In Tuesday's primary election, Rhea County, Tenn., saw an upset in the race for road supervisor with the defeat of a longtime incumbent, while incumbents in other counties across Southeast Tennessee fared well.
In McMinn County, Athens city voters shot down a proposed sales tax hike by less than 100 votes.
Property assessor primaries in Bradley, Franklin, Grundy, Marion and Meigs were uncontested. Sequatchie County is nonpartisan so there were no local primaries there.
Results are unofficial until certified by local election commissions.
ROAD SUPERINTENDENT/SUPERVISOR
In Rhea County's Republican primary for road supervisor, longtime incumbent Tommy Snyder lost to challenger Glen A. Varner, 2,175 to 2,496. Varner, who has no opposition in August, will become the county's new roads chief.
Polk County voters chose incumbent Roy Thomason Jr. 1,080 to challenger Harold Hood's 649 in the Democratic primary for road superintendent. Thomason will face Republican challenger William "Alley" Bruce in August. Bruce was unopposed on Tuesday.
PROPERTY ASSESSOR
Bledsoe County voters in the assessor of property race favored Zach Olendorf with 540 votes over Craig T. Mercer's 163 for the Democratic slot in August against Republican incumbent Allen Nail. Nail defeated Scott Matthews in a tight race, 870 to 816.
In McMinn County, incumbent Keith Price beat out challenger Johnny Johnson in the Republican primary, and city voters in Athens said no to a sale tax hike in a referendum on the Tuesday ballot. Price had 4,125 votes to Johnson's 2,860, and the sales tax measure was voted down by a narrow 1,262 to 1,168.
Polk County's Republican primary voters chose Bill Trew over Ginger Gail Cole, 1,247 to 514, respectively. In the Democratic primary, incumbent Randy Yates defeatedRobert Harold "Bob" Ramsey, 1,070 to 696.
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com ortwitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben.benton1 or 423-757-6569.