NASHVILLE – With just 1,701 Hamilton Countians having cast early ballots through Saturday in the Sept. 14 special Tennessee House District 29 general election, Republican hopeful Greg Vital is looking to gin up more interest in the contest with a Tuesday appearance by Gov. Bill Lee.
“Come grab a cup of coffee with Governor @BillLeeTN at 10:30 a.m. this Tuesday at the The Commons in Collegedale!” tweeted Vital, a Georgetown businessman who faces Democrat DeAngelo Jelks of Ooltewah.
Through Saturday, the early voting site at Collegedale’s City Hall, one of four in operation across the county, has drawn the largest number of voters. It accounted for 1,121 of the votes cast so far. Residents voting absentee ranked No. 2 with 193 ballots cast. The Hixson Community Center ranked third with 130 ballots followed by 119 people casting ballots at the Hamilton County Election Commission.
With sites closed Sunday and Monday – Monday is Labor Day – early balloting resumes for its final three days Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The race is for the seat of the late Mike Carter of Ooltewah, a former Hamilton County judge who died May 15 of pancreatic cancer. Carter’s widow, Joan Carter, was later appointed by the Hamilton County Commission to serve as representative until the Sept. 14 election.