Republicans Tell Davis To Drop Election Challenge

Republican bloggers as well as Republican officials are calling for 1st District Congressman David Davis to wise up, admit defeat and walk away from challenging primary election returns.

He isn't taking their advice -- yet.

Blogger Rob Huddleston:

"It will only come back to hurt you - and your party - in the end."

And David Oatney says:

As distasteful as it might be in many cases, it isn't against the law for outside groups to "influence" an election so long as they don't attempt to do so less than 100 feet from a polling place. Do I think it is good that there may have been some "outside influence?" No, but I have my doubts as to whether Davis will be able to prove that such influence existed in large enough quantities to question Roe's victory in any sense, let alone a legal one. David Davis' notion of how Tennessee election law actually works is a blatantly false one."

GOP leader and Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey advises him to end it, telling him his challenge is a "major mistake."

Election officials say Davis' challenge is full of holes.

Davis released a press statement anyway, calling the election "perverted":

"I believe that there is clear and overwhelming evidence that the integrity of this primary was violated unlawfully by huge numbers of Democrats voting to change the outcome of the Republican primary,” said Congressman David Davis."

Huge numbers of Democrats in the first district? Just over 6,000 took part in the Democrat Primary, compared to a low turnout of some 50,000 for the Republican Primary.

The current law gives political parties the authority to challenge outcomes and call for recounts, but someone has to pay for that:

"As recently as last year, two Republican candidates challenged primary results - one in the 1st Congressional District and one in a state house race. State Republican Party officials says both matters were resolved without a full recount because either the candidate couldn’t pay for it or because the committee ruled it inappropriate."

On the plus side, Davis' complaints have brought more attention to the 1st District than I've ever seen. For much of his term in office, Davis found it effective to blame Democrats for just about everything. At least Davis is consistent.