Additional candidates pick up papers for primary

Heather Mullinix, Crossville Chronicle, Tenn.
·5 min read

Jan. 24—Additional candidates have picked up qualifying petitions for county offices.

Tom Howard and Mark Madden have picked up petitions for the assessor of property race. Kelli Tipton also picked up a petition in January. Sandy Gilbert has filed her petition.

All candidates are seeking the Republican Party nomination in the May 3 county primary election.

Holly A. Lee has picked up a petition for General Sessions Judge as an independent candidate. Christopher L. Seals has also picked up a petition for the 5th District seat on the Cumberland County Board of Education and will run as an independent.

Candidates have until Feb. 17 at noon to qualify for the county general primary election and 13th Judicial District primary election. This includes candidates for those offices who intend to run as independents.

The deadline to withdraw from a race is Feb. 24 at noon.

Candidates who have picked up petitions include:

Assessor of Property

Republican Primary

Sandy Gilbert, petition returned Dec. 29

Tom Howard, petition picked up Jan. 18

Mark Madden, petition picked up Dec. 28

Kelli Tipton, petition picked up Dec. 21

Circuit Court Clerk

Republican Primary

Jessica R. Burgess, petition filed Dec. 30

County Clerk

Republican Primary

Jule Bryson, petition filed Dec. 23

County Mayor

Republican Primary

Allen Foster, petition filed Jan. 10

Register of Deeds

Democratic Primary

Judy Graham Swallows, petition filed Dec. 21

Road Superintendent

Republican Primary

Scott Blaylock, petition picked up Dec. 20

Scott Griffin, petition picked up Dec. 20

Stanley Hall, petition picked up Dec. 20

Kevin D. Music, petition filed Jan. 11

Sheriff

Republican Primary

Casey Cox, petition filed Jan. 13

Trustee

Republican Primary

Kyle Davis, petition picked up Dec. 20

Kim Tollett Wyatt, petition filed Jan. 13

General Sessions Judge

Republican Primary

Nathan Clouse, petition filed Jan. 14

Ivy Gardner Mayberry, petition picked up Dec. 20

Amanda Worley, petition filed Jan. 11

Independent

Holly A. Lee, petition picked up Dec. 30

Cumberland County Board of Education

District 1

Republican Primary

Elizabeth Stull, petition picked up Dec. 20

District 3

No Candidates

District 5

Republican Primary

Randall Hopkins, petition picked up Dec. 20

Independent

Christopher "Chris" L. Seals, petition picked up Jan. 4

District 7

Republican Primary

Rebecca "Becky" Hamby, petition picked up Dec. 22

District 9

Republican Primary

Shannon Stout, petition filed Jan. 14

13th Judicial District

Circuit Court Judge, Part I

Republican Primary

Wiliam T. "Will" Ridley, petition filed Jan. 10

Circuit Court Judge,

Part II

Republican Primary

Caroline E. Knight, petition picked up Dec. 20

Criminal Court Judge Part II

Republican Primary

Wesley Bray, petition filed Jan. 12

Candidates for multi-county races in the 13th Judicial District may qualify in their home counties.

In addition to the qualifying petitions, Republican candidates must also register with the Tennessee Republican Party prior to the filing deadline, Feb. 17. The registration, which can be completed online at tngop.org, requires a fee ranging from $25 for county district office up to $5,000 for candidates for governor and U.S. Senate. Countywide elected office candidates would pay $100 while partisan judicial candidates for a multi-county judicial district must pay $500.

The Tennessee Democratic Party does not require Democratic candidates to pay a fee in order to run for office.

The Cumberland County Election Commission will meet Feb. 17 at 4 p.m. to verify qualifying petitions of primary and independent candidates.

The last day to register to vote in the primary election is April 4. Voters may register at the Election Commission office, 83 Northside Lane, Suite 101, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tennessee also accepts online voter registration at ovr.govote.tn.gov, or mail a completed voter registration application to the Cumberland County Election Commission, 83 Northside Lane, Suite 101, Crossville, TN 38571.

Applications can be printed online at the Secretary of State website, shorturl.at/frvJR, or from county election commission offices, public libraries, the county clerk's office or the register of deeds office.

Residents may also register when completing a transaction with the following agencies: the Department of Safety's motor vehicles division, Department of Veteran's Affairs, Department of Mental Health, Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Department of Human Services and Department of Health WIC program.

Individuals must be a U.S. citizen and resident of Tennessee at least 18 years old on or before the next election date to register to vote.

Tennessee requires voters to present a federal or state-issued photo ID in order to vote. Learn more at www.GoVoteTn.com.

Early voting begins April 13 and continues through April 28, with closures for Sundays and April 15, which is Good Friday. Early voters can vote in-person at the Cumberland County Election Commission, 83 Northside Lane, Suite 101.

Election Day voters will vote at their assigned precinct from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Elderly voters or voters with disabilities may request voting at the Election Commission on Election Day if they complete an affidavit by April 23 stating their designated voting location is not accessible.

Absentee ballot requests must be received by the Election Commission by April 26, and must be returned by mail to the Election Commission by Election Day on May 3.

Heather Mullinix is editor of the Crossville Chronicle. She covers schools and education in Cumberland County. She may be reached at hmullinix@crossville-chronicle.com.