Contributed Photo / Dean MoorhouseDean Moorhouse, a retired health care executive, has entered the race for the Hamilton County Commission's new District 10 - which is still pending approval by the state.
Moorhouse, 65, R-Ooltewah, said in a Sunday interview that his connections to the community make him the best candidate for the District 10 seat. Pending final approval of the map by the state, the new District 10 will sprawl along the eastern border of the county, including Collegedale and Georgetown.
It will also include the areas surrounding Ooltewah's elementary, middle and high schools.
"I am the citizen's choice," Moorhouse said. "I'm the voice of the people."
Earlier this year, Moorhouse, president of the Harrison Ruritan Club Foundation, was nominated by Hamilton County Commission chair Sabrena Smedley as a replacement for Commissioner Chester Bankston, who left before the end of his term.
Eight applicants from the district, which includes Ooltewah and Collegedale, applied for the seat. Steve Highlander, R-Harrison, was appointed in June.
(READ MORE: Hamilton County commission fails to fill vacancy left by Chester Bankston)
Earlier this month, the Hamilton County Commission approved new district boundaries based on 2020 census data, adding two districts to the county's current nine. Moorhouse now lives within the boundaries of the new District 10.
"I've always been a strong advocate for the community," Moorhouse said. "I've fought for small landowner rights for many years, including new schools and better roads."
Moorhouse spent most of his career working in health care administration with Health Connect America and is a former co-owner of Professional Pulmonary Services, which was purchased by Apria Healthcare Inc. in the late 1990s.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's school of business, Moorhouse has also served as secretary, treasurer and president of the Chattanooga/Hamilton County Nightside Pachyderm Club. He has also served as vice-chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party.
(READ MORE: How did Hamilton County redistricting change the political map?)
Moorhouse also pointed to his service on a variety of nonprofit boards as an example of his connection to the community. They include the Ooltewah Youth Association, the Harrison Ruritan Foundation, the Ooltewah Harrison Education Foundation, the Hamilton County Alcohol Beverage Board and North Hamilton County for Responsible Growth.
Contact Logan Hullinger by phone at 814-319-5158 or via email at lhullinger@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @LoganHullinger.