April 4, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
The two longest serving members of the DeKalb County Election Commission are not returning for another term.
Republicans Walteen Parker, who has served on the commission for 31 years, and Jim Dean, a 14-year member will be succeeded by Republicans Loree Farmer Hall and Ronald Dean Sifford. Republican Michael Brandon Gay has been appointed to his first full term. Gay was named in January 2022 to succeed Barbara Vanatta, who resigned after serving more than 12 years on the commission.
Democrats Kim Driver Luton and Yvette Tubbs Carver have both been reappointed to begin their second full terms on the election commission.
In addition to her three decades on the local election commission, Parker served as Chairman for 14 years.
The county election commission members serve by appointment of the Tennessee Election Commission. Local Republican and Democrat parties nominate members to be appointed. The state election commission met Monday, April 3 in Nashville to make the appointments for county election commissions here and across the state.
Since the state legislature is made up of a majority of GOP lawmakers, Republicans hold majority memberships on the Tennessee Election Commission as well as all county election commissions. The appointments to local commissions are made by the state election commission in April of odd numbered years. The term for each member is for two years.
The new county election commission will meet soon to reorganize by electing a chairman and secretary. The chairman represents the majority party and the secretary the minority party.