Oak Ridge Today

Frank, Iwanski, Hope lead in early election returns

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Terry Frank

Terry Frank

Business owner Terry Frank, a Clinton Republican, has an early voting lead over attorney Warren Gooch, an Oak Ridge Democrat, in the race for Anderson County mayor, according to early results posted Thursday evening on the Anderson County Election Commission website.

Results continue to be tabulated, but Frank has been collecting about 56 or 58 percent of the early, absentee, and election day votes, compared to about 42 to 44 percent for Gooch.

Also taking an early lead was City Council candidate Charles J. “Chuck” Hope Jr., who had about 58 percent of the vote around 8:42 p.m., compared to 42 percent for Trina Baughn.

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Guest column: State rep promises ‘bright, shiny future,’ delivers ‘total eclipse’

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Jim Hackworth

Jim Hackworth

No issue weighs heavier on people right now than the economy. Tennesseans are angry and fearful. They’re worried the American Dream is disappearing for their families because of the lack of good jobs in our communities.

They’ve seen friends, neighbors, and family members lose jobs through no fault of their own and small businesses shut down because there is no one left to buy their goods and services. People are waiting desperately to hear common sense solutions from the politicians running our state and our country. They are eager to see our East Tennessee conservative values used to make decisions that affect their daily lives.

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Education could be key battleground in Tennessee House race

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Jim Hackworth TEA Endorsement

Clinton High School English teacher DeWayne Emert, left, announces that a Tennessee Education Association organization has endorsed Democrat Jim Hackworth, center, in his campaign for the state House of Representatives. Also pictured is Ryan Mackay, Tennessee Democratic Party deputy field director.

CLINTON — Education could be one of the key battlegrounds in Anderson County’s hotly contested race for Tennessee House of Representatives.

This week, Democratic candidate Jim Hackworth said teachers are unhappy with changes made during the past few years and are “tired of being treated like second-class citizens.

“They want someone who will listen to them and ask them what they think to improve education,” said Hackworth, a former four-term legislator who is trying to take back his old seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

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Tennessee House candidates allege legal violations, desperate attacks

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Jim Hackworth and Ryan Mackay

Former Tennessee legislator Jim Hackworth, a Clinton Democrat, left, and Ryan Mackay, Tennessee Democratic Party deputy field director, question whether Rep. John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican, is following state law for campaign websites and literature.

Former Tennessee legislator Jim Hackworth this week accused his campaign opponent, Rep. John Ragan, of violating state ethics and finance laws, but Ragan said Hackworth was engaging in “desperate attacks.”

On Monday, Hackworth said Ragan’s campaign website violated state ethics and finance laws because it included his official office phone number and state e-mail address. By Tuesday morning, Ragan had removed that contact information, although he said including it was not illegal and he had removed it as a courtesy to Hackworth, a constituent.

That didn’t seem to satisfy Hackworth.

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Rep. Ragan changes campaign website after Hackworth questions legality

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John Ragan

John Ragan

Tennessee Rep. John Ragan has removed his official office phone number and state e-mail address from his campaign website after his opponent, Jim Hackworth, said that including the information violated state law.

On Monday, Hackworth, a former state representative trying to take back his old House seat in November, said Ragan’s website violated state ethics and finance laws because it directs voters to contact Ragan at his official office phone number and state e-mail address.

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Democrats, Republicans joust over jobs

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There are fewer people working in Anderson County than at the beginning of the year, and Rep. John Ragan isn’t doing enough to create and keep jobs in Tennessee, a state Democratic Party official said.

“While jobs are leaving Anderson County, Mr. Ragan continues to put on a show for voters because he has nothing to show for his time in office,” Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester said in a blog post last week. “These are the consequences of partisan politics–a legislature that is focused on protecting schoolyard bullies instead of putting Tennesseans back to work.”

But in an e-mailed response, Ragan said the state’s unemployment rate is moving in the right direction, and the Tennessee General Assembly has passed critical pro-job legislation during the past two years.

“We have lowered taxes for all Tennesseans, cut needless business regulations, fought to end frivolous lawsuits, and passed landmark education reform,” said Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican.

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Hackworth opens campaign headquarters today

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Jim Hackworth

Jim Hackworth

Former Tennessee Rep. Jim Hackworth will officially open his campaign headquarters this evening in Clinton.

The ceremony begins at 7 p.m. The headquarters is in the Stephenson Realty Building at 210 Charles G. Seivers Blvd. in Clinton.

“Please come by to join us as we begin our efforts to return common sense representation and service to Anderson County,” Hackworth said in an e-mail. “Please come join Jim as he begins his effort to Restore the American Dream.”

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Hackworth seeks former Tennessee House seat

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Jim Hackworth

Jim Hackworth

Former Tennessee Rep. Jim Hackworth has officially announced he wants to take back his old seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

Hackworth, a Clinton Democrat, is running against Rep. John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican, in Tennessee’s 33rd District, which includes most of Anderson County.

Running for his first political office, Ragan beat Hackworth, a four-term legislator, two years ago in the November 2010 election, when Republicans gained power across the country.

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