By Blake Farmer
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkno/local-wkno-912351.mp3
Nashville, TN – For more than a century, a Democrat has gone to Washington representing the farm towns and suburbs stretching from Dickson, west to the Mississippi River. Since 1989, Rep. John Tanner has held the 8th Congressional District seat. But he's retiring, and the GOP sees opportunity. Leading the 8th district's first competitive Republican primary in decades are a pair of physicians and a family farmer.
Early voting in the primary starts Friday. Presidential election results show Tennessee's 8th Congressional district has turned more Republican over the last two decades. But the GOP primary winner still has a formidable opponent in the general election - State Senator Roy Herron. He will almost certainly become the Democratic nominee after ditching his bid for governor to run for congress.
Meet Stephen Fincher. "I'm from Frog Jump, Tennessee. I'm a farmer," Fincher says, "and I'm ready to stand up to Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, and get our country back on the right track."
Fincher appeared at a forum in Jackson alongside the other primary candidates, who all take sweeping jabs at the party in power.
"You know, I didn't graduate college, and I'm afraid some people with more education than I have will think I'm not smart enough. And I had a fellow ask me one day, he said well I don't think that's an issue.' He said you're smarter than Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank, aren't you?' I said yeah,'" Fincher says.
Unlike his running mates, Fincher doesn't carry extra letters after his name or even a college degree. But he does know how to work a stage. The political novice is part of The Fincher Family Singers, a gospel music group. And he says that network will pay off.
He said, "We have been in, I think I looked back, over 250 churches in the last five years in this district. Those people are going to vote for me. They know me. They know what I say is real. I'm not a put on."
The National Republican Congressional Committee was convinced. It has endorsed Fincher and thrown campaign support behind the singing farmer. Political action committees from around the country have contributed nearly $60,000 so far.
Ron Kirkland asks, "My question is, what does he owe them in return? I don't owe them anything."
Kirkland criticizes Fincher both as connected to Washington, but also inexperienced. Kirkland's a physician from Jackson whose last name is better known from the Kirkland's chain of gift stores co-founded by his brother.
He has Washington connections of his own. Kirkland headed a lobbying group that represents physician practices. As part of the recent healthcare overhaul, he helped secure direct payments of $18,000 to doctors for using electronic health records. Now as a candidate critical of Washington spending, Kirkland says he would refuse the money, saying it doesn't jive with his proposed 10% cut across the government.
"I can't turn around and say, except for the things that I was for when I was a doctor and in charge of the American Medical Group Association. I have to be mature enough, sincere enough. I have to be meaningful enough to say, let's cut the group that I represented too," Kirkland explains.
Kirkland has tried deflecting the attention toward Fincher, who has been on the receiving end of Washington spending. Department of Agriculture data compiled by a think tank show Fincher Farms received $3.5 million in cotton subsidies over the last 15 years. Fincher disputes the total figure but says family farmers have no choice.
Fincher says, "We're price takers, not price makers. We don't have control over the prices we get for our products. We have to do the best we can with Mother Nature."
Fincher says he'd like to overhaul the farm subsidy program, so it rewards success instead of just signing up.
Crossfire between Fincher and Kirkland has largely missed the other doctor in the race. George Flinn is a radiologist and the owner of more than 40 TV and radio stations.
Flinn says what sets him apart from his opponents is, "I know business."
Flinn is also the only candidate to hold public office. He's a Shelby County Commissioner. To show his conservative credentials, he often recounts how he fended off a pay hike for commissioners. Thomas Galya questioned him at a campaign stop in Dickson on whether he can have that kind of influence in Congress.
"Will you be able to get the rest of your party on board?" Gayla asked.
"Remember what I did with the Shelby County Commission?" Flynn replied.
"Yea, but you're talking you're going up to Washington now. These people in Washington, they've got a different quack," Gayla explained.
Galya's distaste for Washington is directed primarily at Democrats, including the one who represents the 8th district now. That's why Ron Kirkland has been forced to explain his campaign contributions to Congressman John Tanner.
"John is a long-time friend, and the fact that I've given him a few hundred dollars is insignificant in my opinion," Kirkland explains.
That point may not be insignificant to some Republican voters. One booed at a forum when Kirkland confessed to having friends who are Democrats. Stephen Fincher has piled on, suggesting Kirkland would be too willing to work with the other side. But he's also been forced to defend his own record of bipartisanship. As recently as this year, Fincher voted in Democratic primaries. But that just shows how deep the Democratic Party's roots run in this part of the state. In Fincher's home of Crockett County, there haven't been Republican primaries for local offices in more than 30 years.