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City Primary Tomorrow

By Mike Steely

steelym@knoxfocus.com

The city-wide primary election for mayor, city council, and municipal judge is tomorrow following a low turnout for early voting.

At close of early voting Thursday, the Election Commission reported a total of 2002 votes being cast along with 588 absentees, bringing the total to 2590 votes.

Incumbent At-Large candidate Finbarr Saunders (Seat C) faces three opponents: Kelly Absher, Paul Bonovich and David Williams. Only the two top vote getters will progress to the General Election on Tuesday, November 3.

In the other races, all candidates will appear on the General Election ballot. Mayor Madeline Rogero faces only a write-in opponent and At-Large Seat A incumbent George C. Wallace faces no opponent.

Marshall Stair, At-Large incumbent for Seat B, faces Pete Drew.

In the 5th District, incumbent Mark Campen faces Jennifer Mirtes.

Municipal Judge John R. Rosson, Jr., is unopposed for re-election.

The 14th District Tennessee House seat will officially go to Republican Jason Zachary who defeated Karen Carson in the primary and faces no Democratic opposition. Zachary was temporarily seated in the position by the Knox County Commission following the primary victory.

As the city election primary comes to an end, the campaigns for Knox County offices are well underway as candidates continue to pick up qualifying petitions for commission, property assessor, law director and school board seats. That primary is scheduled for March 1.

District 4 Commissioner Jeffery Ownby is so far opposed by fellow Republicans Hugh Nystrom and Janet Testerman and Democrat Marleen Kay Davis. The winner and Davis will go on to the March General Election.

Commission District 1 is open as Commissioner Sam McKenzie has decided not to seek reelection. Candidates for the seat include Republican Michael Covington and Democrats Evelyn Gill and Rick Staples.

Commission District 2 is also open as Commissioner Amy Broyles is not running again. Republicans Michele Carringer and John Fugate and Democrat Laura K. Kildare are in that race so far.

District 5 Commissioner John Schoonmaker, selected by the county commission to replace Dr. Richard Briggs who was elected to the State Senate, is the only candidate to date.

In District 6, incumbent Commissioner and former Chair Brad Anders has yet to pick up a qualifying petition but John Ashley has done so.

Dave Wright, 8th District commissioner and new chairman, isn’t facing opposition so far.

District 9 is open as Commissioner Mike Brown is not running again. Carson Dailey and Josh Ward have picked up petitions as Republicans and Tony Pierce is also in the running as an Independent.

Three Republicans have indicated they will run for Property Assessor. They are Andrew Graybeal, John Weaver and John Whitehead.

Incumbent Richard (Bud) Armstrong may face Nathan Rowell, both Republicans, in the race for Law Director.

While Chairman Doug Harris has yet to qualify, he may face former Knox County Commissioner Tony Norman for the District 3 seat on the school board. Vice chair Tracie Sanger, District 2, and Mike McMillan, District 8, will be seeking re-election and, thus far, face no opposition.

 

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