Chloe Akers, who founded The Best of Tennessee with seasoned political fundraiser Kim Kaegi, previously raised nearly $440,000 for a political action committee that sought to elevate moderate voices in support of abortion and gun control.
Prior to founding The Best of Tennessee, Akers (pictured above) was the creator of The Liminal Plan, a political action committee where she reportedly raised $439,461, according to Tennessee Lookout.
The outlet noted The Liminal Plan spent $134,307 of the money, or about a third of what it raised, at Akers’ own consulting company. It reported zero donations to political candidates.
A review of The Liminal Plan’s social media indicates Akers’ group mostly focused the organization on gun control efforts in the wake of the Covenant School shooting before it ceased its activities.
On August 23, 2023, the organization celebrated a decision that allowed activists to display signs at the Tennessee Capitol.
“The people will not be silenced,” the organization declared. It then added, “We’re on a mission to get extremists out of Tennessee’s politics.”
Hi, we’re the Liminal Plan. We’re on a mission to get extremists out of Tennessee’s politics.
If you’re with us, please give us a follow.
— The Liminal Plan (@liminalplan) August 23, 2023
Akers also told Knox News that her desire to start The Liminal Plan was sparked during the 2023 Tennessee legislative session when abortion advocates hoped lawmakers would act in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
She told the outlet, “I realized that it wasn’t just reproductive rights that fell into this category of an extreme difference between what the voters want and what the laws actually say.”
When Akers announced The Best of Tennessee, she similarly insisted it would support moderate politics and noted Kaegi and other Republicans involved with the effort.
Kaegi is the campaign treasurer for the congressional bid of Metro Nashville Councilwoman Courtney Johnston, who is challenging Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in the Republican primary.
Similarly, Akers told Knox News last year that The Liminal Plan was “not related to a political party because what we’re trying to do is bigger than a political party” and claimed she was “creating a movement for moderates” based on policy.
While the organizations are distinct, with the Lookout reporting The Liminal Plan officially ended its operations last month, Axios reported from its November 2023 conversation with Akers that The Best of Tennessee could be understood as a rebrand of The Liminal Plan.
The outlet specifically reported that abortion “was the driver behind what Chloe [Akers] first called ‘The Liminal Plan,’ and has now been rebranded as ‘The Best of Tennessee’ – moving away from a focus on specific policy issues like abortion and guns.”
Akers recently revealed The Best of Tennessee has already raised more than $600,000. The organization is comprised of a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, a political action committee, and a super PAC.
The Best of Tennessee has yet to announce the candidates or issues it will support, but Kaegi’s position on the Johnston campaign could suggest the group will oppose Ogles, who has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) records of The Best of Tennessee’s own treasurer, James Seabury III, reveal he donated to the presidential campaigns of former ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Seabury has additionally donated to every Republican presidential nominee since former President George W. Bush in 2004, except for Trump.
The donations by The Best of Tennessee’s treasurer are not limited to Republicans, however, as Seabury also donated $1,000 to the former Democratic challenger to Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) last year.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Chloe Akers” by The Best of Tennessee. Background Photo “Tennessee Capitol” by FaceMePLS. CC BY 2.0.
