Cracker Barrel Old Country Store INC PAC
Registered Jan 1990 · Treasurer: Charlie Austin · Lebanon, TN
Where the Money Goes
Of the $28,670 this committee reported spending, the largest share — $10,670 (37%) — went to operating costs and overhead.
Why this number?
Operating share of spending compares operating spending with total spent.
Show formula
Operating / overhead spending divided by everything this committee spent (each expenditure lands in exactly one bucket).
| Operating / overhead spending | $10,670 |
| Contributions to candidates | $10,500 |
- Operating & other $10,670 37%
- To TN candidates $10,500 37%
- Spent outside Tennessee $7,500 26%
“Spent outside Tennessee” is money this committee sent out of state — a multi-state committee’s lump non-Tennessee line plus any individually-filed out-of-state contributions (itemized below). Separate from out-of-state donors.
Contributions to Candidates
| Candidate | Office | Party | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Johnson † | Tennessee Senate, District 27 | Rep. | $500.00 |
| Ken Yager † | Tennessee Senate, District 12 | Rep. | $250.00 |
| Mark Pody † | Tennessee Senate, District 17 | Rep. | $250.00 |
| Steve Southerland † | Tennessee Senate, District 09 | Rep. | $250.00 |
† Reported in this PAC’s own disbursement filing; the recipient’s receipt filing hasn’t itemized it yet.
This committee’s own filings report $10,500 to candidates, while tracked candidates reported receiving $1,250. Of the $9,250 difference, $9,250 went to recipients not tracked here (itemized below).
Its filing also reports $9,250 in candidate contributions to recipients not tracked here — federal, local, and out-of-state races, and sitting legislators not on the 2026 ballot:
- Diane Black for Congress $2,500.00
- Marsha Blackburn for Congress Inc. $2,500.00
- Beavers, Mae $500.00
- Finney, Lowe $500.00
- Kelsey, Brian $500.00
- Norris, Mark $500.00
- Elam, Linda $250.00
- Eldridge, Jimmy $250.00
- Fitzhugh, Craig $250.00
- Maggart, Debra Young $250.00
- …and 5 more recipients
Tennessee caps what a PAC may give one candidate per election — $15,400 for statewide and House races, $30,800 for Senate races (2025–26 limits; a primary and a general count as separate elections). Registry of Election Finance limits.
Given in Other States
This committee sent $7,500 to 6 candidates and committees outside Tennessee, across 5 states. These are counted as spending outside Tennessee, not as Tennessee candidate support — Who Funds Tennessee doesn’t track out-of-state races, so they don’t link to a page here.
| Recipient | State | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Cantor for Congress | Virginia | $2,500.00 |
| Geoff Davis for Congress | Kentucky | $1,000.00 |
| Rogers for Congress | Michigan | $1,000.00 |
| Whitfield for Congress Committee | Kentucky | $1,000.00 |
| Jim Gerlach for Congress Committee | Pennsylvania | $1,000.00 |
| Mike McIntyre for Congress | North Carolina | $1,000.00 |
Operating & Other Spending
| Purpose | Total |
|---|---|
| Administrative Expenses | $4,762.47 |
| Leadership Pac | $3,000.00 |
| 2011 Legislative Ball | $2,500.00 |
| Pac To Pac Tsfr | $407.38 |
| Payee | Purpose | Date | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. | Administrative Expenses | 12/29/2011 | $4,762.47 |
| Tennessee Republican Caucus | 2011 Legislative Ball | 10/03/2011 | $2,500.00 |
| Harwell PAC | Leadership Pac | 01/09/2012 | $1,000.00 |
| Hospitality Issue PAC (Hipac) | Leadership Pac | 08/18/2011 | $1,000.00 |
| Raampac | Leadership Pac | 01/09/2012 | $1,000.00 |
| Tenn Political Action Committee Inc. | Pac To Pac Tsfr | 09/28/2011 | $407.38 |
Who Funds It
| Donor | Location | Employer | Total Given |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Hyatt | Franklin, TN | Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. | $1,200.00 |
| Michael Woodhouse | Westport, MA | Cracker Barrel Old Country Store | $1,200.00 |
| Sandra Cochran | Nashville, TN | Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. | $1,200.00 |
| Forrest Shoaf | Lebanon, TN | Cracker Barrel Old Country Store | $1,150.00 |
| Charlie Austin | Overland Park, KS | Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. | $967.00 |
| Michael Zylstra | Arrington, TN | Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. | $960.00 |
| Michael Chissler | Murfreesboro, TN | Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. | $892.01 |
| Patrick Sheehy | Mt Juliet, TN | Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. | $866.22 |
| Paul Seal | Lebanon, TN | Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. | $700.00 |
| P Doug Couvillion | Hendersonville, TN | Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. | $684.24 |
Filing History
Totals as filed with the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance; see About for how this data is processed.