Jim Tracy on left, Scott DesJarlais on rightNASHVILLE – As he seeks re-election, U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn., hopes Republican primary voters focus on his staunchly conservative record in Congress and forget, or at least forgive him for, what he once described as the “darkest secrets” of his personal life.
But the Jasper physician’s GOP challenger, state Sen. Jim Tracy, is counting on voters in the 4th Congressional District’s Aug. 7 primary neither forgetting nor forgiving DesJarlais over the personal abortion revelations from DesJarlais’ long-ago past.
The pair are among seven candidates seeking the Republican nomination in the 4th, but DesJarlais and Tracy are far and away the front-runners in terms of name recognition and campaign warchests. The winner of the Republican nomination will face Democrat Lenda Sherrell of Monteagle in November. Sherrell has no opposition in the primary.
Early voting in Tennessee started Friday and will continue through Aug. 2.
Tracy, 57, argues that the pro-life DesJarlais has been rendered ineffective by disclosures from records in the physician’s own messy 2001 divorce that emerged during and after his 2012 election to a second term.