This spring, there was a County Primary Election for several important local elective offices. Election day itself was Tuesday, May 5, with Early Voting having run from Wednesday, April 15 through Thursday, April 30 at thirteen locations throughout the County. Primaries were held for qualified candidates in the Democratic Party seeking the offices of Circuit and Criminal Court Judges, Circuit and Criminal Court Clerks, General Sessions Judge, Public Defender, County Trustee, County Clerk, Register of Deeds, Juvenile Court Clerk, Criminal Court Clerk, Sheriff, School Board Members, and Executive Committeemen and Committeewomen.
Republicans had NO qualified candidates running for any of these offices. Apparently they weren’t interested in running for any of the local offices that actually provide necessary public services for the residents.
Ironically Election Day was the first day of the Tennessee State Legislative Special Session called by Republicans to steal the 9th US congressional district from Memphis like they stole the 5th District from Nashville a few years ago. This is planned to make all nine congressional representatives from Tennessee Republicans.
This flies in the face of the fact that Republicans garnered 64.19% of the vote (fewer than two-thirds) in the last national election, while 34.47% (more than one-third) voted for the Democrat. Tennessee should ideally be represented by THREE Democrats in Congress! Not to mention the State Legislature. Thanks, gerrymander.
In this week’s primary election, however, note that several candidates for their offices ran uncontested. They include Martesha Johnson, Public Defender; Erica S Gilmore, County Trustee; Daron Hall, Sheriff; Howard Gentry, Criminal Court Clerk; Lonnell Matthews, Jr., Juvenile Court Clerk; and Karen Johnson, Register Of Deeds.
The unofficial results for contested offices, winners denoted by an asterisk (*), at press time Tuesday night, with all 179 precincts reporting, and absentee ballots, were as follows:
Audrey Anderson, Circuit Court Judge, Division III 9,918
Bethany Peery Glandorf, Circuit Court Judge, Division III 14,662
*Corletra Mance, Circuit Court Judge, Division III 15,804
*Dawn Deaner, Criminal Court Judge, Division III 15,016
Ronald Jamar Dowdy, Criminal Court Judge, Division III 12,933
Jim Todd, Criminal Court Judge, Division III 14,376
*Jodie Ann Bell, General Sessions Judge, Division VI 27,485
Michael Robinson, General Sessions Judge, Division VI 13,474
*Joseph P. Day, Circuit Court Clerk 20,654
Howard Jones, Circuit Court Clerk 20,292
*Sharon W. Hurt, County Clerk 19,440
Pam Murray, County Clerk 5,319
Freda Player, County Clerk 16,619
Rachael Anne Elrod School Board Representative, District 2 Was Unopposed.
Jennifer Bell School Board Representative, District 4 1,678
*Berthena Nabaa-Mckinney School Board Representative, District 4 3,165
Fran Bush, School Board Representative, District 6 1,343
*Cheryl D. Mayes, School Board Representative, District 6 2,323
Mary Bernice Polk, School Board Representative, District 6 485
Erin O’Hara Block, School Board Representative, District 8 was Unopposed.
