Grant Starrett

Starrett grew up in California. He has been politically conservative since junior high school and politically active since high school. "I came to consider myself a hawkish fairly traditional Christian conservative – part of the ‘old majority,’ if you will.”{{cite web |url=http://www.frumforum.com/conservatives-of-tomorrow-grant-starrett/ |title=Conservatives Of Tomorrow: Grant Starrett |last1=Agness |first1=Karin |author-link=Karin Agness | date=March 23, 2009 |website=frumforum.com |access-date=June 16, 2016}} Starrett attended Stanford University and Vanderbilt Law School. Disappointed with the Stanford chapter of the College Republicans, he founded the Stanford Conservative Society{{cite web |url=https://web.stanford.edu/group/conservatives/ |title=Who we are |author= | date=2011 |website=web.stanford.edu |publisher=Stanford University |access-date=June 16, 2016}} and grew it to over 500 members.{{cite web|url=http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2015/03/introducing-grant-starrett.php|title=introducing Grant Starrett [Updated]|last1=Mirengoff | first1=Paul| author-link=Power Line#Paul Mirengoff |work=Power Line|date=March 26, 2015|accessdate=October 27, 2015}} Starrett raised over $200,000 for the 2008 Romney campaign as chair of Students for Mitt, which he grew to over 4,500 members. At Vanderbilt he was president of the student chapter of the Federalist Society,{{cite web|url=http://blogs.rollcall.com/rothenblog/young-republican-explores-primary-to-desjarlais/?dcz=|title=Young Republican Explores Primary vs. Scott DesJarlais|work=Rothenblog|accessdate=October 27, 2015}} president of the Vanderbilt Law School Republicans,{{citation needed|date=July 2016}} and an officer of the Christian Legal Society.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} He moved to Tennessee in 2009{{cite web |url=http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/politics/state/story/2016/jul/05/desjarlacalls-challenger-starrett-outsider-no/374385/ |title=DesJarlais calls challenger Starrett an 'outsider' with 'no business being in the district' |last1=Sher |first1=Andy |date=July 5, 2016 |website=timesfreepress.com |publisher=Chattanooga Times Free Press |access-date=July 29, 2016}} and became a Murfreesboro resident in January, 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.dnj.com/story/news/2015/04/02/local-attorney-challenge-desjarlais/70854094/|title=Local attorney to challenge DesJarlais|date=April 2, 2015|work=DNJ|accessdate=October 27, 2015}}

During college and law school, Starrett worked at the Republican National Committee, the White House, and Fox News under Bill O’Reilly, and in the Senate Steering Committee under Senator Jim DeMint and the American Center for Law and Justice under Jay Sekulow.

After graduating from Vanderbilt in 2012, Starrett served as coalitions coordinator and chair of Young Professionals for Mitt Romney.{{cite web|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/scott-desjarlais-challenger-grant-starrett-20150407 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412012134/http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/scott-desjarlais-challenger-grant-starrett-20150407 |archive-date=April 12, 2015 |title=Who's the 27-Year-Old Republican Challenging Rep. Scott DesJarlais? |last1=Fitzpatrick |first1=Jack |work=National Journal |accessdate=June 16, 2016 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} He was elected chairman of the Nashville lawyers chapter of the Federalist Society.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}} In 2013 he co-founded and served as president of Tennesseans for Judicial Accountability. Starrett is vice president and special counsel of the Los Angeles-based Lion Real Estate Group.{{cite web|url=http://www.dnj.com/story/news/politics/2015/04/29/desjarlais-congress-murfreesboro/26614659/|title=Grant Starrett courts congressional voters at City Cafe|last1=Broden|first1=Scott|website=Daily News Journal|publisher=USA Today|date=April 29, 2015|access-date=July 3, 2016}}

In April 2015 Starrett announced that he would run against incumbent congressman Scott DesJarlais in the Republican primary. Starrett raised nearly $1.7 million in his bid for Congress by July 2015, including just under $900,000 of his own money.{{cite web|url=http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/politics/state/story/2016/jul/29/starrett-raises-personal-stake-another-200000-4th-district-fight-desjarlais/378564/|title=Starrett raises personal stake, another $200,000 in 4th District fight with DesJarlais|date=July 29, 2016|work=Times Free Press|accessdate=July 29, 2016}}

Starrett was endorsed by Erick Erickson of RedState, Mark Levin{{cite web |url=http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2016/jun/17/conservative-talk-show-host-levin-endorses-starrett-labels-desjarlais-sellout-and-sleazeball/371596/ |title=Conservative talk show host Levin endorses Starrett, labels DesJarlais 'sellout' and 'sleazeball' |last1=Sher |first1=Andy |date=June 17, 2016 |website=timesfreepress.com |publisher=Chattanooga Times Free Press |access-date=June 24, 2016}} and Dr. James Dobson{{cite web |url=http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/politics/state/story/2016/jul/12/evangelical-leader-dobson-endorses-starrett-contest-desjarlais/375600/ |title=Evangelical Leader Dobson endorses Starrett in contest with DesJarlais |date=July 12, 2016 |website=timesfreepress.com |publisher=Chattanooga Times Free Press |access-date=July 15, 2016}} and was supported by Paul Mirengoff of Power Line. In April 2015 Erickson wrote that Starrett "would be an outstanding member of the Freedom Caucus".

Starrett lost to Scott DesJarlais in the August 4, 2016 primary, netting only 43.34% of the vote, compared to DesJarlais's 52.12%.{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.tn.gov/results.php?ByOffice=United%20States%20House%20of%20Representatives%20District%204 |title=August 4, 2016 Unofficial Election Results: United States House of Representatives District 4|date=August 4, 2016|work=Tennessee Secretary of State|accessdate=August 6, 2016}} During the campaign, Scott DesJarlais alleged that Starrett's employment with Lion Real Estate Group was really part of his parents' social circle's effort to bankroll his campaign from California.{{cite web|url=http://www.dnj.com/story/news/2016/08/02/starrett-defends-work-history/87952304/ |title=Starrett Defends Work History Amid Accusation|date=August 2, 2016|work=Daily News Journal|accessdate=August 6, 2016}} The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro also complained about Starrett's campaign after Starrett distributed a campaign mailer the Islamic Center deemed to be racist.{{cite web|url=http://www.dnj.com/story/news/2016/07/20/mailer-attacking-desjarlais-also-offends-muslims/87264290/ |title=Grant Starrett mailer attacking DesJarlais also offends Muslims|date=July 20, 2016|work=Daily News Journal|accessdate=August 6, 2016}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|http://www.grantstarrett.com/}}
• http://www.grantfortn.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/GrantforTN/
• https://twitter.com/GrantforTN
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantstarrett/

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Category:Living people

Category:People from Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Category:Tennessee Republicans

Category:Vanderbilt University Law School alumni

Category:Stanford University alumni

Category:Candidates in the 2016 United States elections

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)