Senate GOP leadership to the rescue? Tennessee top brass spend big to help two vulnerable members

Legislature 2/29/24

Tennessee’s three most powerful state senators have spent nearly $900,000 to protect two members facing tough primary challenges.

The trio of Republicans led by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally is throwing substantial resources behind state Sens. Ferrell Haile of Gallatin and Jon Lundberg of Bristol, who are up against primary challengers Chris Spencer and Bobby Harshbarger in races that could determine the next leader of Tennessee’s Senate. Two other key senators facing challenges are receiving much less financial backing.

“My goal, and the goal of our caucus, is to return all our members to the Senate each election cycle,” McNally said in response to Tennessee Lookout questions. “Strategic decisions on spending are based on several different factors. Each race is different and resources are allocated accordingly. My primary concern is the return of each and every one of our members to the Senate. All other concerns are secondary to that purpose.”

McNally, an 80-year-old Oak Ridge Republican, has held his Senate Speaker post for nearly eight years despite recent health issues and a rebellion that popped up last year when news articles revealed he frequently commented on racy Instagram pictures of a young gay man from Knoxville.

The state Senate Republican Caucus held a no-confidence vote on McNally in March 2023, with 19 of the 26 members continuing to support him.

Since then, senators have maneuvered behind the scenes to replace McNally once he steps down. McNally is up for re-election to his Senate seat in 2026, and the caucus will vote on its leader for the next General Assembly before January.

My goal, and the goal of our caucus, is to return all our members to the Senate each election cycle. Strategic decisions on spending are based on several different factors.

– Lt. Gov. Randy McNally

One contender for the top job is Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson of Franklin, whose political action committee (PAC) has spent nearly $200,000 to help Lundberg but none backing Haile.

Johnson’s money, spent on independent expenditures such as advertisements, aims to boost Lundberg without direct coordination, allowing unlimited spending.

Haile’s biggest supporter has been McNally’s PAC, which has spent almost $400,000 on independent expenditures in support. McNally’s PAC received a $100,000 contribution from Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Ken Yager’s PAC in the most recent filing period ending July 22. Yager called it “routine” for the caucus to support members seeking re-election, saying the amount being spent is determined by each race’s competitiveness.

Spencer, whose war chest is considerably smaller than Haile’s, expressed concerns in an email, stating he believes “even Democrats should be appalled at the corruption” from McNally’s PAC spending, as well as that of Americans for Prosperity, Tennesseans for Student Success’s Team Kid PAC and the Tennessee Federation for Children PAC. He detailed no illegal activity.

“They are all corrupt liars and new laws must be put in place” to control independent expenditures, Spencer said. “These PACs are simply gross.”

Spencer, a Hendersonville resident, contends McNally’s PAC is spreading “negative lies” against him and predicts that the amount of PAC money spent to defeat him will eclipse $1 million by the Aug. 1 primary election.

For the campaign, Spencer has raised around $14,000 and loaned himself roughly $70,000.

Despite McNally’s boost, Haile is taking nothing for granted. He brought in $48,000 in the latest reporting period, spent over $368,000 and had over $300,000 on hand.

“Every campaign you’ve gotta work and do what you can to win. I’m glad they’re supporting me,” Haile said.

The finger-pointing continues

McNally is known for using his political action committee to support vulnerable members. He deployed similar amounts of money to protect former Nashville Republican state senator Steve Dickerson in 2020, and against the opponent of former Germantown Republican Brian Kelsey in 2018. Dickerson lost, and Kelsey won.

McNally also spent around $40,000 in 2022 against Gary Humble, who was trying to unseat Johnson in a Republican primary.

This year, the Senate Speaker’s PAC has also spent almost $300,000 to support Lundberg, chairman of the Senate Education Committee and ardent supporter of a private-school voucher plan, which is also backed by Haile and McNally.

Lundberg, who is in a pitched battle with Harshbarger, said Friday he’ll “take support from anybody. “ He believes McNally’s PAC spending is necessary to “balance “ the race because the congressional campaign of U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, Bobby Harshbarger’s mother, is spending hundreds of thousands to boost his campaign.

U.S. Rep. Harshbarger purchased advertisements for her campaign featuring a photo of Bobby Harshbarger that said, “Harshbarger endorsed by Trump, “ making no distinction between the two Harshbarger campaigns. According to The Tennessee Journal , the Diana for Congress campaign paid for the ads, although. Diana Harshbarger doesn’t face an August primary opponent.

Yager filed a complaint with the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance earlier this year alleging collusion between Bobby Harshbarger’s campaign and that of his mother and a political action committee. The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance requested the Attorney General’s Office to investigate the matter, but officials don’t expect a completed report by election day.

“Having the support from the lieutenant governor is positive, “ Lundberg said. “I think it’s critical to help balance out all the lies and fabrications that are coming out.”

A supporter of Harshbarger also filed a complaint with the registry alleging coordination between Lundberg and McNally, noting that both share some of the same fundraisers. The registry dismissed the complaint.

Harshbarger has raised around $24,000 but loaned his campaign nearly $380,000.

In contrast the big spending for Lundberg and Haile, McNally’s PAC put $750 toward polling for Sen. Frank Niceley of Strawberry Plains and gave $2,500 to Sen. Todd Gardenhire, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Both face primary opponents this week. None of McNally’s money has gone to Sen. Becky Massey, who is being challenged by Knoxville businesswoman Monica Irvine, though she did receive nearly $14,000 in support from Johnson’s PAC.

The biggest backers to the McNally, Johnson, and Yager PACs over the past four years have been:

• Tennessee Association of Realtors: $107,000
• BlueCross BlueShield: $97,500
• Wine and Spirit Wholesalers: $84,000
• HCA Healthcare: $77,500
• Jack Daniel’s: $61,500
• Amazon: $56,500
• Tennessee Hospital Association: $59,000
• CoreCivic: $50,000
• Advance Financial: $47,500
• Tennessee Trucking Association: $47,000

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