Judge Kyle Hedrick will remain on the bench in Hamilton County Circuit Court after a landslide victory in Tuesday’s Republican primary.
Unofficial election commission tallies show Hedrick finished about 3,500 votes ahead of challenger Catherine “Cate” White, a longtime family attorney who also ran for the position in 2014. Since no Democrat qualified in the primary, Hedrick does not have to run in the August county primary. Circuit Court judge is an eight-year position with a yearly $176,364 salary.
Circuit Court Judge Kyle Hedrick speaks at the Pachyderm Club on Monday.
Circuit Court candidate Catherine “Cate” White speaks at the Pachyderm Club on Monday.Haslam announced Hedrick in December as the replacement for Judge Neil Thomas III, who retired early in October after 20 years on the bench. After jumping to an early lead, Hedrick stayed ahead of White all evening and finished with 7,937 votes to her 4,315.
“My resume has nothing political on it. I’ve never had any political connections in my life, and I was absolutely shocked to get the appointment,” Hedrick said afterward. “But I believe the governor saw the sincerity I had, and with all the campaigning I’ve done, the voters of Hamilton County must have seen what the governor saw. I’m so thankful and overwhelmed and looking forward to the opportunity.”
During his appointment interview and on the campaign trail, Hedrick, 56, said he prefers electronic filings and scheduling orders to keep cases on track. According to campaign finance forms, he raised about $121,000 in contributions. Many of those donations came from local lawyers who practice in Circuit Court as well as insurance agents.