Early voting begins Feb. 14 for Anderson County races in Democratic, Republican primaries

Donna Smith, The Oak Ridger
Updated ·4 min read

Early voting begins Wednesday in the Anderson County Democratic and Republican primaries.

In addition to choosing a presidential candidate for the Republican or Democratic parties, area voters can vote for their top candidates in several local races. You must choose which party's primary you are voting for in this election.

The Anderson County Election Commission is located on the second floor of the courthouse in Clinton.
The Anderson County Election Commission is located on the second floor of the courthouse in Clinton.

The local races:

  • Chancellor, which is the Anderson County Chancery Court judge;

  • The District 6 (part of Oak Ridge) race for county commission;

  • Property assessor; and

  • Anderson County Board of Education seats in Districts 3, 4, 5, and 8.

This won't be the last time you'll see elections for these positions in 2024. The winner of the Republican primary and Democratic primary will appear on the Anderson County General Election ballot on Aug. 1. You'll also see on the Aug. 1 ballot the name of any candidates running as independents for the local positions.

All information in this article is taken from interviews with and information compiled by Anderson County Election Commission Administrator Mark Stephens and his staff.

Anderson County chancellor

In the chancellor's race, four Republicans are seeking to fill the last six years of former Chancellor Nichole "Nikki" Cantrell's eight-year term. Cantrell resigned last year. Attorney James "Jamie" Brooks Jr. was appointed chancellor by Gov. Bill Lee to fill the vacancy and he is now seeking to be elected to the position, as are lawyer candidates Daniel Forrester, Evan Hauser and Roger Miller.

There are no candidates for the chancellor's race on the Democratic Party ballot.

Assessor of property

John K. Alley Jr., the current county property assessor, is seeking re-election. He is on the Republican Party primary ballot. There is no Democratic Party candidate.

County Commission

Republican Aaron Wells currently holds the seat representing District 6, which is part of Oak Ridge, on the county commission, and he is seeking to be elected by voters. That District 6 seat was vacated by Catherine Denenberg, who moved to Florida in April 2023. In May 2023, Commission chose Wells to fill Denenberg's seat until the next election.

On the Democratic Party primary ballot, voters can cast their vote for Ebony Capshaw. She was one of the six Oak Ridge residents, including Wells, who sought to be appointed by county commission last May to Denenberg's seat.

The winner of the District 6 race will serve until 2026. District 6 includes voters in the Oak Ridge City Hall (Senior Center), Robertsville and West Hills precincts.

Anderson County Board of Education

The eight-member school board has four seats up for election.

Incumbent Dail Cantrell is seeking re-election to the District 3 seat in the Republican primary. There is no Democratic Party candidate. District 3 includes residents who vote at the Andersonville, Fairview, Glen Alpine and Norris precincts. Sharon Burlingame has already qualified to run against Cantrell as an independent candidate on Aug. 1.

In District 4, Darren Carden is seeking the seat on the Republican Party ballot. There is no candidate running as a Democrat. The position is currently held by John Burrell, who has already qualified to seek re-election as an independent candidate for the seat on Aug. 1. District 4 includes the voters in the Briceville, Clinton Middle, Lake City Middle, Rocky Top (community center), and Rosedale precincts.

In District 5, Sherri Jarnigan-Beaty is running for the seat on the Republican Party ballot and Theresa Evans Venable on the Democratic Party ballot. The seat is currently held by Andy McKamey, who has qualified to seek re-election as an independent candidate on Aug. 1. District 5 includes voters in the Clinton High School, Dutch Valley, Marlow and Norwood precincts.

Incumbent Glenda Langenberg is seeking re-election to the District 8 seat in the Republican primary and David Miller is seeking the position on the Democratic Party ballot. District 8 includes voters in Oak Ridge's Emory Valley, Hendrix Creek and Woodland precincts.

Where and when can I vote early?

There are three early voting locations in Anderson County. You can vote at either of the three, no matter where you live, if you are registered to vote within Anderson County. The early voting time period is Feb. 14-27. The hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

The early voting locations are:

  • Midtown Community Center (Wildcat Den), 102 Robertsville Road, Oak Ridge;

  • Anderson County Fair Association Building, 218 Nave St., Clinton; and

  • Anderson County Government Office, 3324 Andersonville Highway Andersonville.

Key dates

  • If you want to vote absentee, your deadline to make that request with the Anderson County Election Commission is Feb. 27. The election commission is located in the Anderson County Courthouse, 100 N. Main St., Room 207, Clinton.

  • Independent candidates for the local county commission seat and four school board seats have until noon April 4 to qualify.

More information on all voting matters can be found on the election commission website at acelect.com. The phone number is 865-457-6238.

The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith covers Oak Ridge area news. Email her at dsmith@oakridger.com and follow her on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @ridgernewsed.

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This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Early voting begins Feb. 14 for Anderson County races in primaries