Oak Ridge Today

Anderson County race key to Republican House majority

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John Ragan Campaign Kickoff

Tennessee Rep. John Ragan, right, talks to Andrew Kern, left, of Lenoir City, and Ken Wood, of Tellico Village, during a campaign kickoff ceremony Wednesday.

The state House district that includes Oak Ridge and most of Anderson County could be key to Republican plans to maintain a majority this fall–and possibly even gain a supermajority.

“This is one of those races that is going to make or break that supermajority,” said Holt Whitt, a member of the Republican Caucus field staff in Nashville.

Whitt is helping Rep. John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican, prepare for the Nov. 6 election, and he attended a Wednesday morning campaign kickoff ceremony for Ragan.

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Ragan kicks off Tennessee House campaign

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Tennessee Rep. John Ragan will kick off his 2012 campaign for the state House of Representatives during a Wednesday morning ceremony in Oak Ridge.

The ceremony starts at 11 a.m. at Ragan’s campaign headquarters at 103 Jefferson Ave.

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Appointed last year, Patrick seeks election to Anderson County Commission

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Buzz Patrick

Patrick

Anderson County Commissioner Buzz Patrick was appointed to his seat last year, and now he’s seeking to be elected to the 16-member legislative body in an Aug. 2 special election.

The Commission appointed Patrick to the District 8 seat in March 2011, filling it after former commissioner Myron Iwanski was named Anderson County interim mayor.

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Oak Ridge Today adds 2012 election section

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Oak Ridge Today has added a 2012 election section, hoping to keep voters informed about the candidates and campaign issues. Think of it as our version of a voter’s guide.

The section can be accessed by clicking on the 2012 Election link in the navigation bar at the top of every page.

Please let us know if there are features you’d like to see, or particular election-year stories you’d like us to cover.

Frank proposes less regulation, lower taxes

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Terry Frank and Mike Henderson

Terry Frank, left, a candidate for Anderson County mayor, talks to Oak Ridge resident Mike Henderson during a Saturday grand opening ceremony at her campaign headquarters on Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Advocating free market principles, business owner and mayoral candidate Terry Frank has been knocking on doors in Anderson County for three months, delivering a message of less regulation and lower taxes.

“It’s just time for a strategy change,” Frank said at a Saturday grand opening ceremony at her campaign headquarters on Oak Ridge Turnpike. “Tax-and-spend isn’t working. We can’t tax our way to prosperity.”

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Rep. Ragan endorses Frank for county mayor

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Editor’s note: The following speech by Tennessee Rep. John Ragan was given during a Saturday grand opening ceremony at the campaign headquarters for business owner Terry Frank, a Clinton Republican who is running for Anderson County mayor.

Over two hundred years ago, our ancestors boldly declared that every citizen stands before the law as an equal. These brave souls wagered their fortunes, their honor and their very lives on the proposition that the Creator endows every person with the same unalienable rights. These patriots recognized that these rights not only include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but economic freedom and many other rights, too numerous to mention.

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Frank has grand opening of campaign headquarters Saturday

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Terry Frank, candidate for Anderson County mayor

Frank

Business owner Terry Frank, who is running for Anderson County mayor this fall, is hosting a grand opening of her campaign headquarters at 11 a.m. Saturday.

There will be refreshments, fellowship, and “good, old-fashioned campaigning,” a press release said.

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Roane property assessor candidate withdraws from race

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Cheryl Laxton, a candidate for Roane County property assessor, has announced she is ending her campaign. Her primary reason, according to a press release last week, was the health concerns of her mother.

“Everyone knows that I come from a very close and tight-knit family,” Laxton said. “My mother now has a serious illness which will require constant and continuous care and supervision. My mother is the most important thing in the world to me, and I look forward to being able to take care of her.”

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Police: Roane candidate dies after shooting self at incumbent’s home

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A candidate for Roane County property assessor died today after shooting himself in the head, authorities said.

James Thomas Woods Jr., 56, was a former employee of the Roane County Property Assessor’s Office, and he reportedly shot himself at the home of the incumbent assessor, Teresa Kirkham, on Brentwood Way in Kingston.

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Anderson County voting precincts change

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A new Bull Run voting precinct has been created in Anderson County, and the boundaries of other precincts have been moved.

Part of the Woodland District in Oak Ridge is now split between District 6 and District 8. That district now extends outside Oak Ridge into the Elza Gate and Lake Hills areas and includes voters on Highway 62.

Oliver Springs is now completely located within District 5, and Anderson County no longer is part of the 38th State House District, according to information from the Anderson County Election Commission.

The changes are part of the redistricting of state and county precincts following the 2010 census.

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Chamber starts ‘Coffee with the Candidates’ on June 12

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The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Pro-Growth Advocacy Task Force will have a series of “Coffee with the Candidates” beginning June 12.

The participating candidates are running in an Oak Ridge City Council special election and for three other seats: Anderson County mayor, property assessor, and the County Commission’s District 8 seat.

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