NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — In January 2025, Club for Growth a Washington D.C.-based political action committee issued a stark warning to all State Republicans to support Governor Bill Lee's School Freedom Act.
State Representative Jody Barrett who represents Dickson, Hickman and Lewis Counties chose to stand by his constituents and voted "no". Barrett says he is pro-school choice, but "I just didn't like this particular plan. It wasn't going to do enough for the amount of money it was going to cost the state. There were a lot of fiscally responsible questions and responsibility questions."
When Barrett ran for the U.S. Representative seat left open by Mark Green, Club for Growth/School Freedom Fund ran approximately $2.5 million dollars in attack ads against Jody Barrett and over $1 million against 3 other anti-school freedom Republicans in Tennessee Legislative primaries.
Club for Growth President David McIntosh is taking credit for Jody Barrett's loss in the TN-07 Republican Primary. Barrett warns about the Washington D.C. PAC meddling in Tennessee affairs. "The mask is off. The threat that was made is a clear and open threat that you're gonna do what we tell you to do because we have more resources than you do to make sure you are beat."
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