Washington County’s GOP faces an unprecedented internal battle as Rule G, Section 11 is invoked to potentially dissolve its duly elected leadership—raising questions about precedent, party unity, and grassroots vs. establishment power.
The internal battle in Washington County’s Republican Party is not an isolated flare-up — it’s a microcosm of a larger war reshaping the Tennessee GOP. Across the state, grassroots conservatives have successfully unseated establishment-aligned party leaders in county conventions, dramatically transforming leadership in some of Tennessee’s most influential Republican strongholds — including Williamson, Hamilton, Shelby, and Knox counties. Only Davidson County remains as a notable holdout.
These shifts reflect a growing backlash against the old-guard GOP and its deep ties to corporate interests, machine politics, and an increasingly disconnected donor class. In Washington County, this tension has come to a head in the form of an internal stalemate on the County Executive Committee (CEC), with some members refusing to cooperate after losing control in the most recent reorganization.
At the center of the controversy is Washington County attorney and Commissioner Jim Wheeler, who according to social media accounts, recently sent a letter to Tennessee GOP Chair Scott Golden and the State Executive Committee (SEC) calling for the results of the county’s reorganization to be nullified and redone. The request, made well after the 10-day contest window closed, raises serious questions about the selective use of authority — and the possible misuse of Rule G of the state party bylaws.
Rule G, Section 11 of the Tennessee Republican Party Bylaws reads:
“Any County Republican Party may be dissolved for ‘cause’ by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the SEC at any meeting in which two-thirds (2/3) of the Committee is present. The County Party shall remain dissolved until the State Chairman sets a date for a new county party reorganization, or until the regularly required reorganization period, whichever comes first.”
This provision exists to safeguard the integrity of the party when a county organization becomes dysfunctional or openly defies the bylaws. It is intended as a last-resort mechanism for resolving intractable violations of rules or conduct — not as a political tool to override fair elections simply because a faction lost power. If misapplied, Rule G risks becoming a backdoor to nullify grassroots victories and restore establishment control.
The implications are broader than just Washington County. If a single individual, unhappy with the outcome of a reorganization, can use personal influence and insider relationships to prompt a full dissolution of an elected body, it sets a dangerous precedent. What’s to stop similar do-over demands in other counties anytime an election outcome doesn’t go a certain faction’s way? The purpose of the 10-day contest period is to provide structure and finality. Once that window closes, the election results are settled. Reopening that process for arbitrary or political reasons undermines the very legitimacy of every county reorganization moving forward.
In her response to the SEC, newly elected Washington County GOP Chair Danielle Goodrich forcefully rejected Wheeler’s attempt to undo the party’s local elections:
“Mr. Wheeler is using his position as both a city attorney and a private attorney to spearhead an attempt to overturn partisan election results. He even used his own legal letterhead to further impose his influence over the SEC. This is unethical and could warrant filing a formal complaint with the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court.”
Goodrich, who was elected by a majority of voting delegates, described how several members of the previous establishment faction have refused to work with the new leadership. They’ve declined committee assignments, protested meetings, and pushed for a complete do-over of the reorganization — not through the proper contest process, but through insider pressure and legal intimidation.
According to the Tennessee Republican Party bylaws, challenges to county party reorganizations must be filed within 10 days of the election. After that period closes, the results are final. Wheeler’s appeal falls outside of that window — and therefore has no basis under the party’s contest process. That raises the question: is Rule G being weaponized to bypass proper procedure? And are Wheeler’s longstanding connections to establishment Republicans in both the county and the state party being leveraged to pressure the SEC into granting him a political do-over?
Goodrich also pushed back on a separate claim made by Wheeler, who suggested that her team had filed a complaint with the Tennessee Attorney General against the East Tennessee Republican Club.
“Myself nor any of my slate of officers on the CEC filed anything with the State Attorney General,” Goodrich said. “Mr. Wheeler’s words leave an impression that it could have been one of my slate. That is disingenuous at best. He should either identify who made the filing or clearly state that I, nor any of my slate of officers did so.”
Goodrich went on to list numerous accomplishments from her brief tenure, including:
· Implementing budget transparency and fiscal reform
· Launching a new website, communications platform, and 10,000-recipient messaging campaign
· Planning quarterly legislative forums and future candidate debates
· Rebuilding the county’s Young Republicans chapter
The situation in Washington County is not unique — nor is it merely a “local” issue. Similar attempts to undermine conservative majorities have played out in counties across the state, especially where establishment power brokers are unwilling to accept the outcomes of fair conventions. As Goodrich noted, “We don’t redo Presidential elections because one side is unhappy with the outcome or as a means of breaking a deadlock or mending fences.”
At some point, adults in the room have to act like it. Elections come with winners and losers, and while it’s reasonable to be disappointed by a loss, it is not reasonable to grind a county party to a halt or attempt to nullify an election out of spite. The grown-up thing to do — particularly for those who have spent decades in public office — is to accept the outcome, contribute constructively, and help the committee succeed in its mission. Anything less is not leadership; it’s obstruction.
If disagreements over direction, tone, or leadership style are now considered valid reasons to call for a full-scale reorganization redo, what happens the next time the vote doesn’t go the establishment’s way? What guardrails exist to prevent this from becoming a routine tactic? Rule G was never meant to be a political reset button — and using it as such invites chaos.
At its core, this dispute is about whether grassroots conservatives who follow the rules and win the vote will be allowed to lead — or whether procedural loopholes and insider legal tactics will be used to erase their victories.
The SEC will ultimately decide whether to uphold the legitimacy of the Washington County election or allow Rule G to be twisted into a weapon against it. That decision won’t just affect Washington County — it will send a message to activists across Tennessee about whether their votes and voices matter within the Republican Party.
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