Thursday’s vote tallies changed the face of the six-county 12th Judicial District in a single stroke.
With all Republican district circuit judges on the ballot facing no opposition combined with landslide victories for Courtney Lynch in the district attorney’s race and Ted Engel in the public defender’s race, the GOP on Thursday swept the six-county 12th Judicial District.
When the totals were tallied, political newcomer Lynch, of Franklin County, handily defeated incumbent Mike Taylor, who first took office in 1992. Lynch netted 16,165 votes to Taylor’s 7,281 across the six counties of the district: Bledsoe, Franklin, Grundy, Marion, Rhea and Sequatchie, according to election records. Results are unofficial until election commissions across the district certify them.
Taylor, who first took office as a Democrat, was on the August ballot as an independent. Neither Lynch nor Taylor could be reached for comment.
(READ MORE: Here’s a look at Tennessee’s primary elections)