Former Chattanooga mayoral candidate Larry Grohn said Tuesday he has been cleared to run for public office, and he now plans to run for County School Board, District 8.
He recently filed disclosures saying he still has $17,447.61 on hand from his 2017 unsuccessful race against Andy Berke.
Meanwhile, radio host David Tulis has picked up papers to run as an independent candidate for county mayor.
Mr.
Grohn said, "As reported by The Chattanoogan on January 12, I faced obstacles with the Election Commission in my hope to run for office this year. While accurate in most of the article, it was incorrectly reported that I had 'left the county midway through his 2017 campaign.' ”
On the morning of Jan. 12, Mr. Grohn appeared before the Election Commission board. He said he "addressed the obstacles facing me and then requested the Board to request the District Attorney’s office to investigate campaign finance irregularities by my former campaign manager. The DA’s office stated the issue is currently being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation."
Mr. Grohn said last week he obtained an opinion from the office of Ethics and Campaign Finance under the Secretary of State’s office in Nashville which stated, in part, “it is my opinion that the filer is no longer ineligible to qualify for office.” The Election Commission Board accepted this opinion.
The former Chattanooga city councilman said he made the decision to run for the school board, instead of the County Commission seat, after discussions with numerous supporters over the past week. He cited his "experiences as an educator and his concern for the current state of education as two of the major factors in his decision."
Mr. Grohn said he had returned to college full-time at age 38 to complete his undergraduate degree in History and earn a Master’s Degree in Education (Curriculum and Instruction). He taught a wide variety of middle and high school sciences (Physics, Chemistry, and Earth and Space Science) and social studies (AP World and US History, Psychology, Economics, and Government). He said he was privileged to have taught in public schools in Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado due to his wife’s military career. He retired in 2007 and moved to Chattanooga, where he also substituted in Hamilton County public and private schools.
Mr. Grohn said he continued his involvement in education by promoting the teaching of chess in schools. He was a board member with the Tennessee Chess Association and instructed the game in private, public and home school groups throughout the area. He organized Hamilton County Scholastic Chess which promoted the game and held K-12 tournaments in Hamilton County before his election to the City Council.
He said, "Because chess promotes critical thinking skills and planning ahead in a timed, competitive environment, I intend to resume teaching and promoting chess, especially in public schools, as part of my community involvement on the school board."