NASHVILLE -- The Cook Political report this week shifted its ranking for Tennessee's 4th Congressional District contest from "leans Democrat" to "toss-up."
The contest features U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Tenn., of Pall Mall, and Republican physician Scott DesJarlais, of Jasper.
On its website, the nonpartisan newsletter, respected for its analyses, said the new ranking comes "as outside groups ratchet up their involvement" in the race.
The DesJarlais campaign trumpeted the change in a news release, saying the report's editor and publisher, Charlie Cook, said "DesJarlais is holding steady" despite Davis' television-ad attacks.
Federal Election Commission reports filed Thursday show DesJarlais' campaign running on empty for the period Oct. 1-13 showing just $3,513.64 in cash on hand as of Oct. 13. He reported raising $53,370 and spending $130,651.
Davis reported he raised $243,070 and spent $314,463. That left him with $385,024 in cash for the remaining days until Nov. 2.
But DesJarlais' campaign has been aided considerably by the National Republican Campaign Committee and two Republican-conservative groups, Americans for Tax Reform and Americans for Limited Government.
They are spending more than $900,000 attacking Davis in television ads and direct mail, according to FEC reports.
Andy Sher is a Nashville-based staff writer covering Tennessee state government and politics for the Times Free Press. A Washington correspondent from 1999-2005 for the Times Free Press, Andy previously headed up state Capitol coverage for The Chattanooga Times, worked as a state Capitol reporter for The Nashville Banner and was a contributor to The Tennessee Journal, among other publications. Andy worked for 17 years at The Chattanooga Times covering police, health care, county government, ...
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