3 vying for Circuit Court Judge

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 5/11/17.  Neil Thomas speaks to CTFP reporters during a meeting at the newspaper on Thursday, May 11, 2017.
Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 5/11/17. Neil Thomas speaks to CTFP reporters during a meeting at the newspaper on Thursday, May 11, 2017.

Three Circuit Court judge hopefuls were among those who shot out of the starting gate Friday for the May 1 county primary elections.

Friday was the first day to pick up nominating petitions for most county government offices, some school board races and a special judicial election.

Circuit Court Judge Neil Thomas retired Oct. 5, and Gov. Bill Haslam now is considering who will sit on the bench in his place until the August county election when a new judge will be elected.

Three Republican candidates picked up papers Friday for the Division 4 seat: Joe DeGaetano, Kyle E. Hedrick and Catherine "Cate" White.

Also picking up papers for a county mayor campaign was perennial candidate Basil Marceaux.

Most of the others picking up papers were incumbents, but Marc Gravitt picked up to run in the Republican primary for Register of Deeds. Gravitt said earlier this year he would not seek re-election to his House District 30 seat.

And former Hamilton County school board member Chip Baker picked up to run for County Commission District 2.

Other incumbents picking up Friday were:

Larry Henry, Circuit Court clerk

Bill Knowles, county clerk

Randy Fairbanks, County Commission District 1

Sabrena Smedley, commission District 7

Chester Bankston, commission District 9

Jim Coppinger, county mayor

Bill Hullander, county trustee

Jim Hammond, sheriff.

All are Republicans.

The qualifying deadline is Feb. 15. The voter registration deadline for the May primary is April 2. Early voting is April 11-26 and the primary election is May 1.

Primary winners will face candidates in the opposing party or independents in the countywide general election on Aug. 2.

That is also the date of primaries in state contests for U.S. Senate and House, governor, and state Senate and House.

Upcoming Events