Byron (Low Tax) Looper
This man is Byron (Low Tax) Looper. No, (Low Tax) is not a nick name. This former candidate for Tennessee State Senate changed his name to the words “Low Tax” in parentheses.
He started his political career as the Putnam County Tax Assessor. There, he was hounded by charges of corruption and indicted with 14 counts of various financial skullduggery. But the same year he was indicted, he tried to run both for the US House of Representative (came in 4th out of 4 in the Republican primary) and then Tennessee State Senate. He didn’t have to deal with the primary there, as most folks would find it silly to run against his Democratic opponent, a well-liked twenty-year incumbent named Tommy Burks.
But (Low Tax) had a plan. One he talked to two different political strategists about beforehand. He straight-up murdered his opponent. A little-known law in Tennessee states that if a candidate dies within 30 days of an election, the name cannot be replaced on the ballot. So he murdered his opponent in an attempt to win the election by default.
At first no one had any idea why the guy was killed. But then a witness recognized (LT) on television. Soon, the revelations of the political consultants and also a friend he blabbed to came out. He was arrested.
It gets better, though. Not only did (Low Tax) recieve life in prison without parole and life with that stupid fucking name, he also lost the election. His name was kept on the ballot, but Burks’s widow was able to run a successful write-in campaign and still holds the senate seat today. Oh, and she eliminated that obscure law.
