Anderson County Commissioner Steve Mead, one of the incumbents re-elected Thursday, campaigns during early voting at the Midtown Community Center in Oak Ridge. (Photo by Fred O’Hara Jr.)
Terry Frank
Note: This story was last updated at 2:10 p.m. July 8.
Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank was elected to her first four-year term on Thursday, and Sheriff Paul White was elected to a third term.
The election featured several close races, including for sheriff and register of deeds, and there were a few upsets, including for Anderson County Circuit Court Clerk, County Commission District 3, and General Sessions Judge, Division II, where longtime Judge Ron Murch suffered defeat.
Paul White
In the race for the Tennessee House, Representative John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican, beat back a primary challenge by newcomer Caitlin Nolan.
All 27 precincts have reported.
Here are the final unofficial election results for contested races:
Anderson County Mayor
- Terry Frank, the Republican incumbent—7,586 (52.69 percent)
- Jim Hackworth, a Democrat—6,193 (43.01 percent)
- Bradley Rickett, an Independent—619 (4.3 percent)
Frank, who was first elected to a two-year term in a special election in August 2012, beat Hackworth, a former state representative and county commissioner, by about 1,400 votes. The two fought over a 1990 tax hike and “turmoil” and lawsuits in the Anderson County Courthouse.
Anderson County Sheriff
- Paul White, the Democratic incumbent—7,386 (51.64 percent)
- Anthony Lay, a Republican—6,918 (48.36 percent)
White’s margin of victory was just under 500 votes. Lay is a former sheriff in Scott County, and he is currently a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper. The two candidates battled over the food served at the Anderson County jail, crime rate statistics, and the responsiveness of the Sheriff’s Department, among other things.
Tennessee House of Representatives, District 33
Republican primary
- John Ragan, the incumbent—4,487 (54.68 percent)
- Caitlin Nolan, his challenger—3,719 (45.32 percent)
Ragan and Nolan battled over his record and qualifications, her experience, and his stance on issues related to children, education, and bullying.
It’s not clear who Ragan might face in the November general election. Misty Neergaard, his Democratic opponent, has dropped out of the race, but she withdrew too late to take her name off the Thursday ballot. Oak Ridge resident Leslie Agron was a Democratic write-in candidate, but he picked up less than 100 votes. The next step could be up to the state Democratic Party.
Anderson County Juvenile Court Judge
- Brian Hunt (R)—8,810 (65.45 percent)
- Michael Clement (D)—4,650 (34.55 percent)
Hunt and Clement are both Clinton attorneys. Hunt will replace Brandon Fisher, who had initially announced a run for Anderson County chancellor but has instead accepted a job with a nonprofit mental health provider in Pennsylvania.
Anderson County General Sessions Judge, Division I
- Don Layton, the Republican incumbent—8,628 (63.6 percent)
- Ryan Spitzer, the Democratic challenger—4,939 (36.40 percent)
Layton is well-known and, although Spitzer knocked on many doors and challenged Layton on several fronts, the incumbent beat the challenger by about 3,700 votes. Spitzer is an assistant district attorney general in Anderson County.
This will be Layton’s third term; he has been sessions judge since 1998.
Anderson County General Sessions Judge, Division II
- Roger Miller, the Republican challenger—6,986 (53.27 percent)
- Ron Murch, the Democratic incumbent—6,129 (46.73 percent)
This may be one of the biggest surprises of the election. Murch has been general sessions judge since 1993, while Miller, a Clinton attorney who has previously sought public office, seemed to run a low-profile campaign.
Anderson County Register of Deeds
- Tim Shelton, the Democratic incumbent—6,984 (50.99 percent)
- Bill Gallaher, the Republican challenger—6,712 (49.01 percent)
This appears to be the closest race of the night, with Shelton hanging on by about 270 votes. The two men waged a heated battle over spending in the Register of Deeds Office.
Gallaher is a local business owner and insurance executive who served as president of Clinton Tire and Oil Co. Inc. from 1980 until 2005.
Anderson County Circuit Court Clerk
- William Jones, the Republican challenger—7,163 (54.45 percent)
- Tyler Mayes, the Democratic incumbent—5,993 (45.55 percent)
This was another upset. Mayes was appointed to the job in October 2012 to serve on an interim basis through this election. He replaced longtime clerk Barry Pellizari.
Anderson County Commission, District 6 (Oak Ridge City Hall, Robertsville, West Hills)
Vote for two
- Steve Mead—682 (33.75 percent)
- Whitey Hitchcock—549 (27.16 percent)
- Anthony Allen—454 (22.46 percent)
- Joey Anderson—336 (16.63 percent)
Mead and Hitchcock are both incumbents.
Anderson County Commission, District 7 (Glenwood, Highland View, Pine Valley)
Vote for two
- Jerry Creasey—803 (32.29 percent)
- Theresa Scott—531 (21.35 percent)
- Mike Marsh—379 (15.24 percent)
- Jimmy Bouchard—358 (14.39 percent)
- Denny Phillips—306 (12.3 percent)
- Kevin Rice—110 (4.42 percent)
Creasey is an incumbent. The other incumbent, John Shuey, did not seek re-election. It’s Scott’s second run for commission.
Anderson County Commission, District 8 (Emory Valley, Hendrix Creek, Woodland)
Vote for two
- Myron Iwanski—1,297 (40.35 percent)
- Robin Biloski—1,145 (35.63 percent)
- Myra Mansfield—772 (24.02 percent)
Iwanski and Biloski are the incumbents. Biloski is also vice chair of the commission, and Iwanski is the parliamentarian.
Anderson County Commission, District 1 (Claxton, Bull Run)
Vote for two
- Tracy Wandell—838 (31.62 percent)
- Chuck Fritts—826 (31.17 percent)
- Floyd Grisham—718 (27.09 percent)
- Walt Lounsbery—268 (10.11 percent)
Wandell and Fritts are the incumbents. Fritts is also county commission chair.
Anderson County Commission, District 3 (Norris, Andersonville)
Vote for two
- Steve Emert—1,040 (29 percent)
- Philip Warfield—838 (23.37 percent)
- Josh Anderson—768 (21.42 percent)
- Dusty Irwin—638 (17.79 percent)
- David Farmer—302 (8.42 percent)
Emert and Irwin were the incumbents, so this was another upset. Irwin has served as parliamentarian of the commission. He was the only incumbent commissioner defeated in the election.
Warfield is an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Anderson County Career and Technical Center.
Anderson County Commission, District 4 (Lake City, Briceville, Rosedale)
Vote for two
- Tim Isbel—950 (45.09 percent)
- Chris Phillips—607 (28.81 percent)
- Herb “Herbie” Foust—366 (17.37 percent)
- Allen C.H. Loope—184 (8.73 percent)
Isbel is an incumbent. The other incumbent, Zach Bates, who challenged Frank in the Republican primary in May, did not seek re-election.
Phillips is the former budget director for Anderson County and current city recorder in Lake City/Rocky Top.
Anderson County Commission, District 5 (Dutch Valley, Marlow, Norwood)
Vote for two
- Jerry White—876 (36.17 percent)
- Robert McKamey—690 (28.49 percent)
- Lynn Byrge—433 (17.46 percent)
- Carl Beaty—423 (17.46 percent)
White and McKamey are the incumbents. Byrge helped lead the effort to install “In God We Trust” signs on the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton, and he is a petitioner in an ouster suit filed against Anderson County Law Director Jay Yeager.
Anderson County School Board, District 7
- Don Bell—820 (63.66 percent)
- Steve Fritts—468 (36.34 percent)
Fritts is the incumbent, so this was another upset. Bell retired from the Oak Ridge school system in 2013, and he had worked in the maintenance and operations division at Glenwood Elementary School.
Candidates who did not have any opposition included Circuit and Criminal Court Judge Don Elledge, District Attorney General Dave Clark, Public Defender Tom Marshall, Trustee Rodney Archer, County Clerk Jeff Cole, Road Superintendent Gary Long, and Nicki Cantrell, the only remaining candidate for Anderson County chancellor.
Incumbents Mark Alderson and Rick Meredith had no opposition in Anderson County Commission’s District 2 in Clinton. Neither did incumbent Scott Gillenwaters in the Anderson County School Board’s 7th District.
State Senator Randy McNally of Tennessee’s Fifth District also did not have any opposition in the state Republican primary, and he does not have a Democratic opponent in the November election.
In Oliver Springs, City Judge/Recorder Joseph Van Hook and Court Clerk/Finance Officer Ramona Walker were also unopposed.
See the complete results here: Anderson County 2014 Election Results.
See the precinct results here: Anderson County Precinct Results August 2014 Election.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
