While the first shot hasn’t been fired in the race for the 43rd District Tennessee Representative, local Democratic candidate Kristopher Gore has already collected a cache of ammo, raising over $50,000 in his run for the office.
Meanwhile, none of his four opponents reported taking in donations or spending any money on their first quarter financial reports. Based on those same reports submitted to the Online Campaign Database, not a penny had been spent at the time of the reports by any of the five candidates who include Gore, local Democratic candidates Kevin Dunlap and James Jacobs, independent White County resident Edward Leon Buck and Republican White County resident Robert F. Dunham.
It was Dunham who gave Charles Curtiss a tight race two years ago, winning White County. A win with Warren County voters led to Curtiss’ re-election. Curtiss retired Jan. 1 to take a political advocate’s job at the state capitol. His resignation means there is no incumbent seeking the office.
The 43rd District includes all of White and Grundy counties and roughly two-thirds of Warren County. The western part of Warren County is in the 47th District where Republican Judd Matheny faces no opposition to re-election.
As for Gore’s hot start in filling his campaign war chest, he reported taking in $51,200 in his first quarter report. The contributions came from 27 separate donors from locations ranging from Knoxville and Livingston to Rock Island and McMinnville. He personally contributed $10,000 to his campaign.
The primary for the state House is in August. The election itself is in November. The top vote-getter between Gore, Dunlap and Jacobs will advance to the November showdown with Buck and Dunham.