Tennessee lawmakers want to place a residency requirement on congressional seats. But they can’t decide whether it should go into effect before or after the November election. Their decision could affect one candidate in particular.
If Republicans get their way, Morgan Ortagus might not be able to run in Nashville’s redrawn 5th Congressional district.
Ortagus is a former spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State. She’s one of a few newcomers to Tennessee who have signaled interest in running in Republican-friendly districts as drawn by state lawmakers in January. And she was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
As it stands, congressional candidates can run in any district if they’re 25 years old and have been a U.S. citizen for seven years. This proposal would add a requirement that candidates must live in their district for at least three years.
A House version would make that a requirement after this year’s midterms. The Senate’s version would go into effect beforehand. Both chambers may come to an agreement later in the session.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Dave Wright, R-Corryton, says the proposed residency rule has nothing to do with a specific candidate.
“This is something that should have been declared and years gone by. But since it has not been, that’s why I bought the bill today,” he said.
The current 5th district representative, Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper, said he thinks it’s karma coming back to bite Republicans for splitting up Nashville. And Kent Syler, a Middle Tennessee State University political science professor, says Republicans won’t admit it, but that the bill hints at a fight within the party.
“This is kind of a battle sometimes between the Trump wing of the party and the other wing of the party, or different wings of the Trump wings,” said Syler.
When reached for comment, Ortagus did not directly address the legislation and said she remains focused on her campaign.
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