The list of candidates running for local elected city seats continued to grow last week with more petitions picked up at the DeKalb Election Office. A local businessman is in the running to unseat incumbent State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver, and one candidate looking to run for judge has been disqualified from the May Primary.
So far, 16 people have picked up petitions at the DeKalb County Election Commission to qualify for August 4 municipal elections. City elections will be held in Smithville, Alexandria, Liberty, and Dowelltown.
Persons may now pick up a petition for the municipal elections as well as the state and federal primaries also to be held on Thursday, August 4. The qualifying deadline for the August 4 elections, and state primary, is Thursday, April 7, 2022, at 12:00 Noon, with the withdrawal deadline on April 14, 2022, at 12:00 Noon.
State primary elections will be held on August 4, for State Governor, U.S. House of Representatives, and Tennessee House of Representatives. General elections will also be held for state judicial offices and county seats.
In Smithville, the mayor and two aldermen will be elected, each to serve a four-year term. Beth Chandler, Don Crook, and Rhonda Tiefenauer have returned petitions for the alderman race, while incumbent Mayor Joshua M. Miller has returned a petition in his bid for reelection.
Alexandria will elect a mayor and three aldermen each to a four-year term, as well as two Aldermen to fill unexpired terms. Allen Lawson has picked up a petition for the alderman race, while Lloyd D. Dyer and Jana Beth Tripp have picked up petitions for the mayor’s race.
In Liberty the mayor and five aldermen will be elected to four-year terms. Derek Johnson, William H. Reynolds, Kendra Stanford, Joe D. Bratten, and James Ryan Dodd have picked up petitions for the alderman race, while Darrell W. Johnson, Audrey M. Martin, and Jason Hayes Ray have received a petition from the Election Office for the mayor’s race.
In Dowelltown voters will elect two Aldermen to a full four-year term, with Greg Fish having obtained a petition for that race.
In the county races, Independent Daniel D. Cripps has returned his petition for District 1 County Commissioner, while Tony Luna has returned his petition for District 3. Wayne Cantrell has returned for the District 4 race as an Independent.
Independent candidates for the DeKalb County School Board include, Danny Parkerson for District 1, Tony Poss for District 7, and incumbent Shaun Tubbs for District 7.
In the meantime, Smithville businessman Michael Hale has picked up a qualifying petition for the Republican nomination for the two-year term of the 40th District State Representative seat, currently held by Terri Lynn Weaver.
Weaver was first elected in 2008, and has also been issued a petition in Smith County to seek the GOP nomination for reelection. Neither Weaver nor Hale have filed their petitions.
With redistricting, the new makeup of the 40th District includes Jackson, Smith, and Cannon in addition to DeKalb and a small portion of Wilson.
In the judge’s race, Dana R. Looper has been disqualified from the May Republican primary for Circuit Court Judge Part I. Looper was seeking the Republican nomination for the Thirteenth Judicial District, which includes DeKalb, Clay, Cumberland, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and White Counties.
Looper was found to be not a “bona fide” member of the Republican Party based on her voting record after a challenge was issued by “two interested parties.”
On her Facebook page, Looper explained the issue and responded to the claims. “Two ‘interested parties’ challenged my status as a candidate in the Republican Primary based on a recent change in the Republican bylaws. I am disappointed and somewhat bewildered to announce that I have been disqualified from continuing in the race for Circuit Court Judge, part 1.”
“My disqualification results from a challenge placed by unknown persons regarding my voting record. My voting record reflects someone who votes for the person. Do y’all remember how frustrated we were with the presidential candidates in 2016? At that time, I was in law school, and beginning an intense lawsuit after my wrongful termination. My attention was largely focused on women’s rights and female equality. I continue to strongly support women’s rights, victims of domestic violence, and always will. I voted my conscience in 2016.”
“When filing my campaign papers, I never thought twice about what’s in my heart, I chose the party that best reflects my beliefs today. I had hoped to be the first Republican female judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit District. But reality is, the voters will not get to decide, and my opponent will run unopposed in the Republican primary.”
“I appreciate everyone who has voiced their support and everyone’s willingness to work in this campaign. I’ve faced closed doors before and will grow from this obstacle as well.”
William T. “Will” Ridley will now be unopposed in the May Primary and will face Incumbent Independent Judge Amy Turnbull Hollars in the August Election.
