidently do not feel similarly as, “The renewed request last night to close primaries once again fell on the lawmakers’ deaf ears,” according to a Facebook post in the West Knox Republican Club group.
Reportedly, the newly elected Chair of the KCRP, former state Rep. Martin Daniel, also refused to allow two separate attempts by forum attendees to indicate their support for closed primaries by standing or raising their hands.
“It’s baffling why a moderator of a town hall would obstruct any respectful attempt to show the will of the people to our elected representatives. It’s safe to say a number of loyal Republicans left the Town Hall forum with buyer’s remorse,” the post continued.
Also contained in the post was a video clip where Rep. Dave Wright addressed the “thorny issue” of closed primaries and revealed perhaps the true reason the Republican supermajority refuses to close them.
“For those that might not know, it’s not been too long since Democrats were the majority in the state of Tennessee. And in the rules that we’re in right now, folks like Harry Brooks, Bill Dunn, moved us from being the minority to not just the majority, but a supermajority. We can quorum the House and pass legislation as Republicans under the rules that are currently existing. If we go to running further to the right, then you’ll not see a majority of Republicans controlling the state legislature. We need a lot of other people, especially the district I represent…I’m mature. Most of the people in the 19th [district] are mature people that go back to when Democrats were the majority. Those folk will not today say they’re a Republican, but they’ll vote for me. So, I will never, I shouldn’t say never, it would be very difficult for me to have either caucusing select candidates or just Republicans select candidates because we need, and I think Dr. [Richard] Briggs, may have a statistic on where closed primaries killed us,” he said.
There was no video of Senator Briggs on the topic during the town hall, but during this year’s legislative session the Senate State and Local Government Committee, chaired by Briggs, killed a bill to close primary elections by refusing to second it, so his stance on the closed primaries likely mirrors Rep. Wright’s.
Media critic The Mega Bullfrog of “Truth” awarded Briggs the “Flat Curver Award for Most Credentialed Buffoon” as he and Wright gave “weak” arguments in their attempts to defend an open primary system.
According to their reporting, “Briggs told the audience that Arizona used to be solidly red with great Republican Senators like John McCain and Jeff Flake. But then Republicans made the tent smaller by actually making sure Republicans ran as Republicans, and now Arizona is blue. Briggs ‘s argument is garbage! Election fraud is the bigger culprit. Trump won Arizona easily, and Kari Lake, who was fully supported by Trump lost to the Democrat who oversaw the election process. It is obvious that being a conservative is not what caused Lake to lose.”
It appears Republican lawmakers have no intentions to adhere to the will of their constituency and close the primaries any time soon, as it would likely result in them losing their seats as voters seek to replace them with more conservative candidates who more closely adhere to their values and principles.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
