Oak Ridge Today

Veteran challenging Fleischmann in Republican primary

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Bill Spurlock

Bill Spurlock

 

William E. “Bill” Spurlock, a Chattanooga native and veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is challenging U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann in the Republican primary in Tennessee’s Third District on August 2. The Third District includes Oak Ridge and its U.S. Department of Energy facilities.

Spurlock, 60, officially announced his candidacy in Chattanooga on Tuesday, April 3.

He has served in the Army, Marine Corps, and the National Guard, completing five combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, the press release said. He is the recipient of the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with a total of more than 50 ribbons and medals earned before recently retiring, as a major, after 34 years of service.

A press release said Spurlock was raised on Lookout Mountain by a single mother, and he attended The Baylor School. After graduation, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. After three years on active duty in the Marines, he came home to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, earning a bachelor’s degree in business management. [Read more…]

Twenty-nine qualify to run for 16 seats on Anderson County Commission

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Twenty-nine candidates have qualified to run for 16 seats on the Anderson County Commission in the county general election in August.

There are also three people running for the Tennessee House of Representatives in District 33, a new appointed Oak Ridge school board member running in a special election in August, and a Democratic challenger to Tennessee Senator Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge resident who is also lieutenant governor.

The deadline to qualify to run in the August 2 election, which will also feature contested elections for Anderson County sheriff and trustee, was noon Thursday.

Anderson County has eight County Commission districts, and there are two commissioners per district. The offices are non-partisan, meaning that, unlike some other county offices, they are not part of the Democratic and Republican primary elections on May 1. [Read more…]

Ridenour, an ORPD officer & former chief deputy, running for sheriff

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Lewis Ridenour

Lewis Ridenour

 

Lewis Ridenour, an Oak Ridge Police Department officer and former chief deputy of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, is running for sheriff in the 2018 election.

In a press release, Ridenour, a Republican, pledged to only serve two terms if elected as Anderson County sheriff. He cited “great concern” over career politicians when announcing his term-limit pledge.

Ridenour pledged to use his community and law enforcement experience, sound judgment, and “know-how” in office, the press release said.

“During my over 20 years of law enforcement experience in this county, I have gained an understanding of the complexities of city and county government, including its capabilities and limitations,” Ridenour said. “Most importantly, the primary role for the sheriff should be to be to make our entire county safe, while also being an advocate for the taxpayers. There are real issues facing our county relating to drugs and crimes against persons and property. There are also many financial issues that will come before us in the years to come. We need a sheriff with extensive experience as an administrator as well as law enforcement.” [Read more…]

Yager announces Senate re-election bid

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Ken Yager

Ken Yager

Information from WYSH Radio

Tennessee Senator Ken Yager, a Kingston Republican, recently announced his bid for re-election to the Tennessee Senate. Yager, unopposed in his reelection bid, is seeking his third term to the state Senate.

“It is an honor to serve,” Yager said. “I take my responsibility to serve very seriously and am guided by one—and only one—principle: Constituents come first.”

The 12th Senatorial District is one of the largest in the state geographically.

“I represent seven of the finest counties in East Tennessee and the Upper Cumberland region, and work hard to make sure each receives its fair of state funding and grants,” Yager said. “I have been proud to be able to announce millions of dollars in grants, road projects, and new funding which will improve the lives of all of our citizens.” [Read more…]

Anderson County Commission candidates at forum Thursday; Roane County forum on July 19

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Voter Registration Month

The League of Women of Voters of Oak Ridge will present two forums featuring candidates on the ballots in the August 4 elections in Anderson and Roane counties. The first forum, featuring candidates for Anderson County Commission, District 8, is tonight (Thursday, July 14).

Tonight’s forum will be held at the Oak Ridge campus of Roane State Community College in Room-111. It starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 14.

Three candidates are running to fill the unexpired term of Robin Biloski, who resigned from her District 8 in Oak Ridge in August 2015. The three candidates are Myra Mansfield, Angeleque McNutt, and Phil Yager. McNutt was appointed to the seat by Anderson County Commission in August, and that appointment was to last through the county’s general election this August.

District 8 includes the Emory Valley, Hendrix Creek, and Woodland voting precincts in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Isbel withdraws from state rep race

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Tim Isbel

Tim Isbel

Information from WYSH Radio

Anderson County Commissioner Tim Isbel has withdrawn from the race for Tennessee House of Representatives in the 33rd District, which includes most of Anderson County. The seat is currently held by John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican.

Last week, Isbel had announced his intention to run against Ragan in the Republican primary in August. The deadline to withdraw from the ballot was noon today (Thursday, April 14), and Isbel has done so.

Isbel said that after speaking with officials at the state level and consulting with his pastor, he has decided to hold off on running for the Tennessee House for at least another two years. He said there are still “some great opportunities and tasks for the people I (currently) represent,” adding that he feels he is “best suited to help accomplish these tasks.”

WYSH will have more on this developing story on Monday on “Ask Your Neighbor,” when Isbel will join the Clinton radio station (AM 1380, FM 101.1) for an exclusive interview.

AC Commission replaces Phillips with Bates

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Zach Bates

Zach Bates

WYSH Radio/Oak Ridge Today

The Anderson County Commission has voted to replace Chris Phillips in Commission District 4 with the man whose vacated seat he won in August.

Phillips resigned his Commission seat—won in the August 7 election—so that he could return to work as the county’s budget and accounts director after leaving that post earlier this year to become city recorder in his native Rocky Top. Phillips left the county government to help the town update its accounting practices as it makes the transition from Lake City to Rocky Top and prepares for what is expected to be a busy time for the city. [Read more…]

In Oak Ridge, Alexander, Haslam promote GOP accomplishments

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Bill Haslam and Lamar Alexander

Governor Bill Haslam, left, and Senator Lamar Alexander touted the accomplishments of Republicans in Congress and Tennessee during a campaign stop at Dean’s Restaurant and Bakery in Oak Ridge on Wednesday, one day before Thursday’s state and federal primary elections.

 

Governor Bill Haslam and U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander campaigned in Oak Ridge on Wednesday as the two-term senator fought to prevail in the federal Republican primary in Tennessee on Thursday. The duo also promoted GOP accomplishments, both in Congress and in Tennessee.

Alexander is facing off against seven candidates for one of the state’s two U.S. Senate seats. Most of the attention has been focused on the race between Alexander and state Representative Joe Carr, a Republican Tea Party challenger from Lascassas in Rutherford County.

Alexander, who is also a former Tennessee governor, didn’t mention Carr by name during a stop at Dean’s Restaurant and Bakery in Oak Ridge on Wednesday.

Instead, he focused on accomplishments such as his vote to end “perpetual amnesty,” his “A” rating from the National Rifle Association, and the possibility that Republicans could gain a majority in the U.S. Senate. He also made some promises if Democrats lose control of the Senate.

“We’ll get rid of Harry Reid’s agenda,” said Alexander, referring to the current Senate majority leader, a Democrat. “We’ll get rid of ‘Obamacare.’” [Read more…]

Ragan runs on record; Nolan questions his representation

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John Ragan

John Ragan

He’s running for his third term in the Tennessee House, touting his record on state energy policy and trimming government. His challenger questions his record on representing the children and residents of the district, rather than special interests.

The two Republican candidates for the House seat in District 33, which includes most of Anderson County, are the incumbent, Representative John Ragan, and his GOP challenger, Caitlin Nolan. They will face off in the state Republican primary on Thursday.

It’s not clear who the winner will face in November. Misty Neergaard, the only candidate listed on the ballot in the state Democratic primary, has dropped out of the race, although she withdrew too late for her name to be taken off the ballot. There is a write-in candidate on the Democratic ticket, Leslie Agron of Oak Ridge.

During an interview last week, Ragan said legislators have eliminated 14 government organizations in the past two years, and a dozen legislative committees have been cut.

He said he’s helped to make state energy policy a top priority.

Asked about the challenge posed by Nolan, Ragan said: “It’s a race. My opponent is making me work hard, which is good for the voters even if it’s a strain on the candidates.” [Read more…]

Fleischmann touts record, Appropriations seat; Wamp willing to work across aisle

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U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann

Chuck Fleischmann

They’ve battled over negative ads, political endorsements, special interest money, and the Affordable Care Act.

U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann, the two-term incumbent, touts his seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee and, important to Oak Ridge, the Energy and Water Subcommittee.

Meanwhile, Weston Wamp, his challenger, has suggested a willingness to work across party lines to “move the country forward.”

The two men face off in a in two-man battle in the Republican primary on Thursday. It’s in part a rematch of the three-man GOP primary in Tennessee’s Third District in 2012, when Wamp and Scotty Mayfield lost to Fleischmann. [Read more…]

Letter: Vote for Nolan if you support schools, teachers, students

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To the Editor:

Like many of you, I received a campaign postcard promoting the re-election of Rep. John Ragan. My first reaction was, “Who are these kids?” Obviously, with their emblazoned uniforms, they did not look like students I know from Anderson County, Clinton, or Oak Ridge schools.

Look at the fine print on the postcard, and you’ll see it’s paid for by the Tennessee Federation for Children PAC. This is a Washington D.C.-based group that spends lavishly to pass unlimited school voucher legislation. Its ally is the controversial Michelle Rhee’s Students First that gave Ragan an award last year for his efforts to dismantle public education. They later rescinded it after an Oak Ridge resident launched a petition drive that garnered 57,000 signatures from people protesting Ragan’s efforts to legislate bigotry.

My question to voters is this: Whose interests is Ragan representing? The answer is clear: Out-of-state interests seeking to exploit our children for their own profits. [Read more…]

Guest column: Anderson County election ballot explained

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Submitted

The August 7 ballot for the state primary and local general election will be an important and complex ballot. You will find three main sections to the ballot.

First will be the state and federal primary, second will be the county general election, and third will be the retention questions for Tennessee Supreme Court judges and appellate court judges.

The first eight offices on the ballot are the contests for the state and federal primary election. They are governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Tennessee Senate, Tennessee House of Representatives, and state executive committeeman and committeewoman. These eight offices are the ones a person must declare whether they are voting in the Democratic or Republican primary.

After these eight offices come the candidates for the Anderson County general election. It does not matter which party primary you selected to vote in, Democrat or Republican, you are now free to vote for the candidate of your choice no matter to which party you belong. The county general election offices are: [Read more…]