James L. Hart

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James Lee Hart (also known as John Hart, born February 23, 1944) is a white supremacist, segregationist activist and political candidate in Buchanan, Tennessee.[1][2][3]

Beliefs[edit]

Hart describes himself as an advocate of eugenics, saying that the United States should be repopulated with members of the "favored races" of Europe and Asia and not the "less-favored races" of Africa.[4] Without such an ethnic cleansing, he argues, "we are now in danger of degenerating back to the level of the subhuman primate once again."[3] In a campaign brochure, he wrote: "We whites don’t hold minorities back. The minorities hold us back and destroy the civilizations that we create whether in Zimbabwe or Detroit."[2]

Hart has cited the suicide of his 29-year-old son in 2001 as motivation for his political efforts.[5][6]

Political campaigns[edit]

Hart ran for Congress in 2002 as an independent, winning 2.55% of the vote. But he first gained notice in 2004 when he ran as a Republican for the House of Representatives for Tennessee's Eighth District.[7] As the only candidate on the primary ballot (facing only a write-in campaign), he won the Republican nomination, despite listing an out-of-state address in candidate filings. The state Republican Party disavowed his candidacy, describing his views on race as "abhorrent and outrageous" and urging "all Republicans and Tennesseans to reject the candidacy of James Hart wholly and unequivocally."[8] Hart lost to incumbent Democrat John Tanner, receiving 25.6% of the vote.

He attempted to run again in 2006, but Republican state leadership successfully petitioned to have him removed from the ballot on the grounds that he was not a bona fide member of the party. Hart's attorney in the matter was Richard Barrett, the Mississippi white nationalist leader.[9] He made further attempts in 2008 and 2010, but Republican state leaders were again successful in keeping him off the G.O.P. ballot, pushing him to run as an independent.[10][11]

He has continued to seek the 8th District seat; in 2022, running as an independent on behalf of "the blue-collar white working man," he received 2,541 votes, 1.2% of all votes cast.[12][13][14] He has also been an independent candidate in elections for the Tennessee House of Representatives at least six times.[15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Hart, James. "Hart for Congress". Archived from the original on 16 Jan 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b Hart, James. "Hart for Congress 2010 Brochure" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 Jan 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  3. ^ a b Hart, James. "Favored Races". Hart for Congress. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  4. ^ McDowell, Amber (2 Aug 2004). "For GOP, Hart damage control comes in form of ballot write-in". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  5. ^ "Obituary for Wayne Alan Hart". The Commercial Appeal. 23 Jan 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  6. ^ Hart, James. "James Hart 4 Congress Counter Culture". YouTube. Retrieved 17 April 2023. It was inevitable, one day, one father would look at that casket and say 'I will run for Congress, I will run for the Senate, I will run for president, and I will win or I will die.
  7. ^ Gray, Gary (27 Oct 2002). "Well-read rodeo vet challenges Tanner". The Jackson Sun. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  8. ^ "GOP disavows candidate for his viewpoints on less favored races". The Tennessean. 12 Aug 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Lawyer says Hart could challenge disqualification -- Law state used wasn't 'prequalified,' he says;" Bartholomew Sullivan. The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tenn.: April 20, 2006. pg. B.11
  10. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-01-25. Retrieved 2010-10-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2010-10-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ "State of Tennessee - Totals, November 8, 2022" (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Tennessee's 8th Congressional District election, 2022". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  14. ^ "James Hart 4 Congress Counter Culture". Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  15. ^ "James Hart (Tennessee)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 17 April 2023.

External links[edit]