The Grassroots Beard: How Establishment Candidates Are Disguising Themselves to Mislead Conservative Voters

As the Williamson County GOP reorganization approaches next month, establishment forces are desperately trying to reclaim control from the grassroots Elevate slate that took over the party in 2022. But rather than running openly as the establishment, they’re attempting a bait-and-switch—stealing grassroots language while undermining the very movement they claim to support.

Two candidates in particular—Kimberly Calcote and Ali Adair—are walking contradictions, exposing this establishment maneuver for what it is: a strategic attempt to mislead conservative voters into supporting candidates who are not truly aligned with grassroots conservatism.

 Kimberly Calcote brands herself as a “model of grassroots conservatism,” yet her bio strategically omits one of her most notable activist affiliations: Moms for Liberty.

Why?

Moms for Liberty is one of the largest and most effective parental rights groups in Tennessee, widely supported by conservative voters. If Calcote’s grassroots activism is so central to her campaign, why leave out her involvement with an organization that has been on the front lines of fighting for conservative education policies?

 The answer is clear: the establishment wants to use the grassroots brand without fully embracing the movement.

This omission is even more glaring when viewed alongside Ali Adair’s mischaracterization of Moms for Liberty as an “outside influence.” If the establishment slate can’t decide whether Moms for Liberty is a legitimate grassroots movement or a nefarious special interest, then they shouldn’t be trying to co-opt the grassroots label at all.

Voters should be asking: Why is one candidate hiding her affiliation while another is attacking the same group?It’s a transparent effort to confuse the electorate while distancing themselves just enough to maintain establishment credibility.

 Adair’s bio takes the rewriting of history to a new level, claiming she lost her 2022 school board race because of a “write-in campaign” orchestrated by outside interests.

That’s not just misleading—it’s completely false.

There was no write-in campaign. The truth is, a grassroots-backed conservative was blocked from running as a Republican and had to file as an Independent due to establishment interference. That candidate was supported by the very groups Adair now calls “outside interests”—groups like Moms for Liberty and Williamson Families.

But the biggest reason Adair lost wasn’t the presence of another conservative candidate—it was the fact that Democrats crossed over in the open primary to vote for Eric Welch, a well-known progressive.

 Tennessee’s open primary system allows Democrats to vote in Republican primaries, and they took full advantage of it. The current grassroots-led Williamson County GOP has actively fought to close primaries, even passing a resolution to stop Democrat crossover voting.

 So, let’s be clear:

• Adair did not lose because of grassroots conservatives—she lost because Democrats voted for a progressive in the Republican primary.
• It was not a write-in campaign that cost her the race—it was the lack of closed primaries, a problem the grassroots GOP board has been working to fix.

 But instead of addressing this real issue, Adair mischaracterizes her loss to deflect blame onto the very conservatives fighting to clean up the system.

 This is a well-worn strategy by establishment Republicans who see the grassroots movement as a threat:

1.     Smear grassroots organizations as “outside interests” when they don’t support them.

2.     Co-opt grassroots branding to make themselves seem aligned with the movement.

3.     Distort history to manipulate conservative voters into believing they are victims rather than failed candidates.

The GOP reorganization is about who will control the party in Williamson County—the true conservative grassroots movement or an establishment faction that wants the title without the principles.

 Williamson County voters must see through this attempt to mislead them and recognize the true grassroots movement.

The Elevate slate represents the real conservative movement—the people fighting to close primaries, defend parental rights, and ensure establishment politicians don’t reclaim power.

Voters deserve candidates who stand with the grassroots movement openly—not ones who hide their affiliations when it's inconvenient or rewrite history to fit their political ambitions.

Conservatives in Williamson County won’t be fooled. The grassroots movement is stronger than ever—and this election will prove it.

If you support what I do, please consider donating a gift in order to sustain free, independent, and TRULY CONSERVATIVE media that is focused on Middle Tennessee and BEYOND!