Former State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus announced Monday that she will run for Congress in Tennessee’s open Fifth District.
Ortagus, an active duty Naval Reserve Officer, also worked in the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Treasury Department, and as a Fox News contributor. More recently, she received a tryout as the conservative host on “The View,” following the departure of Meghan McCain. Ortagus is currently a senior advisor at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. (RELATED: Former Trump Official Morgan Ortagus Confronts Adam Schiff On ‘The View’ Over His Promotion Of Steele Dossier)
“As a U.S. Navy Reserve Officer, I am answering the call to service, and I will never back down from fighting for my country and the good people of Tennessee to stand for American greatness. I’m grateful to have President Trump’s support, and I look forward to earning your vote and standing with you to protect our conservative values,” Ortagus said in a statement.
I’m running for Congress in TN’s Fifth District!
In Pres. Trump’s Admin, I fought for conservative policies that put #AmericaFirst and I’m honored to have his support. Now, I’m ready to push back against the Democrats’ extremism in Congress. https://t.co/JR4l5iMScW pic.twitter.com/1OJuhAqEBW
— Morgan Ortagus (@MorganOrtagus) February 7, 2022
Trump endorsed Ortagus on Jan. 25, weeks before she announced her candidacy.
“I am told the very strong and impressive Morgan Ortagus is exploring a run for Congress in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. I couldn’t be happier because she’s an absolute warrior for America First and MAGA,” he said at the time.
A Florida native, Ortagus is an investor in the Nashville-based healthcare investment firm Rubicon Partners, according to The Nashville Tennessean.
Ortagus is the fourth Republican candidate to declare for the seat, which will be open following the retirement of Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper. Nashville and its suburbs were split into three different districts by the Tennessee legislature, shifting the Fifth District right by 32 points, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Several Trump administration alumni have declared runs for elected office. Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is running for Governor of Arkansas, and one of her deputies, Karoline Leavitt, announced in July that she would run in the Republican primary for New Hampshire’s First District. Former White House and Treasury Department staffer Max Miller is running in the Ohio-16 open primary.