Posted on 08/07/2008 6:47:56 PM PDT by publana
UPDATED at 9:20p.m. Roe, Davis running close in 1st District primary UPDATES with early returns in 1st District, Blackburn leading, Davis and Wamp winning. From the Associated Press: By WOODY BAIRD Associated Press Writer
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Early voting returns show congressman David Davis and challenger Phil Roe running close in the Republican primary for the Tennessee’s 1st District seat.
With 21 percent of precincts reporting in the northeast Tennessee district, Roe was barely ahead with 8,901 votes to Davis’ 8,843. Each candidate had just over 49 percent of the vote.
The 1st District GOP primary and the 9th District Democratic primary in Memphis were the tightest congressional races in Tennessee.
Returns were slow in Memphis with no trends established an hour after polls closed. In the 7th District, Republican incumbent Marsha Blackburn took a large lead over challenger Tom Leatherwood.
Democrat Lincoln Davis in the 4th District and Republican Zach Wamp in the 3rd District each defeated token opposition.
Four Tennessee incumbents faced no primary opposition - Republican John Duncan of the 2nd District, and Democrats Jim Cooper of the 5th, Bart Gordon of the 6th and John Tanner of the 8th. ###
(Excerpt) Read more at tricities.com ...
From a local (Bristol) paper endorsement for R(IN)oe: (note all of the liberal code words throughout the article !)
1st District, Congress, Republican primary:
Phil Roe, a retired obstetrician and Johnson City’s mayor, is our pick to replace one-term incumbent congressman David Davis. Roe is a common-sense conservative who is more interested in making government work than in slaying Democratic foes. Davis, on the other hand, is a bare-knuckled partisan street fighter full of sound and fury who has accomplished little in his two-year stint in Washington.
As we have stated many times in this space, this isn’t an anybody-but-Davis endorsement. Roe is a superior candidate, worthy of support in his own right.
During his tenure in Johnson City government, Roe has worked to cut the size of the bureaucracy without eliminating essential services. Some of these initiatives have included replacing part of the city’s fleet with more fuel-efficient vehicles and finding a useful purpose for methane gas given off by the city landfill.
Roe is a conservative – in both the fiscal and social senses of that word – but he isn’t locked into an ideological ghetto. If he is elected, we have confidence that Roe will recognize potential solutions to this nation’s problems (health care and energy chief among them) – no matter who proposes them.
Davis, in contrast, was ranked as one of the least effective members of Congress overall and as one of the weakest members of the freshman class. He’s initiated little legislation – except for a resolution honoring the American eagle – and there are questions about his earmarking and fundraising practices. Davis’ campaign accepted significant contributions from BAE Systems, a company that runs the Holston Army Ammunition plant in Kingsport, which arrived after the congressman secured a sizable earmark for the company.
Davis has used his office to benefit big business and as a soapbox from which to denounce all who do not share his hard-right beliefs. Roe offers a more sensible, while still conservative, approach.
It was close, but it looks like Roe defeated Davis by about 500 votes.
http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2008/08/davis_apparentl.html
That’s just great. A new rino out of nowhere.
Davis was well-regarded in this state by Conservatives as an up-and-comer. Roe is just another one of those “let’s kiss the rodents butt” types. Sorry, Doc, you’re exactly what’s wrong with the GOP today.
This was the first time in 42 years an incumbent lost a House primary, and the last one to be defeated was by none other than rodent Ray Blanton, the most notorious crook ever to occupy the Governor’s office in the mid to late ‘70s.
Well, isn’t that some great news to start your morning off with. /sarc How many RATs voted in the primary?
Watch that local paper now endorse the rat in the general.
Enough to tip it, obviously.
Won’t matter. This is one of the most historically Republican districts in the country. The Democrat running is a non-entity. The only way for liberals to win is to interfere in the GOP primary. They were successful.
We haven’t sent a ‘Rat to Congress since the Civil War. I voted for Davis. There was no reason at all to vote him out.
1878 was the last time one was elected to the 1st, and that was the famous future Governor and Senator Robert Love Taylor (both his father and brother served from the 1st, albeit as a Whig/Unionist and Republican, respectively). Only Knoxville’s 2nd has gone longer than the 1st, not having elected a Democrat since 1853.
You’re right that there was absolutely no reason to dump Davis. The only complaints I heard were from whiny liberals that he was “too tough” on the issues. Cry me a river. That’s what we WANT ! Dr. Roe is just going to be another one of those East TN RINOs we have that infest the legislative caucus in Nashville that enjoy voting bi-annually for that dictator a$$hole Boss Hogg Naifeh, except rather than just being a single member of the state House, he’ll be doing that crap in Washington.
I’m still wondering if it’s possible for Davis to still mount an independent challenge. With Roe and the regular Democrat, the liberal split could be enough to get him a 2nd term. From what I read last night, Davis refused to concede.
There is another facet to all of this. Davis, if I’m not mistaken, is from a remote, rural part of the district. Phil Roe is from Johnson City (he’s the Mayor), and many of the residnents in the so-called Tri-City area (Johnson City, Kingston, & Bristol) want one of their own in Congress.
Dynamics like this often play a larger role in elections than ideology.
Yeah like the hickocrat that won in Mississippi. How foolish. If my congressman lived on the other side of the state but shared my ideology I’d be thrilled. Ideology + Qualifications=all that matters.
No, Davis is from Johnson City, too. Roe is Mayor of Johnson City, but he’s not popularly elected, it’s merely a ceremonial position that rotates amongst Councilmembers, it’s run by a City Manager.
See #33.
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