Sequatchie County qualifying deadline looms for primary election
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
KEY DATESKey election dates for Aug. 7:• Thursday, noon: Candidate deadline to file qualifying paperwork for Aug. 7 general election• April 10: Withdrawal deadline• July 8: Deadline to register for August election• July 18: First day of early voting• Aug. 2: Last day of early voting• Aug. 7: Election daySource: Sequatchie County Election Commission
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is one in a series of stories on contested races in area county primary elections.
Potential candidates for nonpartisan elected offices in Sequatchie County, Tenn., have until noon Thursday to file qualifying papers to run on the August ballot, election officials said.
As of last Friday, qualifying papers had been filed making contested races for road superintendent, sheriff and County Commission districts 1, 2, 5, 6 and 9.
But there are other potential challengers for those and other seats, according to election records and Administrator of Elections Jerrie Hickey.
"We've only had two that have picked up and turned in for sheriff," Hickey said.
"Two have picked up for county executive but only one has filed," she said.
"Right now, we have a lot of people running for County Commission," Hickey said.
A new County Commission district was added since the last election, creating more interest this year, she said.
According to election records, incumbent Sheriff Ronnie Hitchcock will face William Barker for the post, while Thomas Mahoney and Marty Gipson picked up paperwork but hadn't filed as of Friday.
In the race for road superintendent, incumbent Tommy Sims will face Mark McLain.
D. Keith Cartwright, the incumbent county executive, has no competition for the seat unless paperwork is filed by Mayme A. Phillips by Thursday's deadline.
There will be contested races for County Commission between Chester Shell, Richard Harvey and Gary Williams for the two seats in District 1; Bobby Sherman, Brenda Lambert and Winston D. Pickett will face off for a pair of seats in District 2; Jeffrey L. Barger, Denise Kell and Paul D. Powell will vie for two District 5 seats; Michael Hudson, David Cartwright, Terry Dishman and Randall "Randy" F. Phillips Jr., will battle for two seats in District 6; and Thomas James Vennero, Don E. Walker and Norman Christian will fight for the two seats in District 9, election records show.
Others
Register of deeds candidate Kendra Green Boyd will be unopposed in August unless a petition is filed by Alexandria Smith. There will also be contested races for constable in districts 4 and 5, and other constable districts could turn into contests if people who picked up qualifying papers file by noon Thursday.
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.