The Tennessee House Democratic Caucus is slamming a direct mail piece sent in Clarksville’s House District 75 that features photos of candidate Allie Phillips’s 7-year-old daughter.
“This campaign season it has become abundantly clear that Tennessee Republicans are willing to target families and blatantly lie to try and distract voters from Republicans’ abysmal records and anti-family agenda,” said Rep. John Ray Clemmons of Nashville, Democratic Caucus chair.
“These types of shameful attempts to save their losing candidates are more appropriate for an outhouse, not the state house. I’d caution (Tennessee Republican Party Chair) Scott Golden and my Republican colleagues from continuing to consider families fair game,” Clemmons said.
The photos, which were taken from Phillips’s social media, depicted the child attending a drag show but did not show the child’s face. No photographs of Phillips were on the mail piece.
The mail piece was paid for by the Tennessee Republican Party and House Republican Party Chair Jeremy Faison of Cosby said independent consultants were responsible for it.
“This is politics,” said Faison. “My kids have been targeted by Democrats and it’s silly for John Ray to act holier than thou. The Democrats do everything Republicans do. If you can’t deal with partisan attacks, then don’t run.”
“It’s completely foolish and simpleminded that they are worried about mailers,” Faison said.
Phillips is running against first-term Republican Rep. Jeff Burkhart. Democrats have placed a high priority on winning the seat.
This story was originally published by the Tennessee Lookout.
