Retired Tennessee National Guard General Kurt Winstead has announced that he has raised more than $520,000 in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.
Winstead’s campaign announced that 99 percent of those funds came from Tennessee, and 73 percent was from the counties within the new boundaries of TN-5: Davidson, Lewis, Marshall, Maury, Williamson and Wilson counties.
“We are so grateful for the outpouring of support in Tennessee and voters in the 5th district. Our campaign is gaining momentum, and these numbers are clear evidence of that support.” said Winstead in a statement.
Winstead announced his candidacy at the end of February, and the FEC filing period ended on March 31. The official reports are required to be filed with the FEC no later than April 15.
“General Winstead’s 30-plus years of service to our state and our community shows by these strong fundraising numbers. People know a leader when they see one, and it’s evident they want a conservative who knows the district and their state,” said Jimmy Granbery, Winstead campaign Finance Chair. “This is a tremendous start for a fundraising effort that is strengthening, with many events scheduled in the coming weeks across the district.”
“This is a strong start and indicative of a winning campaign,” said campaign fundraiser Kim Kaegi.
In addition to the roughly $520,000 that the campaign announced raising, campaign manager Chris Devaney confirmed to The Tennessee Star that Winstead has loaned his campaign $480,000. That will give the campaign an estimated cash on hand total of $1 million in the bank as of the March 31, 2022 FEC deadline.
A loan means that the campaign can either spend those funds or the candidate can be repaid as long as the committee, which exists due to filings with the FEC, remains open.
It is a common practice for candidates to loan their campaigns money.
According to the campaign statement, “Kurt Winstead is an eighth-generation Tennessean and was raised in a home of educators and farmers. He served for more than thirty years in the Tennessee Army National Guard, including Director of the Joint Staff, Tennessee’s Staff Judge Advocate, and Brigade Command Judge Advocate during Operation Iraqi Freedom III.”
Winstead graduated from Centre College and also received a law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law. Additionally, he received a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.
The Republican primary for TN-5 is scheduled to take place on August 4, 2022.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, and Parler.
Photo “Gen. Kurt Winstead” by Sgt. 1st Class Edgar Castro. Background Photo “U.S. Capitol” by Andy Feliciotti.
