March 25, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
At least six candidates may be vying for one of three aldermen seats in the Smithville Municipal Election on Thursday, August 6th.
The latest to pick up a petition is Jimmy R. Taylor, a longtime city employee.
The other candidates who have already qualified for the race are Incumbent Aldermen Shawn Jacobs, Danny Washer, and Donnie Crook along with newcomers, Jessica Higgins and Timothy John Perricone. The qualifying deadline is noon on April 2.
Jacobs was first elected to the council in 2009 and Washer came on board after his first election in 2011. Crook was appointed by the aldermen in 2018 to fill the unexpired term of former alderman Josh Miller who was elected mayor that year.
The City of Smithville has five aldermen and a mayor but they do not all run for election in the same year. Three aldermen will be elected this year. The other two aldermen and the mayor were elected in 2018 and will be up for election again in 2022.
All terms are for four years.
In addition to city races in Smithville, Dennis Stanley, Administrator of Elections, said petitions are available for school board seats in Districts 5 and 6 along with the following other city races: five aldermen seats in Alexandria; and a mayor and two aldermen seats in Dowelltown. Meanwhile, any local voter interested in running for State House 40 and 46 can also get a petition at the local election office.
“All the local offices will be for four-year terms, except two of the five aldermen seats in Alexandria will be for two-years to fill unexpired terms,” Stanley said. “The state house seats are also two-year terms.”
The qualifying deadline for the August election is Noon April 2.
For the school board in the 6th district Jason Miller and Shawn Washer have both qualified as candidates. Incumbent Doug Stephens will not be a candidate for re-election.
In the 5th district Jamie L. Cripps has qualified for the school board race. Incumbent W.J. (Dub) Evins, III has told WJLE he will not be a candidate for re-election.
Pam Redmon has picked up a petition to run for Mayor but she has not yet returned it.
Phillip Byford, James C. Walker, and James H. White have obtained petitions to run for alderman in Dowelltown. Byford has now qualified for the race but Walker and White have not yet returned their petitions.
In Alexandria Charles William Anderson, Jr. and Lynne Dickerson have obtained petitions to run for a 4 year alderman term while Bridgette Rogers has picked up a petition for a 2 year alderman seat. So far Dickerson is the only one of the three who has qualified for the race.
Meanwhile, State Representatives Terri Lynn Weaver of Lancaster in district 40 and Clark Boyd of Lebanon in district 46 have qualified for re-nomination in the August 6th Tennessee Republican Primary while Suanne Bone of Lebanon has qualified for the Tennessee Democratic Primary on August 6th to fill a vacancy as State Executive Committeewoman in District 17.