With the deadline passing Wednesday, activist Marie Mott has not filed a challenge to the outcome of the District 8 race for Chattanooga City Council.
The Hamilton County Election Commission certified the results of the Sept. 15 runoff election on Sept. 21, giving Mott five business days to contest the election in Chancery Court. Wednesday marked the deadline since the panel voted to certify.
Hamilton County Election Administrator Scott Allen said by phone he was unaware of any challenge having been filed, which the Chattanooga Times Free Press confirmed in a call to the Hamilton County Clerk & Master's office on Thursday morning. Mott did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mott lost the Sept. 15 runoff election by a 70-vote margin to Councilwoman Marvene Noel, of Orchard Knob, who was appointed to the role in March after the seat's previous occupant, Anthony Byrd, stepped down to become City Court clerk. A total of 731 of the district's 8,295 eligible voters cast ballots in the September runoff.
Mott was previously the top vote-getter in the Aug. 4 election for the seat, earning 46.7% according to certified results. Noel received 28.7% and a third candidate, Malarie B. Marsh, 24.6%.
The top two candidates proceeded to a runoff because neither secured more than 50% of the vote, a procedural change for the District 8 special election that City Council approved in February.
Mott has filed a series of complaints with the Hamilton County Election Commission, which included a claim that Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly's endorsement of Noel violated state law.
"Mayor Kelly properly and routinely exercised his rights provided by federal law to express his opinions on political issues and candidates," Chattanooga City Attorney Emily O'Donnell said in a statement last week. "As with many other elected officials who have endorsed political candidates, no part of Mayor Kelly's endorsement violated state or federal law."
Contact David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6249. Follow him on Twitter @flavid_doyd.