The Chattanooga Tea Party will host a "Beat Lamar" Town Hall at its monthly meeting this Thursday, at 6:30 p.m. The Town Hall is one of five being held in key cities around the state during September.
The goal of the Town Halls is to select a consensus Tea Party and Liberty movement candidate to challenge incumbent Senator Lamar Alexander in the August 2014 Tennessee Republican primary. With the withdrawal of Kevin Kookogey from the Beat Lamar vetting process, Tennessee Rep. Joe Carr remains the only candidate participating in the process.
But Michael Patrick Leahy, co-founder of Beat Lamar, said that Rep. Carr still has his work cut out for him. "Joe Carr's task is to persuade those in attendance at the Beat Lamar Town Hall in Chattanooga this Thursday (co-sponsored with the Chattanooga Tea Party) that he is worthy of their endorsement. These are the people who will be going door to door to Beat Lamar in the August 2014 election, and Joe has to make his case to them."
Mr. Leahy said that the month-long endorsement process, which began in Nashville and will be completed by Sept. 30, will continue to rely upon straw poll results at each of the three additional Beat Lamar Town Halls. “We will conduct weighted straw polls at each Beat Lamar Town Hall and ask attendees this very important question: Based on what you've heard from Joe Carr at this event, are you willing to support him? Yes, no, or maybe, need more info."
Beat Lamar held candidate vetting events in Nashville on Aug. 31, and Memphis on Sept. 7. In addition to the Chattanooga Beat Lamar Town Hall on Thursday, two remaining Beat Lamar Town Halls will be held in Maryville on Sept. 21 (co-sponsored with the Smoky Mountain Tea Party Patriots and the Roane County Tea Party) and Johnson City on Sept. 28 (co-sponsored with the Tri-Cities Tea Party).
Those attending the Town Hall will be able to pose questions to Rep. Carr. Registered attendees at Thursday's Beat Lamar Town Hall in Chattanooga will receive free Beat Lamar T-shirts, bumper stickers, door hangers, and yard signs.
The meeting will take place at The Century Club Banquet Hall, 3221 Harrison Pike (off Access Road, just south of the Highway 153-Amnicola Highway intersection, next to The Lighting Gallery).
As a reminder, people are urged to bring a non-perishable canned good item as the Chattanooga Tea Party is supporting the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.
RSVP at Chattanooga Tea Party’s Facebook page (link at ChattanoogaTeaParty.com). Donations will be accepted at the event to help defray costs.