Sullivan County Republican committee votes to hold 2010 primary

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. – Anyone wanting to run for a seat on the Sullivan County Commission or one of eight other locally elected offices can pick up a petition to get their name on the ballot starting today.

That’s right, the third election cycle to hit the Mountain Empire since Jan. 1 has officially started.
The Sullivan County Republican Party’s Executive Committee unanimously voted Thursday to hold a May 4, 2010, primary for all 24 seats on the commission and the offices of county mayor, county clerk, county trustee, register of deeds, highway commissioner, county attorney, sheriff and circuit court clerk.

“We feel this is the best way to let voters choose who will represent the Republican ticket,” party Chairman Keith Parker said at Thursday’s meeting.
The decision means that all potential candidates, even if they don’t plan to run as a Republican in the August election, have until noon April 18 to file a petition with 25 signatures from registered voters and all other paperwork required for their candidacy.

It also means that the next local election will be a partisan one, where candidates for office will be able to run with a party affiliation next to their names on the ballot.
 
“People have a right to know what they’re getting before they’re getting it,” said Bart Long, a party executive committee member who also represents Bristol on the county commission. He said voting in a nonpartisan election, where people did not put their party affiliation next to their name on the ballot, was like shopping for a candy bar at a store where everything was “wrapped in plain white paper.”

Sullivan County Democratic Party Chairman Bill Jones said his party will probably hold a caucus to pick its candidates for office in the August election.
Election Administrator Jason Booher said the party must get a list of its candidates to his office by the April 18 deadline. Candidates who plan to run as independents, or without party affiliation, also must meet the April 18 deadline to be on the August ballot, Booher said.

The county’s last primary, held May 2, 2006, featured contested races for mayor, circuit court clerk and three judgeships. Booher said 41 other Tennessee counties held a primary that year for the office of mayor or county executive. Another 32 counties held a primary for seats on their county commissions.

Booher said he’ll start issuing blank petitions from his office on state Route 126 in Blountville as soon as he gets a letter detailing the party’s decision from one of its representatives.

Parker said Thursday night he plans to give Booher a copy of that letter at 8 a.m. today.

The candidates chosen during the May 4 primary will be on the ballot during the Aug. 10 general election for counties. During that election, voters also will cast ballots for school board members from the 2nd, 4th and 6th districts and constables for the 8th, 9th, and 11th districts.

The August election also will feature primaries for the state governor’s race, seats on the U.S. House of Representatives, odd numbered seats in the state Senate and seats in the state’s House of Representatives.

On the August 2010 ballot in Sullivan County:

- The county mayor and all 24 commissioners.

- The county attorney, clerk, circuit court clerk, highway commissioner, register of deeds, sheriff and trustee.

- Board of Education members serving the 2nd, 4th and 6th districts.

- Constables serving the 8th, 9th and 11th districts.

- Statewide primary elections for governor and seats on the U.S. House of Representatives.

- Primaries for odd-numbered districts on the state Senate and every seat in the state House of Representatives.

| (276) 645-2518