Wed
Aug 12 2015
09:15 pm

In case you missed it, there was a special election today to replace 14th District Rep. Ryan Haynes, who quit to head up the TNGOP.

Twitter reports from the Knox Co. Election Commission and various local media outlets suggest Jason Zachary has defeated Karen Carson. There are no results as of yet on the Knox Co. Election Commission website.

If Zachary wins, it signals further support for the radical right TNGOP tea party agenda led by Lt. (real) Gov. Ramsey v. the more moderate (i.e. ineffective and neutered) Gov. Haslam agenda (whatever that is).

Bonus triva: No votes were cast in the 89th precinct (Mt. Olive).

UPDATE: Unofficial results from the Knox Co. Elections office at 10 PM:

KAREN CARSON: 1,742 (42.09%)
JASON ZACHARY: 2,397 (57.91%)

Rachel's picture

Shoot me now.

Shoot me now.

Anonymous2's picture

Haslam's moderation was a

Haslam's moderation was a disguise so he could take your vote and sell you out.

R. Neal's picture

He didnt take my vote.

He didnt take my vote.

BrianHornbackdotCom's picture

Here Ya Go, From Cliff Rodgers

RIP Knoxnews's picture

KNS is the big loser tonight

KNS did everything they could to give Karen Carson the win. However, their endorsement, glowing reviews, and cheering, were no match against a blogger.

I would not be surprised if Pilot pulls their advertising and free newspapers, from their stores IMMEDIATELY!

I guess killing off Metropulse (which got Briggs elected)was not such a good idea.

Blogger:1
KNS: Fail

R. Neal's picture

Which blogger was that?

Which blogger was that?

Bbeanster's picture

One guess who the sock puppet

One guess who the sock puppet is referring to… :-)

Actually, Carson had a tough row to hoe in persuading the Tea party crowd that she's a "real" Republican.

Plus she didn't have the support of teachers, who feel that she has disrespected them. I've heard repeated references to the strident speech her daughter made re McIntyre's contract renewal, which many teachers found personally insulting. This hurt Carson a lot, and left her without a path to victory.

This was a defeat for Gov. Haslam and for the Duncan family machine, which would have preferred a Zachary loss (pictures of Mose Lobetti at a big Carson fundraiser were a major 'tell').

So now the Knox County delegation has another right wing ideologue with dubious professional credentials and a divisive message. Joy to the world!

Bad Print's picture

by the sword

Check Karen Carson's last election numbers in 66N and 66S in Farragut in her last BOE election. She had around 3,500 votes. She got half that in this election. Sandra Clark did this when she pulled the plug on McIntyre.

As recounted in this video: (link...)

When Sandra sticks the fork in something, it is done. Karen Carson lost because people hold her accountable for McIntyre's actions and his trail of human carnage. And her unwavering pathological defense of it. It wasn't a choice of two evils. It was recompense by ballot.

Rachel's picture

I'm not sure this means much

I'm not sure this means much of anything other than far right-wing voters are more motivated than most. Not sure we would have seen the same result in a regular election.

And yes, I know teachers aren't happy with Carson, but they couldn't possibly have thought Zachery would be an ally. Could they?

Bbeanster's picture

And yes, I know teachers

And yes, I know teachers aren't happy with Carson, but they couldn't possibly have thought Zachery would be an ally. Could they?

Gloria Johnson, for one, attempted to temper the sentiment, but the teachers are so pissed at Carson that they wouldn't have pissed on her head if her brain were on fire. Her opposition didn't figure into it.

On edit: Oh, yeah – the McIntyre alliance probably didn't help.

Knoxoasis's picture

Just a reminder: fire

Just a reminder: fire requires oxygen and fuel.

RobS's picture

Jason Zachary's victory

Jason Zachary's victory wasn't because voters wanted to advance a radical agenda or send Gov. Haslam and Sen. Briggs a message. It wasn't a sign of the News Sentinel's declining influence or due to Mrs. Carson's tenure on the BOE. His win was solely due to turnout being so low and his massive mega church getting out to vote for him. Putting their IRS tax exempt status at risk, the preacher of First Baptist of Concord actually invited Jason before the congregation and made it clear to their thousands of members they needed to vote for him. If anyone doubts this was effective, they should look at tonight's precinct totals. Jason Zachary won the Farragut and Concord precincts by a margin of 61-39%. Karen Carson won the remainder of the district, comprised of A.L. Lotts, Rocky Hill, and Bluegrass, by a total of 55-45%. Carson should challenge him again next year when turnout will be at normal levels and Jason's church won't be able to tilt the results his way.

stalwartdem's picture

I largely agree..

except the bit about Carson running again. Even though turnout was ultra low, A drubbing of this magnitude makes her damaged goods for another run... If the repub suits wish to make another run at this seat, they need to recruit a candidate now.

Hildegard's picture

Spot on. As a Farragut

Spot on. As a Farragut resident, I had no doubt Zachary would win. Concord Baptist is - or was, last time I checked (literally, on a news site) - something like the 15th largest mega church in the U.S. The church is the hub of Farragut, the reason a lot of people move out here. I know they are told how to vote based on conversations I have had with a couple of members.

Also, Zachary is a personable, grassroots grind, and he worked his ass off. He came to my house when he was running for Duncan's seat, and was the picture of the charismatic, baby-kissing man of the people. (He didn't come back this cycle; I told him then he was wasting his time.) He beat a path down every street in Farragut. I'm a Democratic Socialist who wasn't buying any part of his platform, but he was clear about his agenda.

And to be fair, Zachary came across as the candidate who really thinks he will fairly represent the interests of his constituents, instead of an entitled partisan parasite who's just after the next job up. People sense that.

Bad Print's picture

nope

"It wasn't a sign of the News Sentinel's declining influence or due to Mrs. Carson's tenure on the BOE."

Karen Carson attends the Farragut Methodist church that most of the political old guard of Farragut go to. Carson is the apprentice of Diane Jablonski who also tried and failed to win the District 14 seat.

People are sick of Karen Carson. Her base has evaporated and most of that is over their disgust of Dr. Jim McIntyre and her defense of him. Anyone who has ever attended or watched a BOE meeting is tired of Carson's endless filibustering and bullying. Teachers and parents finally had enough.

She talked herself out of her base. God and Farragut Baptists had nothing to do with it. Even Gloria Johnson and Lauren Hopson couldn't save Carson. Most people on SPEAK said they could not vote for Carson. People just don't like her. It was Karma a long time coming.

Hildegard's picture

Farragut Baptists have a lot

Farragut Baptists have a lot to do with Jason Zachary's ascendant political career. He didn't run b/c people don't like Karen Carson. He would have run no matter who else was running, and he would have won against anybody else, probably. Everything you say about Carson is probably true, but it isn't the only reason she lost.

Bad Print's picture

nope

Turnout numbers do not support your claim. Just looking at precincts 66N and 66S, Zachary got 2,515 votes against Jimmy Duncan in those two precincts. Yet he only managed 371 votes for both 66N and 66S on Wednesday. Carson pulled in only 216 votes.

In those same two precincts Karen Carson got 3,571 votes in her last BOE election. So the evil Baptists did not do it.

Both candidates saw huge reductions from their prior races.

Jason Zachary did not beat Karen Carson. Karen Carson beat herself. Brian Hornback put up a whole bunch of videos from the SPEAK YouTube channel and people saw what a jerk Carson is and stayed home. The bus wreck and loss of life also mattered a lot to people. McIntyre should have be long gone before that tragedy. And who was his bully defender?

Her base deserted her. She is finished in politics.

Hildegard's picture

Well, I don't really care

Well, I don't really care about Carson or Zachary, or the Baptists. I'm just making some pretty obvious observations. Another I'll make, while we're cruising around this circular argument, is that it is kinda silly to compare voter turnout for the 2d Congressional election on the biggest primary election day in four years to a special election for a couple of Farragut politicians nobody really gives a shit about. We're just hollerin' at the internet during smoke and coffee breaks, right?

Cracking Up's picture

Amusing

I love how you idiots start whining about low voter turnout when you're beaten.

And the church influence ? Really ? You think after years of having Obama rammed down our throats that Farragut, hell most of this region, isn't Tea Party Central ?

You fine folks let Obama destroy the blue dogs and remove from the minds of moderate voters any practical reason to vote anything but Red. To the roots.

Treehouse's picture

You seem nice

n/t

Stick's picture

Hmmm

I realize that they're just reiterating what they hear in conservative media. But, does anyone else find their fascination with having things rammed down their throat disturbing?

Nelle's picture

Yes

It's an unhealthy obsession.

B Hornback's picture

Carson DID NOT

Carry Bluegrass, she only carried Lotts and Rocky Hill. She lost her home precinct of Concord significantly

Anonymous2's picture

Agendas didn't matter,

Agendas didn't matter, histories and personality did.

Carson did herself in as making herself seem untrustworthy. And you can't recover from that perception, unless you try to earn it back.

She never seemed to try.

Elwood Aspermonte's picture

Carson was seen as a McIntyre shill, much like Fugate

And they should both pronounce their political futures over with, as they've lost credibility and respect from the voters (and constituents) they were supposed to be representing while on the school board.

In my opinion, Carson is the poster child for what future Knox County Republicans will look like, 1 government paycheck, looking for a second government paycheck, claiming to be a big fan and proponent of coversative principles, smaller government, government accountability, . . . . . seriously, these guys need to look in the mirror more ofter and look at what they have become.

The photo with Haslam did her no favors and as stated above, this outcome is a blow to the Haslam political operations and a precursor to a flame out on the gas tax hike and pretty much anything else he comes up with . . new state logos, Insure Tennessee . . . yada, yada, yada.

Anonymoose's picture

Lots of teachers and preachers

Teachers voted for Zachary big time, but FBC was the backbone of Zachary's win. Also, Carson wasted a lot of money on TV ads. Zachary was all about knocking on doors.

Bad Print's picture

The Briggs playbook

Carson used the Briggs' playbook. Briggs never knocked on doors either.

(link...)

The beautiful people gave Carson a lot of money. It was thought she could do what Briggs had done and walk in. Zachary went old school and knocked on hundreds if not thousands of doors. I think Carson' base thought she had it and it wasn't that big a deal if they didn't get out and vote.

Anonymous2's picture

Haslam supporters ought to

Haslam supporters ought to pay attention for this fact: it should have been Haslam's to win.

The economic demographics would make it all seem like a Haslamland; but, it wasn't. That should disturb them.

fischbobber's picture

This thread

This has reminded me of a couple frat boys sitting around a keg arguing over whether they'd rather have syphilis or gonorrhea and who they'd want to catch it from.

Hildegard's picture

I guess I keep posting back

I guess I keep posting back to this discussion b/c I live in the subject district. Also, I side with teachers in the War on McIntyre. But it isn't like Farragut is this roiling hotbed of teachers or BOE watchers whose vote was in any significant way influenced by Carson's treatment of teachers. Farragut voters elected the state rep, people who live here. Zachary had everything to do with his victory. He worked hard, he banged on doors, he shook hands with everybody who opened up, and he reached out to the single biggest demographic in the district (which just happens to be a church) and won it over. That's how he won. He beat her, old "school"...har har.

Bbeanster's picture

He beat her Campfield style,

He beat her Campfield style, then.

Makes sense, although what teachers are good for is not so much their votes, but their help campaigning. Not saying it's a primary factor, or that it would have been enough to save her, but she could've used some feet on the street.

Anonymoose's picture

A lot of teachers friend's

I don't know how many teachers live in farragut/West knox. I know about a half dozen who voted for Zachary. Also, their husbands/wives voted and their relatives and friends. I'll be the "teacher lobby" including everyone who has heard a teacher complain over the past few years accounted for hundreds of votes.

Dahlia's picture

Watching Jason Zachary on Inside TN and

he's clueless, talking in circles and over his head. Don Bosch is kicking his ass big time. Even Susan Williams nailed him on health care.

Knoxgal's picture

Looks like he'll fit right in

Sounds like he'll fit right in with the Tennessee legislature.

Hildegard's picture

Haha...yep, nobody's arguing

Haha...yep, nobody's arguing he's a genius. Betty's comparison to Stacey isn't far off, except Zachary isn't in it for the attention, he's in it to do what God tells him to do. I don't know if it really says anything about his agenda for public education, but it is worth noting his son is homeschooled. One thing I've picked up on, living out here, is that a lot of people don't trust public education, either homeschool or send their kids to one of several religious private schools in Farragut, and I don't think it has much to do with testing or classroom size. I think it has more to do with the growing presence of non-white, non-native students in the public schools, and also the alarming (to the white, ammo and freeze-dried food hoarding nativists who constitute Zachary's base) emphasis on science and globalism. I have spoken at two BOE forums, one in defense of Planned Parenthood, the other in defense of an evolutionary biology textbook. Both controversies arose out of HVA and Farragut High, and the opposition outnumbered the defense by probably 3 to 1. That's the base I'm talking about. They don't care about teachers. They care about what's getting taught.

Bad Print's picture

still upset

If he said Allah instead of God would you feel better? How about Flying Spaghetti Monster? Zachary probably prays for you. That must be irritating.

Hildegard's picture

I certainly hope he does. I

I certainly hope he does. I could use all the help I can get.

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