NASHVILLE – Voters in parts of Hamilton County go to the polls Tuesday, where local officials project low turnout in the Tennessee House District 29 special primary election – with neither Republican Greg Vital nor Democrat DeAngelo Jelks facing opposition in their respective party primaries.
The main event in the specially called election to replace the late Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, is Sept. 14 when Vital and DeAngelo square off in the general election.
Political winds may favor Vital, a businessman, entrepreneur and former Collegedale commissioner, in the Republican-leaning district which includes Collegedale and Ooltewah, portions of Chattanooga as well as Harrison and Bakewell.
This is the first elective effort by Jelks, an Iraq War veteran and U.S. Army Reserve captain who works in human resources for a local business.
Hamilton County Election Commission officials are expecting less than 25% of the district’s 50,133 active registered voters will cast ballots. Nate Foster, Hamilton County’s assistant election administrator, said that “should mean less than 12,533 ballots cast.”