Upsets, new faces and wine and spirits stir results in rural counties

Local contested races in counties across the Southeast Tennessee region saw new leaders elected, some upsets and mostly approved referendums on wine and spirits.

Mayors were elected in Copperhill, Jasper, Monteagle and South Pittsburg, as well as to some county and city commissioner and alderman posts in those towns’ home counties. Wine-in-stores votes in Dayton, Jasper and Kimball passed. Two referenda — on-premises alcohol sales and consumption, and packages stores — netted the majority of votes in Polk County, but Tracy City voters in Grundy County said no to on-premises consumption of alcohol there.

Provisional ballots are still being counted and results are unofficial until county election commissions certify them, so some results could change, officials said. The last day for commissions to certify elections is Nov. 28.

MAYORS, COMMISSIONERS, ALDERMEN

Jasper, Monteagle and South Pittsburg voters saw incumbent mayors fall to challengers in tight races on Tuesday.

In Jasper, former mayor Billy Simpson lost his bid to regain the post from incumbent Paul Wayne Evans, who nearly doubled Simpson’s tally. Josh Jennings and incumbent Paul West beat out Jason Turner for two open Jasper alderman seats.

In Monteagle, incumbent mayor Marilyn Campbell-Rodman lost to David Sampley by just 15 votes, while former alderman and vice mayor Alexander “Lex” Orr finished a distant third. For two open alderman seats, Monteagle voters picked Jessica D. Blalock and incumbent Alvin Powell Jr.

In South Pittsburg, incumbent mayor Jane W. Dawkins was defeated by newcomer Virgil Holder by more than 100 votes. In the race for South Pittsburg City Commission District 1 Jimmy Paul Haley Jr. defeated incumbent Jimmy Wigfall. In the City Commission District 2 race, Samantha B. Rector beat out Ray Powers for the post.

In Whitwell, Sandra Powell Crabtree, Jimmy W. Nunley and Terry “Fuzz” Parker garnered the most votes in a nine-way battle for three open City Commission seats.

In Copperhill, incumbent Kathy A. Stewart defeated challengers Billy Brackett and Jerry Gilliam for the mayor’s post. On the other side of Polk County, voters picked incumbent Joe Jenkins and Gary McDonald over incumbent Gene Pack for two open Benton City Commission seats.

In the Athens City Council race in McMinn County, incumbent Chuck Burris and John Coker took two open seats in a five-way showdown with Whitney Kimball Coe, Jordan Curtis and Tim Hughes.

And in Graysville, incumbent mayor Ted Doss defeated challenger Robbie Davenport while a new panel — Robert “Bobby” Baldwin, Jimmy Lee Massengill, Ron Scott and David Sulcer — outpaced incumbents Andy Beene, Michael May and DeNesa Reel for four open City Commission seats.

COUNTY COMMISSION, SCHOOL BOARD

In Bledsoe County, voters chose Jacob Frady by a large margin in a four-way race for the unexpired county school board District 1, Part B, post. Frady beat out challengers Kay Cooke, Robbie Taylor and Jamie Wyatt.

In Franklin County, Republican Sam Hiles outdistanced Democrat foe Dale Amacher by more than 300 votes.

In Marion County, independent Ken “Penny” Skiles beat Democrat Ralph Pickett for the unexpired District 5, Part B, seat on the County Commission.