Tribble rejoins race for U.S. Congressional seat
Published 10:13 am Thursday, July 28, 2016
A Knoxville man who had previously withdrawn from the race for the U.S. House of Representatives Republican Primary now says he is back in the running.
On Wednesday, Clint Tribble made a formal announcement that he is “un-suspending” his campaign to challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Phil Roe for the Republican Nomination to represent Tennessee’s First Congressional District. Tribble previously suspended his campaign on July 1 after he said he and his family had received “repeated anonymous threats and intimidation,” citing his need to put the safety of his family before his desire to serve in Congress.
“However, after much deliberation with my family and a full evaluation of our safety and security, I have decided to un-suspend my grassroots, self-funded campaign,” Tribble said on Wednesday. “I will not back down or be intimidated.”
“I just can’t sit back and watch Phil Roe sneak back into office yet again,” Tribble added. “I owe it to the voters to keep fighting.”
Following the suspension of his campaign, Tribble said he and his family evaluated the threats they had received and took action to improve their security.
“We had to shore up some security issues,” Tribble said. “I bought a gun, another gun, and installed a security system in our house.”
Though Tribble had suspended his campaign, his name remained on the election ballot because the official deadline to withdraw from the race had already passed. That fact also played a part in Tribble’s decision to rejoin the race, saying the reaction he received from voters, some of whom said they voted for him during early voting, inspired him to continue his campaign.
“I am still on the ballot and I am still an official candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. House District 1,” Tribble said. “In fact, we have spoken to dozens of people who have already voted for me during early voting!”
“I am a legitimate candidate. I am on the ballot, whether I suspended my campaign or not. That’s the law and I know the law,” Tribble added. “I expect to win because the voters are tired of Phil Roe. A lot of people are coming out on social media saying they were not going to vote for Phil Roe.”
One of the major points of Tribble’s campaign thus far has been the fact he is not a Washington insider or a career politician, two things which he frequently calls Roe in both his statements and his campaign materials.
“Let’s take our District away from the failed politicians and give it back to the people,” Tribble said in his announcement regarding relaunching his campaign. “I will fight the criminals on Capitol Hill! I will stand up to the Establishment, and I will never side with, cater to or pander to the ‘Good Old Boys Network’ of party insiders in Washington D.C.”
“This election is critical, and it is ‘now or never’; we have to take back our country,” he added.
Early voting continues now through Saturday with polls open today and Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon at the Carter County Election Commission Office located at 116 Holston Ave., Elizabethton. Election Day is on August 4 and polls in the various precincts will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. that day.
The winner of the Republican Primary between Tribble and Roe will then face candidate Alan Bohms, who is running unopposed in the Democrat Primary.