Gov. Bill Lee endorses Jason Emert in contested, three-person state House primary

Tennessee state House candidate Jason Emert Thursday, June 6, got some support from Gov. Bill Lee in his bid to secure the Republican Party's nomination for state House District 20. Lee endorsed Emert, one of three Blount County Republicans vying to represent the GOP in the Aug. 1 primary election for the seat in the Tennessee General Assembly.

A press release from Nashville-based Parthenon Strategies quotes Lee as saying in part, “I’m honored to support Jason’s election to the Tennessee House of Representatives, and I look forward to working with him to create a brighter future for Tennesseans.”

To win the Aug. 1 state primary, Emert, like Lee a vocal proponent of school choice, would need to defeat Nick Bright, a farmer and realtor, and Tom Stinnett, a retired school teacher. Both Bright and Stinnett are current members of the Blount County Board of Commissioners.

The winner of the Republican primary in August will face Democratic Party candidate Karen Gertz in November.