PRESS RELEASE: Smith County Young Republicans Endorse Bellar for Judge

July 8, 2020

Update on 7/9/20 at 3:00pm cst. The Smith County Young Republicans retract their original press release and released the following statement (below in bold). All of the SCYR executive board members resigned their positions.

July 9, 2020 –The Smith County Young Republicans officially retract their press release submitted for publication on July 8, 2020. This press release contains an endorsement for an Independent Candidate. This endorsement is a violation of Tennessee Young Republican Federation bylaws as an Independent candidate cannot be endorsed in cases where a Republican candidate is nominated. The mission of the Tennessee Young Republican Federation is to promote the growth and acceptance of the Republican Party among young professionals and is committed to electing Republicans to office. The Smith County Young Republicans Executive Board acknowledges this violation, and all executive board members have resigned. The Smith County Young Republicans remain committed to electing all Republican candidates in Smith County.


July 8, 2020 — The Smith County Young Republicans Executive Board is pleased to announce their endorsement of Branden Bellar for the 15th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge race. The SCYR Executive Board came to this conclusion after examining the experience and history of affiliation with the party of the two candidates.

Mr. Bellar has far more experience in the courtroom, including trying cases in the Court of Appeals and the Tennessee Supreme Court. Mr. Bellar primarily works as a trial lawyer, including many cases in front of juries. Mr. Bellar’s opponent, Mr. Collins, has never tried or administered a jury trial. Experience in the jury trial setting is of utmost importance for someone who is going to be the presiding judge of a court that handles jury trials. In addition to his experience in the courtroom, Mr. Bellar also has served in a variety of government roles as a municipal judge, city attorney, and county attorney.

As supporters of the Republican Party, we must also examine the candidates in view of their affiliation to the party. An examination of the voting records of the candidates shows that Mr. Bellar has supported the party longer and more often than Mr. Collins. Before the primary election cycle for this seat, Mr. Collins had only voted in the Republican primary one time. Mr. Bellar has previously voted in the Republican primary on three different occasions before voting in March also. When considering his voting record and political activity, we believe Mr. Bellar aligns more closely with the Republican Party than Mr. Collins.

This endorsement is the view of the SCYR Executive Board.

The above press release was submitted and paid for by the Smith County Young Republicans.

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