Nearly two dozen qualify to run Nov. 8 in Eagleville, Smyrna and La Vergne

Scott Broden and Nancy DeGennaro, Murfreesboro Daily News Journal
·2 min read

There are 20 candidates who qualified with the Rutherford County Election Commission to run in the Nov. 8 election local races in Smyrna, Eagleville and La Vergne. Voters will decide leaders for mayors, council and board seats.

Deadline to qualify with the Rutherford County Election Commission was Aug. 18.

To qualify, a candidate must obtain at least 25 signatures of voters who reside in the area the office represents.

The Nov. 8 ballots will also include candidates for Congress, governor and the Tennessee General Assembly.

The August election included electing candidates for county and Murfreesboro offices, judicial offices for county, state and Smyrna, and choosing party nominees in primaries for state and federal offices.

More: Election Day results show new leaders will serve Rutherford County, Murfreesboro, Smyrna

More: 21-member Rutherford County Commission will see new faces with 9 elected officials

The elections for city or town governments are nonpartisan, so all qualified candidates for local seats are listed as independents.

Incumbent Smyrna Mayor Mary Esther Reed was the only qualifying candidate and does not face opposition in the November election. There are five who qualified for the Smyrna Town Council race. The top three candidates earning at-large votes will win four-year terms.

More: Rutherford County School Board welcomes 3 new members, 1 retains seat

Five candidates qualified to run for La Vergne Board of Aldermen. The top two candidates to garner the most at-large votes win four-year terms. Three candidates, including the incumbent, qualified to run for mayor, also a four-year term.

Eagleville residents will choose a mayor and council members at the election. Incumbent Mayor Chad Leeman faces no opposition. There are four candidates who qualified for the three council seats with four-year terms, and one is running unopposed for a seat with a two-year term.

Smyrna seats

Mayor race

  • Mary Esther Reed, incumbent

Council race

  • Marc Adkins, incumbent vice mayor

  • H.G. Cole Jr., incumbent

  • Gerry Short, incumbent

  • Marquinta "Mutt" Richardson

  • Celest Davis

La Vergne seats

Mayor race

  • Jason Cole, incumbent

  • Matthew B. Mednick

  • John Mack Rutledge

Aldermen race

  • Graeme Coates, incumbent

  • Carol V. Hass

  • Kara Hobbs

  • Charlie Jones

  • Kathy Tyson

Eagleville seats

Mayor race

  • Chad Leeman, incumbent

Council race: 2-year term

  • Jason Blair, incumbent

Council race: 4-year term

  • Brandon Emamalie, incumbent

  • Bill Tollett, incumbent

  • Heath Garner, incumbent

  • Craig Campbell

Election dates and facts

Next election: Nov. 8

Last day to register to vote to participate in Nov. 8 election: Oct. 11

Dates for absentee ballot by mail voting for Nov. 8 election: Aug. 10 through Nov. 1

Early voting period at polling locations for Nov. 8 election: Oct. 19 through Nov. 3

What races are on ballots in Rutherford County: seats for U.S. House of Representatives, Tennessee General Assembly, governor, and mayor and other local government offices for Smyrna, La Vergne and Eagleville

Reach Scott Broden at sbroden@dnj.com and follow him on Twitter @ScottBroden. Reach reporter Nancy DeGennaro at degennaro@dnj.com. Support local journalism Sign up for a digital subscription to The Daily News Journal.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: 20 candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot for Eagleville, Smyrna and La Vergne