NASHVILLE (AP) — U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, who has been battered by a series of scandals, is locked in a razor-thin battle to hang onto his seat in Tennessee’s Republican primary.
Results from Thursday’s balloting show DesJarlais with just a 33-vote margin ahead of state Sen. Jim Tracy. The race was too close to call and may ultimately be decided on a possible recount.
Desjarlais, a physician, won re-election in 2012 despite revelations he urged a patient he was dating to seek an abortion.
After the election, court officials released transcripts of divorce proceedings that included DesJarlais admitting under oath that he had eight affairs and used a gun to intimidate his first wife.
Tracy had far outpaced DesJarlais in campaign fundraising.