Election season is officially off to the races in Hamilton County.
As part of the upcoming May primaries, candidacy for dozens of seats is up for grabs across the County Commission, the school board and a number of other county positions. But first, in order to get their names on the primary ballot, prospective candidates need to turn in petitions by Feb. 19 to qualify.
According to state law, the petitions need at least 25 signatures from residents who would be eligible for the position the candidate is running for — for example, someone running for a Hamilton County Commission seat would have to earn signatures from those living in the seat’s commission district. For countywide positions, any Hamilton County resident would be eligible to sign.
The window to pick up and submit petitions opened on Dec. 22. Two people have already had theirs approved: County Commissioner Jeff Eversole, R-Ooltewah, running for reelection, and Brooke Weaver, running for Hamilton County clerk as a Republican.
Eversole represents District 10, which includes parts of eastern Hamilton County like Ooltewah, Georgetown and Snow Hill. He said in a phone interview that he was able to gather enough signatures the same day he picked up a petition. He was thrilled by the response from his current constituents, he said. He was able to gather signatures a bit faster than his first run, when he submitted his paperwork after Christmas.
“I was overwhelmed by the number of people that wanted to have my name on the ballot,” he said.
He’s happy to have it done, he said, because he can fully focus on county issues for the next couple of months — like refining and passing a resolution he’s spearheaded that would split a board responsible for zoning recommendations into two bodies, one for Chattanooga and one for the rest of unincorporated Hamilton County.
Weaver was also able to gather her signatures the same day she picked up her petition, she said in a phone interview. She’s currently the chief deputy and accountant for the county, working under the current Hamilton County clerk of 51 years, Bill Knowles. He has endorsed her run.
“I’m going to work hard for the Republican nomination,” Weaver said.
Both may face challengers if their opponents also get their paperwork filed in time, according to the Hamilton County Election Commission’s list of people who have picked up petitions.
(READ MORE: Hamilton County Election Commission site down for a week)
Tonya Sadler, vice mayor of Collegedale, is hoping to run in the Republican primary against Eversole. She picked up her petition Dec. 22, she wrote on Facebook. She did not respond to a request for comment on her progress in time for publication.
George Ryan Love, a Chattanooga resident, has picked up a petition to run for Hamilton County clerk. He filed as an independent. He has previously run for state representative as a Democrat in a 2016 primary, as well as Chattanooga city mayor in 2021. Love said by text message that he has picked up a few signatures.
“I need more signatures from anyone who is willing and is sick of business as usual,” Love said.
Both the school board and the commission are made up of partisan seats, meaning candidates must first earn a Democrat or Republican nomination in the May elections, or run as an independent. The general election for county positions will occur Aug. 6, alongside state and federal primaries.
Election Day, on Nov. 3, will also include races for city positions in East Ridge, Collegedale, Lakesite, Ridgeside, Signal Mountain, Soddy-Daisy and Red Bank. The city of Chattanooga had its latest round of elections in early 2025.
Contact city and county reporter Siena Duncan at sduncan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.