Voters in Hamilton County will be deciding several contested municipal elections in Tuesday's voting. Over 41,000 county residents voted early.
That is in addition to governor, Third District Congressman and state House races. Greg Martin is opposed by Allison Gorman in District 26. Michael H. Potter is running as an Independent against Rep. Patsy Hazlewood in District 27. Yusuf Hakeem, Greg Vital and Esther Helton are unopposed as is Senator Bo Watson.
Four Constitutional Amendments are on the ballot.
In Collegedale, Billy Burnette, Morty Lloyd, Ted Rogers and Tonya Sadler are vying for two open seats. Ethan White is not running again after eight years on the panel. Larry Hanson served out the term of Phil Garver, who moved out of the city.
East Ridge Mayor Brian Williams is the only name on the ballot for mayor, but online newspaper publisher Dick Cook is waging a write-in effort.
Vying for two council seats are incumbent Jacky Cagle, Jeffrey Ezell, Robert Gilreath and David Tyler.
At Lakesite, there are three candidates on the ballot for two commission seats, but incumbent Ken Wilkerson died several weeks ago. Wayne Behlau and incumbent Michele Wilson will take the two seats.
In Red Bank, Jeff Price and Hayes Wilkinson are running for commissioner at large. Dari Owens is challenging Mayor Hollie Berry in District 1, and Jamie Fairbanks-Harvey and Lawrence Miller are District 3 contenders.
Not seeking new terms were Ruth Jeno and Ed LeCompte.
Running for three commission seats in Ridgeside are Darian Collins, Fred Flint, Katy Ingvalson, Robert E. Steel III and Maria W. Thompson.
There are three candidates for three commission seats at Signal Mountain - Vicki B. Anderson, Elizabeth Baker and Clay Crumbliss.
Soddy Daisy has three contenders for commission seats vacated by Mayor Rick Nunley and Vice Mayor Robert Cothran. They are Marcus Keith, Derek Kukura and Mark Penney.
Angela Cassidy and Thomas Grady Gallant III are vying for an alderman post in Walden.
There is also a Walden referendum on legal sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises.
The Amendments include:
1. Add a new section to article XI of the Tennessee Constitution to make it illegal for any person, corporation, association, or the State of Tennessee or its political subdivisions to deny or attempt to deny employment to any person because of the person’s membership in, affiliation with, resignation from, or refusal to join or affiliate with any labor union or employee organization.
2. Add to article III, section 12 of the Tennessee Constitution a process for the temporary exercise of the powers and duties of the governor by the Speaker of the Senate - or the Speaker of the House if there is no Speaker of the Senate in office - when the governor is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor.
3. Change the current language in article I, section 33 of the Tennessee Constitution, which says that slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a person who has been duly convicted of crime, are forever prohibited in this State. The amendment would delete this current language and replace it with the following language: “Slavery and involuntary servitude are forever prohibited. Nothing in this section shall prohibit an inmate from working when the inmate has been duly convicted of a crime.”
4. Delete article IX, section 1 of the Tennessee Constitution, which prohibits ministers of the gospel and priests of any denomination from holding a seat in either House of the legislature.