NASHVILLE – A vacancy in the Tennessee House district created by the death of Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, ultimately will be filled by a special election required by the state’s constitution.
But the Hamilton County Commission is also empowered to make an interim appointment, giving any appointee a potential political leg up when running in the later election.
Carter, a respected former Hamilton County General Sessions judge, attorney and businessman first elected to represent House District 29 in 2012, died Friday after a months-long battle with pancreatic cancer discovered as he was recovering last year from COVID-19. He was 67.
A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at Ooltewah Baptist Church. Visitation is from noon until 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
District 29 includes the Ooltewah, Collegedale and Harrison areas of the county. Created during legislative redistricting in 2012, the seat is seen as solidly Republican.