NASHVILLE - Early voting in Hamilton County's special state House District 29 election to replace the late Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, got off to a sluggish start last week.
Of 51,133 eligible voters, 813 have voted in person and 165 had cast mail ballots as of Saturday, according to the Hamilton County Election Commission.
Voting resumed Monday for the contest in the heavily Republican district. GOP nominee Greg Vital, a Georgetown businessman, is facing Democrat DeAngelo Jelks of Ooltewah, a human resources recruiter for a Chattanooga business.
Voting in the 29-precinct district has been heaviest in the city of Collegedale, where 480 voters were cast either in-person or absentee ballots.
If you plan to vote
Early voting continues through Sept. 9 at Brainerd Recreation Center, Collegedale City Hall, Hixson Community Center and Hamilton County Election Commission.All early voting sites are open Monday through Saturday, although closed on Labor Day.More details are available at bit.ly/HD29early.
Hoping to stir up more interest, Vital, president and co-founder of Morning Pointe Senior Living, planned a get-out-the-vote rally at The Commons in Collegedale at 6 p.m. Monday, with Republican U.S. Reps. Chuck Fleischmann of Ooltewah and Mark Green of Portland.
Election Day is Sept. 14.
During the July 27 primary election - in which neither Vital, a former Collegedale city commissioner, nor Jelks faced opposition - 1,216 voters took part. That was 2.43% of eligible voters.
The candidates have been hitting the campaign trail for weeks in the district, which also includes portions of Chattanooga as well as the Harrison and Sale Creek areas of Hamilton County.
Vital has raised about $88,000 over the course of the campaign and loaned his effort $10,000 as he began the race. By comparison, Jelks had raised nearly $12,000 and his pre-primary report showed he had $1,738 left in cash on hand. Vital has spent about $55,000 and had close to $45,500 in cash on hand, according to his pre-primary report submitted July 20 to the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.
Carter's widow, Joan Carter, was appointed by the Hamilton County Commission to serve as representative until the Sept. 14 election. Mike Carter died July 16 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.