The Tennessee House Democratic Caucus is criticizing the Tennessee Republican Party for sending out a direct mail piece in Clarksville’s House District 75 that features photos of candidate Allie Phillips’s 7-year-old daughter. Democratic Caucus chair Rep. John Ray Clemmons accused Republicans of targeting families and spreading lies to distract voters.
The photos were taken from Phillips’s social media and showed her daughter at a drag show, although the child’s face was not visible. The mail piece was paid for by the Tennessee Republican Party, and House Republican Party Chair Jeremy Faison stated that independent consultants were responsible for it.
Faison defended the mailer as a typical political strategy and criticized Clemmons for acting holier than thou. He stated that both parties engage in partisan attacks and accused Democrats of targeting his own children in the past. Phillips is running against first-term Republican Rep. Jeff Burkhart, and Democrats are eager to win the seat.
Clemmons called the mailer shameful and inappropriate for state politics, warning Republicans to reconsider targeting families. Faison dismissed these concerns, calling them foolish and simpleminded. The controversy highlights the escalating tensions in the race for House District 75 in Tennessee.
Source
Photo credit tennesseelookout.com
