A Tennessee Republican senator says the Senate GOP caucus has “no basis” to expel her for endorsing an independent gubernatorial candidate as a Senate speakership vote approaches.
Sen. Janice Bowling, a 14-year lawmaker from Tullahoma, told the Lookout that she is not concerned about a potential vote by the Senate Republican Caucus to remove her because she backed independent David Hatley rather than the Republican nominee, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, in the governor’s race.
Even though the endorsement could lead to expulsion from the Tennessee Republican Party, Bowling said the caucus has “no basis” to kick her out and “no legal mechanism” to take action against her for the endorsement of Hatley.
Bowling, who was re-elected in 2024, is expected to vote for Sen. Paul Bailey over Majority Leader Jack Johnson in the Nov. 10 Senate speaker election, which is tight in the 27-member caucus.
In a Facebook post, Bowling said she became comfortable with Hatley after meeting with him. He casts himself as a “conservative” and said he is running as an independent because he didn’t meet the party’s requirement of voting in the last three Republican primaries. Hatley, who is drawing the attention of the Blackburn campaign through negative ads, had his voting rights reinstated after being convicted of bank fraud some decades ago as he tried to start a business.