Tennessee GOP executive committee denies Rep. John Ragan's appeal in primary loss

The Tennessee Republican Party’s State Executive Committee has denied Oak Ridge Rep. John Ragan’s challenge of his loss to primary challenger Rick Scarbrough.

Ragan lost the August primary in House District 33 to Republican challenger Rick Scarbrough by 258 votes, having earned 2,705 votes to Scarbrough's 2,965.

Shortly after the election results were certified, Ragan filed a challenge with the state Executive Committee, alleging that more than 1,000 Democrats illegally crossed over in the Republican Primary to vote for Scarbrough, describing crossover voting as "immoral, unethical, and illegal behavior."

Tennessee has an open primary system and doesn't require voters to register with a party, meaning any voter can request the primary ballot of their choice.

However, state law also requires that only “bona fide” members of a political party can vote in their party primary. That law has never been enforced, partially because there is no legal definition of what makes a voter a “legitimate” Republican or Democrat.

Republican lawmakers last year passed a new law to require polling places to display signage warning voters that it is illegal to cross over to vote in another party’s primary. That law has drawn several legal challenges.

In his challenge, Ragan argued that Republican Party bylaws require candidates seeking office be a “bona fide Republican” to have voted in three of the four most recent statewide Republican primaries and actively involved in the state GOP or county affiliated party.

During a Saturday meeting, the Executive Committee in 41-7 vote, overwhelmingly denied Ragan’s challenge.

Scarbrough remains the Republican on the ballot in November. He will face Democrat Anne Backus on Nov. 5.

Ragan has served in the state Legislature since 2011.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TN GOP executive committee denies Rep. John Ragan's primary loss appeal