OPINION: Follow the money when looking for elected officials’ loyalties

We’ve all heard the question about the chicken and the egg and which came first. That type of query is what’s known as a casualty dilemma—in other words, a cause-and-effect situation.

I’ve been sporadically thinking of the political version of a similar paradox for the last several years: does an elected official represent their party, their constituents, their personal belief system, or balance all of the above as tenuously as they can? Wherever you land on that question will probably determine how you vote…and how you feel by the time you reach the end of this column.

Personally, as a tax-paying, voting citizen, I want my elected officials to regularly communicate with the general population, elicit information from their districts, carefully consider that information while drafting or voting on legislation, and balance their personal views with the information they have gathered to make the best decisions for all of their constituents regardless of party affiliation.

Am I being too idyllic? Maybe, but the beauty of a democratic republic is that citizens elect representatives to vote on the best interests of the collective population, not fringe groups of a party or special interest entities funneling money to campaigns. Both of these scenarios are why our political system is currently in shambles and polarized nearly to the point of no return.

For a living, breathing contrast of examples, we don’t have to look any further than the District 73 primary election between incumbent Rep. Chris Todd and former Madison County Mayor Jimmy Harris.

I’ve made my personal opinion about Rep. Todd known throughout various columns in different publications ever since he took office in 2018. I’ve commented on his campaign’s classless attacks on his opponent, Jay Bush, during the 2018 campaign season. I’ve referenced his callous responses to Covenant parents who were begging for something to be done during the special session last year called by Governor Bill Lee to address firearm access for mentally or emotionally ill people. I’ve written about Todd’s arrogant defiance in the face of a State Trooper during the 2023 session when the officer dared to question Rep. Todd’s bill allowing firearms to be openly carried in Tennessee. I’m not here to rehash any of that but rather look closer at this race and what constituents in District 73 can do to ensure their best interests are represented in Nashville.

To form an educated opinion before making a decision, people generally consider what has already occurred (past experiences—words and actions), what they value at the moment (personal priorities—for themselves and people close to them), and what they hope happens in the future. As voters, I assume we make the same calculations when approaching the voting booth each election season.

Last year, in a column I wrote for Tennessee Lookout, I referenced Rep. Todd’s attendance at a “We the People of West Tennessee” meeting where he made clear what he thought his role as a state representative was.

“During the meeting, Todd was asked by an audience member what he thought of Lee’s rumored special session. His response was frightening.

Todd said of Lee’s special session, ‘I want him (Lee) to know where I’m coming from, and what my basis is, and what my foundation is, and I’m not wavering on that, no matter what the public says.’

For a state lawmaker representing Tennesseans Todd sure did use a lot of singular pronouns — five in one sentence. And, the last six words of that quote were the most concerning.”

Along with our conflicting political ideologies, Rep. Todd and I have opposing ideas about what it means to be a representative of his constituents.

But, hey, anyone can make a dumb statement every now and then, right? In today’s political world, politicians are usually held accountable to their highest donors, not their past statements.

In a perfect world, candidates would raise grassroots support from citizens in their district and avoid tethering themselves to the ball and chain of special interest groups and Political Action Committees (PACs). Unless, of course, that candidate cared more about advancing their own political career than addressing their constituents' concerns.

According to Tennessee’s online finance database, Rep. Todd raised nearly $200,000 for his 2024 campaign; Todd’s opponent, Jimmy Harris, raised around $164,000. The totals of the contributions weren’t that far apart, but where that money originated tells a far different story.

Of the roughly $196,000 raised by Rep. Todd for this race, nearly half—$91,100, to be exact—was given by a person, group, or PAC outside of District 73; two of those contributions were given by groups with addresses in California and Arizona. Of the 91,100 dollars from outside the district, 64,100 came directly from PACs and special interest groups. In other words, one-third of Rep. Todd’s total campaign financing for this primary election was given by special interest groups who may have never set foot in West Tennessee, and nearly half of his total campaign financing was given by people or groups outside of District 73.

On the other hand, of the $163,000 raised by Jimmy Harris, only $10,000 of those dollars came from outside of District 73, and none of that $10,000 included PACs/special interest groups. To put it more precisely, 94% of Jimmy Harris’s campaign contributions came from people or businesses within District 73, with zero dollars coming from groups or PACs outside of the voting area.

When it comes to voting on crucial issues facing constituents of District 73, which of these men will be more accountable to the citizens of Madison County? The candidate who is tethered to special interest groups, or the one who has been financially supported by the people he wants to represent? It doesn’t seem to be a difficult question to answer.

Ultimately, the winner of this race will be charged with representing the citizens of most of Madison County; representation is about people, not special interests. The polarization of our political narratives has led to some of our legislators being swayed by a vocal minority and special interest groups who are funding campaigns. It’s time the people helped bring some sanity back to our state, starting in District 73.

Gabe Hart is a local educator who’s written columns for various news outlets locally and regionally. The Jackson Post’s opinion/editorial page is meant to help launch public discussion of local issues or allow local people to discuss national or statewide issues. Publication of a column is not an endorsement of that column by The Post, its owners or any of its advertisers or employees. To join the discussion, send a guest column or letter to the editor to brandon@jacksonpost.news. Submissions for a specific week’s print edition need to be sent by Monday night. Sending does not guarantee publication that week as that is based on space availability.