A line of voters stretches around the corner of the building at the Hamilton County Election Commission during early voting in this file photo.Get involvedResidents hoping to qualify for the May 6 primary must pick up petition paperwork from the Hamilton County Election Commission, 700 River Terminal Road, Chattanooga. There is no cost to qualify, and potential candidates need at least 25 signatures of registered voters to meet the requirements. For district races, the signatures must be of voters in that district. Election Administrator Charlotte Mullis-Morgan suggests candidates gather more than 30, in case any signatures are illegible, or not qualified. Paperwork must be completed and filed with the election commission by 12 p.m. Feb. 20.
Two weeks into the qualifying period for Hamilton County's 2014 elections, nearly 40 people have picked up petitions to seek office, and seven already are locked in to run.
Thirty-one partisan races are up for grabs for the May 6, 2014, primaries; 30 Republicans and seven Democrats have answered the call.
Hamilton County District 2 Commissioner Jim Fields, County Clerk Bill Knowles, Register of Deeds Pam Hurst and Sheriff Jim Hammond, all Republicans, have qualified to run in their respective primaries. And political newcomer Neal Pinkston is seeking the Republican nomination to succeed his boss, District Attorney Bill Cox, who is not seeking re-election.
County Republican Party Chairman Tony Sanders said he expects a few more incumbents to pick up petitions, and a few more candidates who will start collecting signatures next year before the Feb. 20 qualifying deadline. But there are others even he isn't sure about.
"There are some others that I've heard rumors from, but I haven't seen anything official," Sanders said.
Meanwhile, Democratic Party Chairman Terry Lee says many more Democrats are planning to qualify.
"We anticipate having at least the upper 20s; now, some of those might be [nonpartisan] school board members, but we do anticipate more people [in partisan races]," Lee said.
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Already, a few primary battles have emerged.
Candidate // Party // OfficeJoe Manuel // R // Chancery Judge // Part 1Pam Fleenor // R // Chancery Judge // Part 1Jeffrey Atherton // R // Chancery Judge // Part 2Larry Henry // R // Circuit Court ClerkJ.B. Bennett // R // Circuit Court Judge // Division 1Catherine Cate White // R // Circuit Court Judge // Division 1Jeff Hollingsworth // R // Circuit Court Judge // Division 2L Marie Williams // R // Circuit Court Judge // Division 3W. Neal Thomas III // R // Circuit Court Judge // Division 4Sherry Paty // nonpartisan // City Court Judge // Division 1Russell Bean // nonpartisan // City Court Judge // Division 2Bill Knowles // R // County ClerkRandy Fairbanks // R // County Commission District 1Jim Fields // R // County Commission District 2Marty Haynes // R // County Commission District 3Kirkland Robinson // D // County Commission District 4Warren Mackey // D // County Commission District 4Greg Beck // D // County Commission District 5Isiah Hester // D // County Commission District 5Joseph Graham // R // County Commission District 6Phil Smartt // R // County Commission District 7Perry Perkins // R // County Commission District 7Sabrena Turner // R // County Commission District 7Curtis Adams // R // County Commission District 8David F. Munger Jr. // D // County Commission District 8Chester Bankston // R // County Commission District 9Jim Coppinger // R // County MayorBrian White // D // Criminal Court ClerkVince Dean // R // Criminal Court ClerkBarry Steelman // R // Criminal Court Judge // Div 1Rebecca Stern // R // Criminal Court Judge // Div 2Don Poole // D // Criminal Court Judge // Div 3Neal Pinkston // R // District AttorneyGary Behler // R // Juvenile Court ClerkRob Philyaw // R // Juvenile Court JudgeSteven Smith // R // Public DefenderPam Hurst // R // Register of DeedsJim Hammond // R // SheriffChris Harvey // R // Sheriff
On the Republican side, Joe Manuel and Pam Fleenor are both seeking the Chancery Court judge seat being vacated by Chancellor Frank Brown. And J.B. Bennett and Catherine Cate White will vie for the Division 1 Circuit Court judge seat to replace Judge Jacqueline Bolton.
It's looking like there will be at least a three-way primary race for the District 7 seat on the Hamilton County Commission. Phil Smartt, Perry Perkins and Sabrena Turner will be facing off for the seat being left by Larry Henry. Henry is seeking the Republican nomination for Circuit Court Clerk.
A primary bout may happen in District 8 as well. Longtime seatholder Curtis Adams has started collecting signatures to seek the Republican nomination. That seat is currently held by Republican Commissioner Tim Boyd. Boyd said Friday he plans to seek re-election but has not yet picked up qualifying papers.
Hammond will also face a primary challenger from his own ranks. Deputy Sgt. Chris Harvey has picked up a petition to seek the GOP nomination.
The only Democratic primary contests so far on the County Commission.
Commissioner Greg Beck may be challenged in District 5 by Isiah Hester, and Commissioner Warren Mackey may face Kirkland Robinson in District 4.
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Both party heads say they are urging candidates to keep the primaries clean and civil.
"We continually remind all of the Republican candidates to keep an eye on the bigger picture. Debate the facts, debate the issues, but don't turn this into personal attacks that we see on the national level," Sanders said.
Lee agreed.
"We're about winning elections. You need to play chess and not checkers. Beating your opponent in a primary is good but losing a general election because of what happened in the primary is not," he said.
The May 6 ballot will not be all partisan.
Sherry Paty and Russell Bean are also running to keep their Chattanooga City Court judge seats, nonpartisan seats that will be elected amid the county's primaries.
Contact staff writer Louie Brogdon at lbrogdon@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6481.