Morgan Ortagus made it official Monday morning.
The new Nashvillian is running for Congress in the new-look 5th Congressional District. She filed campaign papers with the Federal Election Commission on Monday.
Ortagus, who moved to Nashville recently and works with health care investment firm Rubicon Founders, already has the backing of former President Donald Trump, who endorsed her bid before it was officially announced. She worked in the State Department during Trump’s tenure in office and is a former Fox News personality.
Trump’s endorsement stirred resentment locally, as backers of Robby Starbuck, a music video producer also new to the area, criticized Trump for supporting a newcomer.
Businessman Baxter Lee is also seeking the Republican nomination.
Both Republicans are seeking the nomination in a newly conservative district. For years, the 5th Congressional District was largely been made up of Democratic-leaning Nashville, but Republicans in the state legislature reconfigured Tennessee’s congressional maps, adding parts of Williamson, Wilson and other counties to the district to create a GOP-friendly seat. Longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Nashville) announced he would retire rather than run again in the changed district.
Local activist Odessa Kelly is still seeking the Democratic nomination in the district, though she is weighing switching to one of the other seats that now include parts of Nashville.
