Tennessee GOP Removes Trump-endorsed Morgan Ortagus from Primary

U.S. Department of State from United States, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Tennesse GOP removed Trump-endorsed candidate Morgan Ortagus from the ballot of the 5th District Primary. Ortagus, who served as Trump’s spokesperson for the State Department, was booted from the ballot by the party’s State Executive Committee for failing to meet the definition of a “bona fide” Republican under the party’s bylaws.

The Washington Examiner reports:

The Tennessee Republican Party requires that candidates be “actively involved” in the state or local GOP and have voted in three of the last four Republican primaries, although members can vouch to party leaders that a candidate failing to meet these requirements deserves to remain on the ballot.

Ortagus, who earned the endorsement of Trump before entering the race in February, framed the decision to bar her as a move by “party insiders” to undermine her “America First” candidacy.

“I’m a bonafide Republican by their standards, and frankly, by any metric,” Ortagus said in a statement to the Tennessean. “As I have said all along, I believe that voters in Middle Tennessee should pick their representative — not establishment party insiders. Our team is evaluating the options before us.”

Ortagus has rankled party leaders in the state who object to her running in the 5th District despite having only moved to Tennessee last year. Her entry into the race gave rise to tensions between the state GOP and Trump, whose influence over the Republican Party is being tested in primaries across the country. The former president has endorsed more than 100 GOP candidates on the ballot.

Tennessee state Sen. Frank Niceley led legislation that requires primary candidates to have lived in Tennessee for at least three years. The bill became law, except it took effect after the election’s April 7 filing deadline, meaning Ortagus would have been able to compete in the primary had she not been kicked out by the Tennessee Republican Party.

The decision to remove Ortagus happened amid rumors that Trump no longer cared whether she appeared on the ballot. However, a spokesman for Trump denied the rumor.

“That is a dirty lie, which should not surprise anyone, given there are RINOs in Tennessee trying to quietly pull strings and illegally remove President Trump’s endorsed candidate, Morgan Ortagus, from the ballot,” Taylor Budowich said, using the acronym for “Republicans in name only.”



  1. To be fair and inclusive, I think it was a mistake to attack her and nobody else. The political shenanigans never seem to end. Trump kept us out of conflicts with Russia because he could talk to people and massage their egos while threatening them with retaliation, and nobody but a few of us appreciated those important skills.

  2. Wow did not know states that were mostly republican had this problem of RINOs ruining things…. not sure what this candidate can do except run as an independent and proceed from there perhaps?

    1. That’s the answer and if we do that enough the establishment Rino’s will get the message that they aren’t our party either -we are America First and if you aren’t you aren’t shit

  3. I am ok with the law. I don’t like when people move to a state and immediately run for office. It seems shady to me. That doesn’t mean Ortagus wouldn’t be a good candidate, but she needs to spend time in the community for a few years to get to know the people better.

    1. So following your logic, the people that just moved to TN in the last year or two shouldn’t be able to vote in state and local elections because they don’t know what is best for their new community? The more BS restrictions “party organizations” place on free elections the less free we are and the more corrupt our government becomes. Let the PEOPLE of the COMMUNITY exercise their constitutional right to vote and make the final decision whether or not she is worthy to be their representative in congress. Don’t let some back room, shady, bought and owned politician trample on our freedoms. Frank Nicely is not nice and needs to kicked to the curb next election. Ms Ortagus needs to challenge the law in court. Let the people decide; not the politicians!

  4. What a bunch of spineless politicians, and u think the repukes will win back the house and senate,u better think again. U rhinos and gutless repukes, will need more than hope to pull a defeat out in the mid=terms, u will need a spine and go=nads to convince the american people u are worth their vote.

    1. Should we just go to ballot stuffing and fraud? That seems to work! Right leftard! Go put your helmet on and finish licking the windows!

  5. I am registered as a Republican, however I vote as an independant. The Republican party is and has been a failure. When I observe you as a party I see when very important issues come up you sit on your hands and do nothing. We had the best President in my opinion since I was born 84 years ago. However you allowed the Democrat party to win the Presidential election without lifting a hand to help him.

    1. well you got me beet by 6 years we have seen some good presidents and bad ones, isn’t it ironic that the best one was the last one and the present one is the worst. They accused the best of being the worst and are trying to make us believe what we have now is great, how do you say I feel like puking over the situation.

  6. what this article didn’t point out there were 2 other people who were removed from the Primary ballot because they were challenged. Each of them had the chance to challenge the ruling none of them did. Morgan Ortagus couldn’t even name the interstates that run through TN. Her biggest fund raiser was held on Ash Wednesday in DC. Before she was challenged a lawsuit was filed. The other one was Robby Starbuck who moved to TN from Ca and registered to vote in 2019 and never voted in any primary in the state (which there were 2).. The other guy was challenged because he voted for the Democrat in 2020, so he did not follow the rules either. Nothing is stopping them from running as an Independent in November. They were dropped from the Republican Primary in May.

  7. More political monkey business.She should sue and not quit.She qualified to be on ballot, before the new “suspect” rules and should point this out to Sec of State and State Attorney General and insist to remain on ballot. The voters will decide, not party bosses.

  8. Be sure to study your own ballot choices. Trump does not always make the right choice. Here in SC, he endorced Linsey Graham while we knew he always go with whatever direction the wind blows. Now, he has endorsed Timmons, who is a big no show and who tried to push our local hospitals into being more Obominable Care like. There a lot more people more qualified to be Constitutional Republicans than these clowns.

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