The Tennessee Republican state legislative races are pitting tea party activists against traditional conservatives in select districts, generating over $300,000 in super PAC spending, according to timesfreepress.com. “It’s a fight for the heart and soul of the Republican Party,” declared Rep. Tony Shipley, R-Kingsport, a tea party candidate who was pummeled with TV ads and mailings by Advance America, a PAC formed in July that slammed four other hard right candidates as well. Advance Tennessee, whose donors supported Gov. Bill Haslam, received $20,000 from Jim Clayton, founder of Clayton Homes, the largest producer of manufactured homes in North America. Two other contributors to Advance Tennessee serve with Clayton Homes CEO Kevin Clayton on the board of State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE). As MHProNews reported May 22, 2013, Kevin Clayton and Patricia Bradley opened the Clayton-Bradley Academy on the grounds of Clayton headquarters in Maryville, Tennessee in July of 2013. ##
