HUNTSVILLE | Scott Countians went one-of-two in contested Republican primary races on Thursday, joining voters from across Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District in nominating Johnny Garrett, while also favoring Monty Fritts in his unsuccessful bid for the gubernatorial nomination.
Fritts, a Roane County Republican who gained favor in Scott County by speaking out strongly against a proposed landfill at Bear Creek in a House committee earlier this year, won Scott County with 1,976 votes.
However, he finished just ahead of U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who had 1,833 votes and went on to win the nomination.
Congressman John Rose, a Cookeville Republican, finished a distant third in Scott County, with 986 votes.
Statewide, Blackburn finished with 44% of the vote, to 33% for Rose and 24% for Fritts.
Blackburn had been viewed as a prohibitive favorite in the race, but the gap closed significantly in the final weeks as Blackburn dodged debates and questions from reporters. Ultimately, it seemed that a three-way race saved her, with Rose and Fritts splitting the opposition vote and sending Blackburn into a general election showdown with Democrat Jerri Green of Memphis. Blackburn will be considered an overwhelming favorite in that race.
Fritts campaigned on liberty and less government, but stirred controversy with statements advocating the ban of all religions other than Christianity and suggesting that the death penalty be reserved as potential punishment for abortion providers and seekers. He was also severely under-funded, compared to Blackburn and Rose, who boasted much healthier war chests.
Green, a councilwoman from Memphis, won 69% of the vote statewide in a five-person race. In Scott County, she received 229 votes — more than twice as many as the other candidates combined.
In the U.S. Senate primary, incumbent Bill Hagerty was unopposed and won more than 629,000 courtesy votes across the state. He’ll face Marquita Bradshaw in November. She won the Democratic primary with 55% of the vote.
In Scott County, Hagerty received 3,597 courtesy votes, while Bradshaw won with 132 votes, nearly twice as many as her closest competitor.
In the 6th Congressional District, Johnny Garrett — a state representative from Robertson County — entered the race for John Rose’s seat as a long-shot candidate but quickly surged to become the favorite. He easily defeated former Congressman Van Hilleary, who is Rose’s chief of staff, by capturing 44% of the vote to Hilleary’s 30%. In Scott County, Garrett received 1,983 votes to Hilleary’s 1,175. John Henry and Natisha Brooks finished third and fourth, with 591 and 367 votes, respectively.
Garrett will face Mike Croley in November. Croley won a five-way race with 29% of the vote. In Scott County, he received 106 votes. His closest competitor, Lore Bergman, received 76 votes.
In the 38th House District, incumbent Kelly Keisling, a Byrdstown Republican, and Democrat Seth McMillan of Scott County were both unopposed. Keisling finished with 12,364 courtesy votes district-wide, while McMillan had 1,081 votes. In Scott County, Keisling finished with 3,888 votes, while McMillan had 313 votes.
