The DeKalb County Republican Party has announced plans to call for a May primary for all judicial seats on the ballot in the 13th Judicial District. Party officials in the other 13th District counties reportedly plan to follow suit.
The 13th Judicial District consists of Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and White Counties.
The  offices of Chancellor, Circuit Judge Part I, Circuit Judge Part II, Criminal Judge Part I, Criminal Judge Part II, District Public Defender, and District Attorney General will be decided in the primary.
If some counties hold primaries, any parties in 13th District counties that do not call for a primary will apparently have no role in selecting nominees to run for these seats in the August General Election.
The DeKalb County Republican Party will reportedly continue its practice of selecting nominees for county offices by caucus.
Meanwhile, Deputy District Attorney Gary McKenzie has announced his candidacy for Criminal Court Judge. McKenzie, a criminal prosecutor for more than 13 years, is seeking retiring Judge Leon Burns' seat on the bench.
McKenzie said he has some pretty big shoes to fill. “To me, Judge Burns is a fair, tough judge who simply asked that lawyers do their jobs, and that defendants follow the rules that he gave them. He was easy to work with, even-tempered and honest. He will be missed.” McKenzie said.
McKenzie, 40, of Cookeville, graduated from the University of Memphis Law School in May 2000 and turned down a position with a private law firm in Athens to go to work at the D.A.'s office. “I had clerked with the D.A.'s office in Cleveland  between my second and third year of law school,” he said. “I pretty well knew what I wanted to do.”
When asked why he chose criminal prosecution as a career McKenzie said  “I was instantly drawn to the District Attorney’s office by the job description, to pursue justice on behalf of the people of Tennessee, to prosecute the guilty and protect the innocent without fear or favor.  Each situation is unique, and so is each person that comes into my office or onto my docket. We work hard to achieve justice for each one of them with respect, effective use of limited resources and vigilant protection of the rights guaranteed by our constitution. In my 13 years I have tried every type of criminal case ranging from DUI cases to first degree murder cases. I have always believed in being fair in my decision making as a prosecutor and if elected will carry that same approach of fairness to the bench.”
McKenzie lives in Cookeville with his wife Amy and their three children; Sammy, 11, Brook, 10, and Ira, 5. He has been a prosecutor with the district attorney’s office for more than 13 years. In 2008 He was promoted to deputy district attorney, supervising all major felony prosecutions for Cumberland, Dekalb and White counties. Mckenzie also serves as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer with the Tennessee National Guard. He was activated in 2007 for a period of six months then again two years later for a deployment to Iraq. He is currently a captain, and serves as a JAG Officer for the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.
He was recently honored with the “Everyday Hero Award” by the Upper Cumberland Child Advocacy Center for his work fighting the battle to end child abuse everyday.
“I am asking the people of the 13th Judicial District to choose me as their Criminal Court Judge in the May Republican Primary. It is important that you know who you are voting for. Judges make important decisions daily that affect the lives of people throughout the 13th District, which includes Dekalb County.  
“You need to know about all candidates, our legal experience, our temperament, professionalism and more.  As a judge, one must set aside personal prejudices, personalities and partisan political influences. We must have patience, open-mindedness, and humility. And while we must be compassionate, the job often requires us to be stern,” McKenzie said.