Congressman Scott DesJarlais stands with wife Amy while addressing supporters at his reelection party in 2012. Credit Nina Cardona/WPLN
Congressman Scott DesJarlais officially kicked off his re-election campaign Wednesday, but revelations about his past have already drawn two primary challengers. Both are beating the incumbent in the all-important money race and have deep ties to the new population center of the 4th Congressional District.
The district stretches to the outskirts of Chattanooga, but the highest concentration of people are in Rutherford County.
“Everyone is friends with [state Rep.] Joe Carr, friends with [state Sen.] Jim Tracy,” Murfreesboro businessman Frank Caperton says. “And of course the people south of here are friends with Scott DesJarlais. So who do you pull for in that case?”
Caperton says Republican voters are already weighing their options, even more than a year out from the primary voting. No Democrats have entered the race at this point.
The choice is between just two candidates for Liz Rhea, a lifelong resident of Rutherford County.
“I’m a retired physician,” she says. “So the medical community really doesn’t approve of him.”
Divorce records show DesJarlais – who is a doctor – slept with patients.
“Still, he may be the best choice we have out there,” Murfreesboro banker John Dietrich says. “We all have our skeletons.”
Upon announcing his reelection bid, DesJarlais dismissed questions about his personal life, saying any missteps have no bearing on his job performance in congress.
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