District 7, local elections held
By KATE COIL
TT&C Assistant Editor
Voters went to the polls for the Tennessee District 7 Special Congressional primary election as well as two municipal elections in September and October.
Former Tennessee Department of General Services Commissioner Matt Van Epps and State Rep. Aftyn Behn will advance to the general election for the Tennessee District 7 Special Congressional election after winning their respective primaries.
In the Republican primary, Van Epps defeated challengers including State Rep. Jody Barrett, State Rep. Gino Bulso, Adolph Agbéko Dagan, Mason Foley, Jason D. Knight, Joe Leurs, Stewart Parks, and Tres Wittum. Candidates Lee Reeves and Stuart Cooper suspended their campaigns after early voting had begun but remained on the ballot.
Epps earned 19,001 votes followed by Barrett with 9,335, Bulso with 4,004, Reeves wtih 1,929, Foley with 1,022, Parks with 595, Knight with 381, Cooper with 239, Wittum with 133, Leurs with 122, and Dagan with 93.
In the Democratic primary, Behn defeated State Rep. Vincent Dixie, State Rep. Bo Mitchell, and Darden Hunter Copeland. Behn earned 8,648 votes, followed by Copeland with 7,716, Mitchell with 7,492, and Dixie with 7,146.
Van Epps and Behn will be joined on the ballot in December by independent candidates Teresa “Terri” Christie, Bobby Dodge, Robert James Sutherby, and Jon Thorp.
Tennessee’s District 7 includes Cheatham, Decatur, Dickson, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Mongomery, Perry, Robertson, Stewart, and Wayne counties as well as portions of Benton, Davidson, and Williamson counties.
The last day to register to vote in the special general election is Nov. 3. Early voting in the election begins Nov. 12 and lasts until Nov. 26 with Dec. 2 scheduled as election day.
CENTERVILLE
Voters went to the polls in Centerville for a municipal election on Oct. 4.
Newcomer Garry Greer defeated County Commissioner Devin Pickard 368 to 295 to take the mayoral seat previously held by Gary Jacobs, who did not seek re-election.
Incumbents Kenneth Daron, Mandy King, Wayne Prince, and Gary Wright will be joined by newcomer Shane Davis on the Centerville Board of Aldermen, defeating incumbent Thomas Meador and newcomer Glenda Delk for the five open seats on the council.
Wright led the vote count with 449 followed by King with 415, Prince with 363, Davis with 334, Daron with 333, Meador with 256, and Delk with 249.
DICKSON
The city of Dickson held a municipal election on Sept. 11.
Incumbent Jason Epley defeated challenger Karen Ramey Bell 110-59 to retain the Council Ward 1 seat.
Incumbent Kyle Sanders fended off challenger Bill Woods to retain the Council Ward 2 seat. Sanders earned 231 votes to Woods’ 62.
Ward 3 incumbent Stacey Lynn Levine and Ward 4 incumbent Michael James Outlaw both ran unopposed and were re-elected with 57 and 50 complimentary votes respectively.
LEXINGTON
A municipal election was held in Lexington on Sept. 11.
Alderman Gordon Wildridge defeated challenger and County Commissioner Andy Anderson to take the mayoral seat in Lexington. Wildridge earned 965 votes to Anderson’s 878 votes. The mayoral seat had previously been held by Jeff Griggs, who did not seek re-election as mayor but ran for an alderman seat.
Newcomer Donna Ross defeated incumbent Fred Ellis and challengers Candi Davis and Jack Johnson to take the Alderman Position 4 seat. Ross led the vote count with 895 followed by Ellis with 429, Johnson with 342, and Davis with 133.
Incumbent Jimmy M. White fended off both Griggs and newcomer Patrick Cherry to retain his Alderman Position 5 seat. White garnered 828 votes followed by Griggs with 755 and Cherry with 219.
Newcomer Chip Clark defeated fellow challengers Blake Mitchell and Ernest Ray Thomas, Jr. for the Alderman Position 6 seat. Clark earned 736 votes followed by Mitchell with 563 and Thomas with 411. The seat had previously been held by Gordon Wildridge.