Williamson County leaders decry flood of 'dark money' in House District 65 race

Local elected officials are speaking out against an influx of “dark money” that is influencing Tennessee's House District 65 race, which will see the election of a new state representative following the retirement of sitting Rep. Sam Whitson (R-Franklin).

Three Republicans, first-time candidate Lee Reeves, Williamson County Commission Chair Brian Beathard and Michelle Foreman — who previously lost races for Nashville’s Metro Council in 2019 and House District 59 in 2022 — are vying for the party's nomination in the Aug. 1 election. 

The winner of that election will face off against Democratic candidate LaRhonda Williams in November.

One of the central issues to this year's election, in Williamson County and beyond, is the future of Gov. Bill Lee’s proposed school voucher plan, which failed last legislative session. Reeves, who is endorsed by Lee, is the only pro-voucher candidate in the District 65 race.

A July 23 public open letter signed by Whitson, Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson, Franklin Mayor Ken Moore, Fairview Mayor Lisa Anderson and Thompson's Station Mayor Brian Stover decried the “outrageous and unrelenting barrage of negative mailers, television commercials, and electronic text messages that have been sent to our voters by out-of-state PACs [political action committee] and ‘dark money’ special interest groups” who they said are targeting Beathard with political attacks that “cross the line of decency.”

One of the mailers features a photo of Beathard with a darkened complexion, and his campaign and supporters say that the mailers have also distorted Beathard's position on key issues.

All five of those elected officials have endorsed and/or donated to Beathard's campaign, calling their letter an “unusual step” to “stand against out-of-state special interest groups who insert themselves into our local elections with untruths, dishonesty, and distortions.”

Chalkbeat reports that Gov. Lee is “OK” with the outside money being spent in Tennessee's elections.

Right-wing activist group Tennessee Stands, which endorsed Foreman, also came out against the influence of outside PACs.

Incumbent anti-voucher state Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill), who despite earlier dark money attacks, is running unopposed for the Republican nomination in District 92. Warner talked about the role of the out-of-state money in this year's election in an interview with Tennessee Stands.

“The governor has called the dogs in,” Warner said. “He wants this school choice bill to pass, I guess before he leaves office. They've got the money and he's called them in here, and they're attacking true conservatives.”

Beathard’s supporters estimate that approximately $700,000 has been spent by dark money PACs, with Tennessee Stands estimating that around $900,000 has been spent by PACs in support of Reeves.

Tennessee's public Online Campaign Finance reports reveal substantial financial backing for Reeves and against Beathard from PACs both in Tennessee and from outside the state.

Washington, D.C.-based School Freedom Fund spent more than $409,000 in TV ads, more than $19,000 in direct mail, $2,770 in digital ads, $1,685.40 in text messages, $3,250.00 in palm cards and $45,760.00 in campaign marketing in support of Reeves.

Virginia-based Americans for Prosperity PAC spent more than $20,000 for canvassing, $4,150 for door hangers, more than $8,000 on mailers, more than $5,000 on postage and $4,450 on digital ads in support of Reeves.

Americans For Prosperity also spent more than $4,000 on mailers and more than $3,000 on postage in opposition to Beathard.

Nashville-based Tennesseans For Putting Students First spent $14,460 on direct mail and $15,000 on digital ads in support of Reeves.

Franklin-based Team Kid PAC spent more than $22,000 on printing services and $10,150 on advertising in support of Reeves.

Beathard did receive some PAC support with Nashville-based Middle Tennessee Business Leaders For Common Sense spending $10,000 for mail, phone calls and advertising, and Knoxville-based Tennessee Education Assistance Fund For Children and Public Education spending more than $11,000 on advertising.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 1. More information about where and how to vote in Williamson County is available online here.