Mark ClaytonNASHVILLE, Tenn. - A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments today in a hearing that could ultimately decide whether the Tennessee Democratic Party should be forced to put Mark Clayton on the ballot in the Democratic primary for governor.
Clayton was a little known candidate who had a surprise victory in the Democratic primary of 2012 to challenge Sen. Bob Corker. Democrats in the state were forced to condemn their own candidate after it was revealed that Clayton was one of the leaders of an organization that has been called a hate group because of its anti-gay agenda.
Court records show that when the Democrats got word that Clayton wanted to run for governor, the party moved to determine that he was not a bona fide member of the Tennessee Democratic Party.