Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Martin would like to do what several county commissioners have done in recent years – move from county to state government.
If he is successful first in gaining an interim appointment to the Tennessee General Assembly seat by his fellow county commissioners, and/or then winning the primary election in August and general election in November, he will become the third commissioner since the county shifted to the mayor/commission form of government in 1978 to follow that path.
JoAnne Favors, a Democrat, did so in 2004 and Jim Vincent, a Republican, did in 2000.
However, the Republican Martin is in a different position from Favors and Vincent. Where they ran against and defeated incumbents for legislative seats, Martin would be taking (if he is appointed) or vying for (if he wins) what is essentially an open seat.
Former state Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, who was elected to the District 26 seat in 2018 and 2020, resigned earlier this month after pleading guilty to a felony arising from a federal wire fraud investigation into a political consulting firm tied to former state House Speaker Glen Casada, who remains a House member, and Casada’s former chief of staff, Cade Cothren.
Martin has said if he is appointed, he would resign his county commission seat after he is sworn in the legislature.
If he is not appointed, he told this page Thursday, he would continue to serve as county commissioner until the August county general election and state primary, where he potentially could win two races. If he does, he said, he would resign his commission seat and continue to run for the legislature.
If that happens, District 3 Republican caucus members would choose a candidate to run for the remainder of his unexpired term on the November ballot.
Throughout that process, it’s not likely, but Martin’s District 3 seat could have four occupants within six months. Martin would be the first. If Martin is appointed to the legislature, the county commission would fill his seat with someone on an interim basis (second occupant). Once Martin wins his commission seat in August – he’s the only one on the ballot – and then resigns, the commission could again appoint someone on an interim basis (third occupant). Then, with so much time left in the four-year term, caucus members could select someone else (a fourth occupant) to run in the special election to fill the remainder of Martin’s term.
Applicants have until today to send a letter to the commission office if they are interested in filling Smith’s position on an interim basis.
At least two other people have indicated an interest in the interim position, but it is unknown whether they have submitted a letter.
County commissioners will choose the interim from applicants at their next scheduled meeting on March 30. Between today and that meeting, they will individually interview applicants.
Commission Chair Sabrena Smedley said if there were an overwhelming number of people interested in the position, they could meet publicly next week to consider them.
As of Thursday, Martin was the only candidate – Republican or Democrat – to qualify to be on the ballot in August. Candidates have until noon on April 7 to do so.
David Swinford, a Chattanooga resident, has picked papers to run in the Republican primary but has yet to qualify.
Neither Vincent nor Favors before Martin resigned their county commission seats to run for the legislature.
Vincent, who held the District 1 seat now occupied by Randy Fairbanks, ran unopposed for the Republican nomination in August 2000, then took on four-term 31st District state Rep. Arnold Stulce, a Democrat, in November.
Favors, a Democrat who held the District 5 seat in which Katherlyn Geter is completing her first term (and not running for re-election), challenged 10-term state Rep. Brenda Turner, a fellow Democrat in the August 2004 primary.
Although Martin would be only the third to follow the commission-state route, he is one of many to parlay one elected office into another. Before he was a commissioner, he was a member of the Hamilton County Board of Education.
Indeed, many of the people who currently hold county constitutional offices held another office previously. Assessor of Property Marty Haynes, Circuit Court Clerk Larry Henry, Mayor Jim Coppinger and Trustee Bill Hullander had been county commissioners. Register of Deeds Marc Gravitt and Criminal Court Clerk Vince Dean had been state legislators.
On the county commission, in addition to Martin, Chip Baker and Steve Highlander were previously school board members. On the Chattanooga City Council, District 2 representative Jenny Hill is also an elected county school board member.
In the legislature, state Sen. Bo Watson was previously a state representative, state Rep. Yusuf Hakeem previously a longtime Chattanooga City Council member and state Rep. Esther Helton currently is an East Ridge City Council member.
Martin said he would like to move to the legislature because he sees “Tennessee as America at its best.”
“We have some of the lowest debt, if not the lowest, in the country,” he said. “We have some of the lowest taxes, if not the lowest, in the country. I just want to make sure that quality of life doesn’t get [ruined] by big government.”
By the end of this month, we’ll see if his fellow commissioners agree he’s one to make that happen.