One Republican vying to fill retiring Congressman Bart Gordon’s seat has raised much more than his competition-if you discount money candidates give their own campaigns.
Lou Ann Zelenik has the largest campaign chest of the sixth district candidates. The former Rutherford County GOP Chair has pulled in $381,000; all but $81,000 of that came from Zelenik herself.
Similarly, State Senator Diane Black of Gallatin has a total of $150,000, after lending her campaign $100,000.
The standout is State Senator Jim Tracy. The Murfreesboro Republican raised nearly $267,000 and none of it comes from his own bank account.
Vanderbilt University political science professor Christian Grose says that bodes well for Tracy.
“ That’s an indicator that he’s been actually working the phones, making the phone calls-the sort of thing you want to look at if you’re thinking about investing in one of these candidates.”
One other sixth-district Republican filed a campaign finance report. Dave Evans has raised just under $26,000.
The sixth district includes Gallatin, Cookeville, Murfreesboro and Shelbyville. So far, no Democrats have filed to run for the seat.
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