Bids for school board will also draw interest

By THOMAS P. WEAVER

HORIZON Editor

CLAY COUNTY-After running unopposed four years ago in his last bid for re-election back in 2008, longtime Clay County property assessor Billy “Teakettle” Smith will have a challenger this time around, according to a list of candidates who filed papers before the April 5 deadline released Monday by election administrator Wanda Daniels.

The race between the three-term incumbent and political newcomer Stephen Melton will headline the August 2 election, but school board races in both District 1 and 4 will also draw interest from voters here.

District 1 incumbents Anthony and Annette Smith are both making re-election bids, but like the incumbent property assessor, they will also have challengers.

Lance Cherry and Chris McLerran have filed their papers to compete for the two seats up for grab in the district.

Longtime District 4 school board member Richard “Dickie” Roberts is running again, but his fellow incumbent, Heather Hammock, will not seek re-election. Roberts, along with newcomers Benji Bailey and Vonda Weir, will vie for the two available seats in the district.

Two other local seats are open, but only one has a candidate running.  The District 5 constable seat is set to be filled because of an unexpired term left open by the former office-holder, and it has one candidate, Billy “Cornbread” Maxwell running, while no papers were filed for the open District 2 constable seat.

Besides the local races, voters here will also see primary battles for a U.S. Senate seat, a U.S. House seat, and a State Representative seat on the ballot in August.

One of the two U.S. Senate seats in Tennessee–which is currently held by Senator Bob Corker, the Tennessee District 6 U.S. Representative seat now held by Congressman Diane Black, and the District 38 State Representative seat held by Kelly Keisling will make up those races.

The general election for those seats and for President is set for November.