Representative Monty Fritts has served House District 32 since being elected in 2022, representing parts of Loudon and Roane counties.
As of his April 9th reporting, his beginning balance was $147,652.95, but after spending $74,534.09, he had a remaining balance of $73,118.86 in his campaign account. He has loaned his account two separate amounts, one for $25,000 and another for $1,000.
According to his Early Year End Supplemental report submitted on February 9th, he received two out-of-state donations, one from an individual in Texas who gave $102.70, and another individual in California who gave $45.47.
A mistake on the list of donations shows a $2,000 contribution from Lionheart Restoration Ministry in Maryville, Texas, however the ministry is based out of Maryville, TN.
Representative Fritts has received donations from two PACs:
Knox Liberty Organization, $6800
Knox Liberty Organization exists to elect conservative candidates, organize grassroots conservatives, and support conservative policy.
Tennessee Firearms Association Legislative Action Committee, $15,400
The TFA-LAC works to persuade legislators and government leaders to protect your right to keep and bear arms.
Representative Fritts has also received $5,855.05 in in-kind donations, which are non-cash donations to cover tangible items.
Compared to the other two candidates, Representative Fritts has far less in his “war chest” and far fewer PACs supporting him. He is almost 100% funded from within Tennessee and has no outside influence supporting his campaign.
This begs the question, is it possible for a candidate who is more focused on the ground-game than building a donor-base, win as Tennessee’s next governor?
In 1998, citizens of Minnesota had three candidates to choose from in their general election:
Republican candidate Norm Coleman,
Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate Skip Humphrey and,
Reform Party candidate Jesse Ventura.
Candidates Humphrey and Coleman spent around $4.1 million total, while Jesse Ventura reportedly had an operating budget of around $500,000.
Despite being out spent, Jesse Ventura won with 37% of the votes, with Skip Humphrey earning 28% and Norm Coleman earning 34%.
Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura is remembered as running a campaign based on limited government, returning tax surplus to tax payers, and pro-liberty (libertarian-leaning) messaging.
He focused on in-person debates, news and radio interviews, and traveled the state in a tour bus.
The voter turn-out for the election proved that Minnesota was not a super majority as we are in Tennessee.
In that same election, they elected a Republican Secretary of State, a Republican State Auditor, a Democratic-Farmer-Labor State Treasurer, and a Democratic-Farmer-Labor Attorney General.
Money did not win the governor role in Minnesota in 1998. The people had lived under a moderate Republican for the prior two terms, a Governor who put a state-wide insurance plan into law, and grew the Minnesota Human Rights Act to include provisions for the LGBTQ+ community. He also brought the state budget from a severe deficit to a surplus.
Three governors after Jesse Ventura left office, Tim Walz was elected Minnesota’s governor in 2018 with 53.84% of the vote.
Jesse Ventura had name recognition, he was charismatic and he had a following due to a long wrestling career that made him more of a celebrity than a politician.
Monty Fritts is a candidate who is respected by the grassroots conservative movement in Tennessee, and is trusting more in the people who he wants to represent than the dollars which could be in his pocket.
If you’d like to see all of Representative Fritts’ campaign contributions, you can go to the Tennessee Online Campaign Report portal to look for more details.
Who’s Funding Tennessee’s Next Governor? Part three.
Representative Monty Fritts has served House District 32 since being elected in 2022, representing parts of Loudon and Roane counties.
As of his April 9th reporting, his beginning balance was $147,652.95, but after spending $74,534.09, he had a remaining balance of $73,118.86 in his campaign account. He has loaned his account two separate amounts, one for $25,000 and another for $1,000.
According to his Early Year End Supplemental report submitted on February 9th, he received two out-of-state donations, one from an individual in Texas who gave $102.70, and another individual in California who gave $45.47.
A mistake on the list of donations shows a $2,000 contribution from Lionheart Restoration Ministry in Maryville, Texas, however the ministry is based out of Maryville, TN.
Representative Fritts has received donations from two PACs:
Knox Liberty Organization, $6800
Knox Liberty Organization exists to elect conservative candidates, organize grassroots conservatives, and support conservative policy.
Tennessee Firearms Association Legislative Action Committee, $15,400
The TFA-LAC works to persuade legislators and government leaders to protect your right to keep and bear arms.
Representative Fritts has also received $5,855.05 in in-kind donations, which are non-cash donations to cover tangible items.
Compared to the other two candidates, Representative Fritts has far less in his “war chest” and far fewer PACs supporting him. He is almost 100% funded from within Tennessee and has no outside influence supporting his campaign.
This begs the question, is it possible for a candidate who is more focused on the ground-game than building a donor-base, win as Tennessee’s next governor?
In 1998, citizens of Minnesota had three candidates to choose from in their general election:
Republican candidate Norm Coleman,
Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate Skip Humphrey and,
Reform Party candidate Jesse Ventura.
Candidates Humphrey and Coleman spent around $4.1 million total, while Jesse Ventura reportedly had an operating budget of around $500,000.
Despite being out spent, Jesse Ventura won with 37% of the votes, with Skip Humphrey earning 28% and Norm Coleman earning 34%.
Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura is remembered as running a campaign based on limited government, returning tax surplus to tax payers, and pro-liberty (libertarian-leaning) messaging.
He focused on in-person debates, news and radio interviews, and traveled the state in a tour bus.
The voter turn-out for the election proved that Minnesota was not a super majority as we are in Tennessee.
In that same election, they elected a Republican Secretary of State, a Republican State Auditor, a Democratic-Farmer-Labor State Treasurer, and a Democratic-Farmer-Labor Attorney General.
Money did not win the governor role in Minnesota in 1998. The people had lived under a moderate Republican for the prior two terms, a Governor who put a state-wide insurance plan into law, and grew the Minnesota Human Rights Act to include provisions for the LGBTQ+ community. He also brought the state budget from a severe deficit to a surplus.
Three governors after Jesse Ventura left office, Tim Walz was elected Minnesota’s governor in 2018 with 53.84% of the vote.
Jesse Ventura had name recognition, he was charismatic and he had a following due to a long wrestling career that made him more of a celebrity than a politician.
Monty Fritts is a candidate who is respected by the grassroots conservative movement in Tennessee, and is trusting more in the people who he wants to represent than the dollars which could be in his pocket.
If you’d like to see all of Representative Fritts’ campaign contributions, you can go to the Tennessee Online Campaign Report portal to look for more details.
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Anne Lowery
Anne Lowery