Jim Tracy and Scott DesJarlaisNASHVILLE – Republican challenger Jim Tracy remains far ahead in the money race in Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District GOP primary with a better than four-to-one advantage over incumbent U.S. Rep. Scott Desjarlais, according to quarterly campaign finance reports.
Meanwhile, Tracy, a state senator from Shelbyville, called Desjarlais “desperate” after the congressman’s campaign fired a shot at Tracy’s pre-announcement event in Murfreesboro last December, calling it a “$100,000 pancake breakfast.”
Tuesday was the deadline for congressional candidates to report their third quarter fundraising results covering the period from July 1 to Sept. 30.
The Federal Election Commission was largely shuttered due to the fight in Washington over the federal government shutdown and a looming default on U.S. borrowing. But both campaigns released their bottom line figures.
Tracy said he raised $181,721 during the three-month period with Desjarlais reporting $113,249. Tracy reported having $767,000 in the bank as of Sept. 30 while the congressman, a South Pittsburg physician, said he had $171,000.