Kurita Files as Write-In

Senator Rosalind Kurita will try her luck as a write-in candidate November 4th. The executive committee of the Tennessee Democratic Party reversed her 19-vote win over Tim Barnes on Saturday.

Kurita filed as a write-in candidate by yesterday’s deadline. She says she’s keeping her options open while she considers a federal lawsuit.

While write-in campaigns have their own challenges, Kurita says there are some benefits to going up against Tim Barnes in a general election instead of a low-turnout primary. Barnes won favor with Democrats who don’t like how cozy Kurita has become with the Republican leadership. She voted to make Republican Ron Ramsey Speaker of the evenly-split Senate.

Republican voters crossed over in the primary, likely to cast a ballot for Kurita. She says its safe to assume even more would be willing to vote for her in the general election.

“It is only natural that it will be helpful to have bipartisan support. I appreciate it and I’m happy to have it.”

There is no Republican challenger. Kurita says the record-high turnout expected in the Presidential race could work in her favor.