News Update

By Kelly M. Jackson | TruthWire News

Key Takeaways

• A virtually unknown political organization has spent at least $2,300–$2,795 on Tennessee GOP State Executive Committee races despite having almost no public presence and no identified leadership.
• Tennessee First Action is backing challengers to several longtime grassroots conservative SEC incumbents, including Steve Allbrooks, Cyndi Miller, Chris Morris, and Brad Lytle.
• TruthWire found no publicly available registration for Tennessee First Action in Tennessee's campaign finance database as of publication, raising questions about disclosure requirements that ultimately must be resolved by the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.
• Steven Tyler Giorno told TruthWire he does not know who is funding Tennessee First Action. Other candidates promoted by the organization had not responded to requests for comment by publication time.
• The organization's identity, funding sources, leadership, and purpose remain unknown, leaving Republican voters with unanswered questions about who is financing efforts to influence Tennessee Republican Party leadership elections.

A political organization that appeared online less than a week ago, has only three Facebook followers, virtually no public history, and an almost empty website has already spent thousands of dollars promoting Republican State Executive Committee (SEC) candidates across Tennessee.

The organization, Tennessee First Action, has purchased Facebook and Instagram advertisements supporting candidates in multiple Tennessee Senate districts while revealing almost nothing about who operates it, who finances it, or why it suddenly emerged just weeks before Republican primary voters select members of the Tennessee Republican Party's governing body.

Among the candidates receiving support are Steven Tyler Giorno and Mary Kate Brown in Senate District 27, Dennis Driggers in District 28, Derek Truelove in District 17, and Stephanie Radford in District 3. Every advertisement reviewed by TruthWire carries the disclaimer:

"Paid for by Tennessee First Action and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee,"

indicating the expenditures are intended to be independent rather than coordinated with the campaigns.

At first glance, Tennessee First Action appears to have materialized almost overnight. Its Facebook page was created only days before the advertisements began appearing and, as of publication, has just three followers while following no other accounts. Aside from a profile image and the slogan, "Standing for Tennessee," there is virtually no content explaining the organization's purpose.

Its website, tnfirstaction.org, offers little more than a landing page displaying the organization's name. There is no information identifying officers, directors, board members, a treasurer, donors, mailing address, contact information, or even a statement explaining why the organization exists.

Meta's public Ad Library provides the first indication of the campaign's scope. TruthWire reviewed advertisements supporting five Republican State Executive Committee candidates and found the following estimated advertising expenditures:

CandidateEstimated Meta SpendSteven Tyler Giorno$600–$699Mary Kate Brown$600–$699Dennis Driggers$500–$599Stephanie Radford$300–$399Derek Truelove$300–$399

Based on Meta's published spending ranges, Tennessee First Action has spent or plans to spend at least $2,300 to $2,795 promoting these five candidates on Facebook and Instagram since the campaign began on July 19, 2026. Because Meta reports spending in ranges and indicates that several advertisements have multiple versions, the organization's actual expenditures could be higher.

TruthWire has also confirmed, ads that look the same as those being run by Tennessee First Action on Facebook, are also advertising through Google's advertising network, indicating its outreach extends beyond Meta's platforms. Unlike Meta, however, Google's publicly available transparency tools do not provide comparable information regarding advertising expenditures or the full scope of individual campaigns, making independent verification more difficult.

The Google advertisements personally observed by TruthWire promoted Steven Tyler Giorno and Mary Kate Brown. Because TruthWire is based in Williamson County, those are the only Google advertisements that have been directly observed. Additional Google advertising may be running elsewhere in the state, but TruthWire cannot independently verify that at this time.

The amount spent is relatively modest compared to modern statewide political campaigns. What makes the activity noteworthy is not the dollar amount,(outside of the $1000 threshold that requires reporting) but that an organization purchasing political advertising across multiple State Executive Committee races has almost no publicly available information identifying who is behind it.

The emergence of Tennessee First Action comes during one of the most closely watched internal battles within the Tennessee Republican Party.

The candidates receiving support (other than Stephanie Radford) are not running for vacant positions. They are attempting to unseat incumbent State Executive Committee members who have become some of the party's most recognizable grassroots conservative leaders, including Steve Allbrooks and Cyndi Miller in District 27, Chris Morris in District 28, and Brad Lytle in District 17.

Supporters of those incumbents argue that no significant public record has been presented demonstrating failures in their service that would justify replacing them. Instead, they believe the challenges are part of a broader effort by establishment Republican organizations to regain influence over the Tennessee Republican Party's governing body.

That perception has been shaped by recent grassroots victories, particularly in Williamson County.

In 2023, grassroots conservatives gained control of the Williamson County Republican Party Executive Board after a county convention that drew more than 600 attendees, roughly four times the county's typical turnout. Two years later, participation surged again to approximately 1,900 attendees during the 2025 reorganization convention, preserving grassroots control and marking the largest county Republican convention in Tennessee history.

Against that backdrop, the appearance of a previously unknown organization spending money to support challengers in multiple State Executive Committee races has drawn attention from grassroots activists across the state.

TruthWire searched Tennessee's publicly available campaign finance database and, as of publication, could not locate a political campaign committee registered under the name Tennessee First Action.

Under Tennessee law, political campaign committees that receive contributions or make expenditures above certain statutory thresholds ($1,000) may be required to register with the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance and file periodic disclosure reports identifying responsible officers, expenditures, and contributors. TruthWire has not independently determined whether Tennessee First Action is legally required to register, and no determination has been made by the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.

However, the documented advertising expenditures raise legitimate questions about whether registration or disclosure requirements may apply. Whether Tennessee First Action has complied with Tennessee campaign finance law is ultimately a determination for the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance after reviewing all relevant facts and applicable statutes.

TruthWire contacted Steven Tyler Giorno, Mary Kate Brown, Stephanie Radford, and Derek Truelove, whose campaigns have appeared in Tennessee First Action advertisements.

Giorno and Brown responded telling TruthWire they do not know who is funding Tennessee First Action.

As of publication, Radford, and Truelove had not responded to TruthWire's requests for comment.

TruthWire also intends to seek comment from representatives of Tennessee First Action should an appropriate point of contact become available and will update this story if a response is received.

State Executive Committee elections rarely receive statewide attention, but they play an important role in determining the future direction of the Tennessee Republican Party. SEC members elect party leadership, adopt bylaws, resolve internal disputes, establish party rules, and help shape the party's statewide operations.

Whether Tennessee First Action ultimately proves to be a fully compliant independent political organization or a newly formed advocacy group remains to be seen. Likewise, any determination regarding registration or reporting obligations rests exclusively with the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.

What is already established is that an organization with virtually no publicly identified leadership, no disclosed funding sources, and little publicly available information about its operations is purchasing political advertisements in multiple Tennessee Republican State Executive Committee races.

For Republican primary voters—and for anyone who believes transparency is fundamental to the electoral process—the central question remains:

Who is behind Tennessee First Action?

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