March 31, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
If you want to be a candidate for certain races on August 6th you have until noon Thursday, April 2 to qualify with the DeKalb County Election Commission.
The office is open to receive and issue candidate petitions. However, candidates and potential candidates should call the office in advance to make arrangements for someone to give them access to the building.
The election office phone number is 615-597-4146. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The qualifying deadline for the August election is NOON April 2.
Four persons who had picked up petitions for city races have not yet returned them to the election commission office to be a qualified candidate including Jimmy Taylor for Smithville Alderman, James White for Dowelltown Alderman, Pam Redmon for Dowelltown Mayor, and Bridgett Rogers for Alexandria Alderman.
Charles Anderson, who had obtained a petition to run for Alexandria Alderman, has withdrawn.
Meanwhile Incumbent 5th District School Board member W.J. (Dub) Evins, III has also withdrawn after having earlier obtained a petition to enter the race for re-election.
Chris Walker is the latest candidate to qualify. He is running for Alderman in Dowelltown. Phillip Byford is also a qualified candidate for Dowelltown Alderman.
Three Aldermen positions will be filled on August 6th in the Smithville Municipal Election. The 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.
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.”
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.
In Alexandria, Lynne Dickerson is a qualified candidate for a 4 year alderman term.
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.