US Reps. Green and Kustoff avoid Tennessee primaries after GOP removes opponents from ballot

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee U.S. Reps. Mark Green and David Kustoff will no longer face opponents in the August primary after state Republican Party officials removed their opponents from the ballot due to challenges over their status as “bona fide” party members.

Caleb Stack, who filed to run against Green, and George Flinn, who was set to face Kustoff, were removed from the ballot. So was Joe Doctora, one of the Republicans who ran for the seat held by U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais. DesJarlais still has two other Republican primary opponents.

With those decisions, six Tennessee Republican congressional members won’t have primary opponents. Reps. Chuck Fleischmann, Tim Burchett, Diana Harshbarger and John Rose were already set to advance through party primaries. Republicans hold eight of Tennessee’s nine U.S. House seats. Each faces Democratic opposition in November.

Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, meanwhile, will face one less opponent in August. Cybersecurity expert Tom Guarente withdrew from the race, meaning Ogles will go head-to-head in August with Nashville Metro Council member Courtney Johnston.

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On the Democratic side, Maryam Abolfazli will now be unopposed in the race for the Ogles seat, which runs through part of Nashville. Abolfazli’s last remaining primary foe has withdrawn from the race.

In all, 14 Republicans were removed from the ballot due to challenges to their party’s bona fide status, including two for the state Senate and nine for the state House.

Among the state GOP rules concerning what makes someone “bona fide,” candidates need to have voted in three of the last four statewide Republican primaries, determined after someone files a challenge. But there also is a party process that lets others vouch for someone to be considered “bona fide” and remain on the ballot, which is determined in a vote by party officials.

The requirement was in the spotlight in 2022 due to prominent candidate removals in the 5th Congressional District primary race ultimately won by Ogles.

Officials with the state Democratic Party, meanwhile, removed Kevin Lee McCants from the ballot in a race for U.S. Senate, in addition to two state House candidates and one vying for the state executive committee.

Gloria Johnson, Marquita Bradshaw, Lola Denise Brown and Civil Miller-Watkins remain on the Democratic ballot in the contest for the seat held by Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn. Tres Wittum is facing Blackburn in the GOP primary.

Candidates removed from the ballot can appeal that decision with their respective parties.