NewsChannel 5.com - Nashville, Tennessee - Close Race Becomes Heated Political Battle

Close Race Becomes Heated Political Battle

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - There is another twist in the battle for the state Senate District 22 seat.

It appears state Sen. Rosalind Kurita may have given up on the Democratic Party.

The race has had a lot of twists and turns. First, an extremely close election that was basically scrapped then Wednesday night a special panel of Democrats selected Kurita's opponent Clarksville attorney Tim Barnes as the party's nominee.

On Thursday, Kurita announced she's running as a write-in candidate and not as a Democrat. 

"This whole election was tossed out," Kurita said during a press conference.

Kurita said she was robbed of an election and her own party is the culprit.

"I am running as a citizen because we have a duty to protect the voice of the voter," said Kurita who represents Cheatham, Houston and Montgomery counties.

She won the August primary by 19 votes against Barnes, a fellow Democrat. 

He contested the results, saying poll workers misinformed voters and Kurita broke election laws. 

The election was scrapped. On Wednesday, Democratic officials voted 61-4 in favor of Barnes.

"Senator Kurita is angry and she is angry because of illegal acts that she committed resulted in a voided election," Barnes said Wednesday night.

"I cannot let an election, a certified election be overturned by party bosses," Kurita said Thursday.

Now Kurita will stir the political waters again. 

It's not about choose me in the election. The fact is that they already chose me. I was elected.  This campaign is about protecting the voice of the voter," she said.

In 2007, she voted in Republican Ron Ramsey as lieutenant governor. In turn, she was named speaker pro tem -- giving her one of the most powerful positions in the state Senate. If she does not return to the Senate, Ramsey could lose critical support. Her new independent campaign likely will court donors from a variety of sources.

She said she's already gotten interest from groups who want to contribute to the campaign. And some actually want to file a federal lawsuit.

When asked if these were Republican groups, she said, "I think one could say that there are many groups that believe in justice.

Although she would not say if she will accept money from the Tennessee Republican Party, she said if re-elected she would not consider herself a Republican or a Democrat, but simply a citizen. 

Barnes said he will begin campaigning hard, too. On Wednesday, he won 61-4 in the nominating election. There isn't a Republican contender.