Vote totals
District 1Nancy Casson - 1,461Chris Turner - 431District 3Ted Bryson - 871Nicholas Lillios - 363District 7Jerry Frazier - 1,134Charlie Rose - 486
CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Election night saw three incumbents turned out of their seats on the Bradley County Board of Education.
Challengers Nancy Casson, Ted Bryson and Jerry Frazier won their bids for District 1, District 3 and District 7, respectively, defeating Chris Turner, Nicholas Lillios and Charlie Rose.
"I'm thrilled, humbled and honored," said Casson, a longtime businesswoman and former McMinn County educator who defeated Turner in a landslide. Casson received 1,476 votes to Turner's 431.
Turner, who is the school board chairman, could not be reached for comment.
He won the open District 1 seat in 2012, taking nearly 49 percent of the vote in a three-way race. He has touted a vision that bridged his own business acumen and a life surrounded by teachers.
"I'm very happy that the voters have given me this mandate,"said Bryson, a retired educator who lost to Lillios by one vote in 2012. Four years ago, counting in the District 3 race continued beyond election night, with election officials counting provisional ballots in a packed room in the light of day.
This time around, Bryson won District 3, which encompasses much of central Cleveland, by a more than 2-to-1 margin.
Lillios, a businessman, could not be reached for comment.
Frazier defeated Rose by more than a 2-to-1 margin as well, his victory marking a return to public office. He served two terms as superintendent of Bradley County Schools when that was an elected position.
Rose, also a retired Bradley County educator, congratulated Frazier on his victory and said he looked forward to retiring from public life and spending more time with his grandchildren. He served two terms in office.
Frazier and the other victorious candidates campaigned to be the voices of voters, believing the incumbents did not respond to them.
Rodney Dillard ran unopposed in District 5, as did Amanda Lee of District 6.
In 2014, the Bradley County Commission appointed Lee to fill the seat of Christy Critchfield, who resigned in protest over the 4-3 board decision to buy out the contract of then-Director of Schools Johnny McDaniel.
Bradley school board members earn $2,400 annually. The chairman earns $3,600.
Contact staff writer Paul Leach at 423-757-6481 or pleach@timesfreepress.com. Follow on Twitter @pleach_tfp.