Candidates qualify to run for office in Hamilton County municipalities

August 21, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.

by Emily Crisman

Staff photo by Tim Barber Late Tuesday afternoon, Elections Programer Nathan Foster makes sure computers and network are set up and ready for the first day of Early Voting at the North River Civic Center in Hixson. "North River is a new location," Foster said. "Previously, it had been somewhere inside Northgate Mall. Now we have a stable location at the center. We're working with the city of Chattanooga to use this facility for as far as we can see," he said. There are four Hamilton County early voting locations: Eastwood Church in Collegedale, Brainerd Recreation Complex, North River Civic Center and the Hamilton County Election Commission office at Amnicola Highway, according to Foster.
Staff photo by Tim Barber Late Tuesday afternoon, Elections Programer Nathan Foster makes sure computers and network are set up and ready for the first day of Early Voting at the North River Civic Center in Hixson. "North River is a new location," Foster said. "Previously, it had been somewhere inside Northgate Mall. Now we have a stable location at the center. We're working with the city of Chattanooga to use this facility for as far as we can see," he said. There are four Hamilton County early voting locations: Eastwood Church in Collegedale, Brainerd Recreation Complex, North River Civic Center and the Hamilton County Election Commission office at Amnicola Highway, according to Foster.

Note: This story was updated on Aug. 25 to correct the filing status of a Lakesite candidate and on Sept. 28 to correct the incumbency status of a Ridgeside candidate.

Most municipalities in Hamilton County have multiple candidates running for open seats on their governing boards in the Nov. 8 election. The qualifying deadline was Aug. 18 at noon and the withdrawal deadline is Thursday at noon.

Four candidates are vying for two open seats on the Collegedale City Commission, for which incumbents Phil Garver and Ethan White are not seeking re-election. The candidates are Billy Burnette; Morty Lloyd, senior pastor of Chattanooga Church; Ted Rogers, former Collegedale city manager; and Tonya Sadler, former court clerk for the city of Collegedale and former public information officer for the Collegedale Police Department.

In the city of East Ridge, Mayor Brian Williams is running unopposed for re-election.

Incumbent Councilman Jacky Cagle, Jeffrey A. Ezell, Robert E. Gilreath and David Tyler are running to fill the two seats on the East Ridge City Council left open as the terms of Cagle and Councilman Mike Chauncey, who is not seeking re-election, expire in November.

Lakesite City Commissioner Michelle Wilson and Vice Mayor Ken Wilkerson are running for re-election. A third candidate, Wayne Behlau, also is running for one of two open seats on the commission.

Jeff Price and Hayes T. Wilkinson are both vying for the Red Bank commissioner-at-large seat currently held by Ruth Jeno, who in August ran unsuccessfully against David Sharpe to represent the area on the Hamilton County Commission.

Dari Owens is challenging Red Bank Mayor Hollie Berry for the District 1 seat on the city commission, and Jamie Fairbanks-Harvey and Lawrence Miller are vying for the District 3 seat vacated by Edward LeCompte.

One of the three incumbent Ridgeside city commissioners is seeking re-election, Darian Collins. Four other candidates running to fill the three seats are Fred B. Flint, Katy Ingvalson, Robert E. Steel III and Maria W. Thompson.

Three candidates are running to fill three open seats on the Signal Mountain Town Council. Elizabeth Baker and Vicki Anderson are both seeking re-election, and Clay Crumbliss is running to fill the seat left open by Vice Mayor Susannah Murdock, who is not running again when her term expires in November.

In Soddy-Daisy, Marcus Keith, Derek Kukura and Mark Penney are vying for two open seats on the city commission. Vice Mayor Robert Cothran is not seeking re-election, and Mayor Rick Nunley picked up papers to run but decided not to run.

"I'm still going to be involved; I'll probably still be on the planning commission, but that will be up to the new mayor, whoever that might be," Nunley said by phone, explaining that the city's mayor appoints members of the planning commission, which he said he's been on longer than the 12 years he's been on the city commission.

Angela Cassidy and Thomas Grady Gallant III are running for the seat left open on the Walden Board of Aldermen by Sarah McKenzie, who is not seeking re-election.

Contact Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6508.


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