Republicans and Democrats are expected to announce their candidates this week in the race to fill the vacant judgeship on Hamilton County’s Chancery Court.
At the Republican caucus on April 29, overwhelming support went to Jeffrey Atherton, a private Chattanooga attorney who has practiced in local courts for 22 years.
“I was very honored and surprised at the support shown for me,” Mr. Atherton said last week.
Mr. Atherton joins four other hopefuls for the Republican nomination — attorneys Joe Manuel, Linda Hall, Gary Starnes and David Norton.
Mr. Manuel and Ms. Hall have said they will run as independents if they do not win the nomination. Republicans will announce their nominee on Thursday.
Valerie Epstein, the only Democrat running for the office, is expected to be named that party’s candidate on Saturday.
Chancery Court is the venue where probate matters are resolved as well as general disputes over money. Legal fights between the city and county also generally are litigated in Chancery Court.
The judicial race began earlier this year with the surprise announcement that longtime Chancellor Howell Peoples would retire on March 31 with almost four years left on his term.
The Chancery Court election is an “unusual one,” Hamilton County Election Commission Chief Deputy Charlotte Mullis-Morgan said last week, because judicial races rarely occur in the middle of a term.
The Aug. 5 election will determine who will serve out Chancellor Peoples’ term, which does not expire until 2014.
Gov. Phil Bredesen also has not yet appointed an interim chancellor to serve until the election as required by law, despite rigorous interviews in February by the Tennessee Judicial Nominating Commission that pinpointed three local nominees.
Mr. Atherton, Mr. Manuel and local attorney Arthur Grisham all received nominations from the commission.
Speculation still is swirling as to why the appointment has not been made, and the governor’s office has declined to answer.
A special judge from Franklin, Tenn., is serving on the court in the meantime.
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