By a total of only 54 votes, Republican challenger Shannon Cantrell unseated incumbent Democratic Property Assessor, Scott Cantrell, in Thursday’s DeKalb County General Election. Shannon Cantrell carried 10 of the county’s 15 precincts and totaled 1,216 votes (51.1 percent) to incumbent Scott Cantrell’s 1,162 votes (48.9 percent). Despite losing out on Early and Absentee votes, 533 to 480, Shannon Cantrell more than made up the difference on Election Day, by carrying the precincts at Alexandria, the Church of Christ Annex, Dowelltown, Edgar Evins State Park, Johnson’s Chapel, Keltonburg, Liberty, Rock Castle, Snow Hill and Temperance Hall.
“Let me thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I am nothing without Him. My family and friends have done so much for me. I appreciate the opportunity from the Republican Party to run. I thank the voters who came out today either way they cast their ballot. We’re pleased with the outcome and we look forward to serving for the next four years. Let me say to Scott and his family I appreciate the race that he ran and for his hard work and dedication. It was a clean race. I’m not going to start naming names but I have family from cousins to brothers and sisters, mom and certainly I want to thank my wife and my children who stand behind me whatever I choose to do. They have done that in this election as well. Thank you to everyone who has helped us along the way. We really appreciate it,” said Shannon Cantrell.
“I’d like to thank God for all his many blessings at all times and to all my family who has done so much for me during this campaign and through my life. And thanks to all those who have worked so hard behind the scenes for me. And a big, big special thanks to all who came out and voted for me. I truly appreciate it. I really do. And for my staff in the office, I couldn’t have done the last four years without them. I send out love to everybody,” said Scott Cantrell.
A total of 2,525 voted in the election including 1,402 on election day and 1,123 by absentee or during early voting.
A breakdown of the vote totals in the contested races by precinct can be found here: http://www.wjle.com/election-results
Meanwhile, Fifth District School Board member W.J. (Dub) Evins, III retained his seat, holding off challengers, Barry Mabe and Kevin Hale for a new four year term. Evins carried the Early and Absentee votes, plus the Election Day vote at the County Complex for a total of 169 votes. Mabe was next with 126 votes, while Hale finished third with 90 votes. Mabe carried the Johnson’s Chapel precinct in his unsuccessful bid to unseat the longtime incumbent.
Fourth and Sixth District School Board members, Kate Miller and Doug Stephens, were each unopposed in their election bids. Miller received 283 votes to finish out an unexpired term through August 31, 2018 and Stephens was elected to a new four year term with 174 votes.
In the city of Smithville, the three incumbent members of the city council all retained their seats, fighting off challenges from two opponents. Incumbent Shawn Jacobs led the city ticket with 420 votes, followed by fellow incumbents Josh Miller and Danny Washer, who polled 390 and 351 votes, respectively. Challenger Ronald Dale Stanley came up short with 205 votes, while Richard Steinbach tallied 109 votes.
In other local contested races, Democrat Julie Willams Young won a seat on the DeKalb County Commission in the First District, defeating Republican opponent Tom Chandler, 154 votes to 136. Chandler won the Edgar Evins State Park and Temperance Hall precincts, along with the Early and Absentee ballots, but Young dominated Chandler in the Alexandria precinct, 114 votes to 59, which proved to be the difference in the race. Young fills the seat vacated by former First District commission member, Elmer Ells Jr., who recently resigned.
In the First District Constable race, Democrat Jason Taylor won out over Republican opponent, Lee Plummer, 140 votes to 117. Taylor won two of the three precincts on Election Day, which helped overcome Plummer’s 36 to 22 edge in Early and Absentee balloting.
Constables in the remaining districts were all unopposed. They included 2nd District —Thomas Theriaque, Republican (201 votes); 3rd District —Travis Bryant; Democrat (229 votes); 4th District —Paul Cantrell, Democrat (237 votes); 5th District —Mark Milam, Democrat (295 votes); 6th district —Carl Lee Webb, Democrat (181 votes); and 7th district — Johnny King, Democrat (201 votes)
Dowelltown has a new mayor. Pam Redmon ran unopposed and received 41 votes in the Municipal Election Thursday. Meanwhile William A. (Butch) Davis was elected Dowelltown alderman. He too ran unopposed and received 37 votes. Another alderman position was to have been filled in the election but no other candidate qualified. The terms are for four years.
The Liberty Municipal Election Thursday saw Dwayne Blair, Todd Dodd, and Jason Ray each win a four year term as alderman. They were unopposed. Blair received 42 votes. Dodd had 45 votes and Ray garnered 46 votes. Joe (J.D.) Bratten was elected alderman to fill a one year unexpired term. He was unopposed and received 55 votes.
In the 40th District State House of Representatives race, Gayla Colvert Hendrix of Smithville defeated Teresa Marion of Smith County in DeKalb County in their bid to earn the Democratic nomination for the November ballot. Hendrix carried all 11 DeKalb County precincts in the 40th District, as well as the Early and Absentee ballots for a total of 448 votes to 102 votes for Marion. The 40th district includes Smith, Trousdale and part of DeKalb and Sumner Counties. Hendrix went on to win the Democratic nomination in the district and will face Republican incumbent Terri Lynn Weaver of Lancaster in the November General Election. Weaver was unopposed in Thursday’s primary election and received 831 votes in DeKalb County.
The 40th District results (District-Wide) according to the Tennessee Division of Elections website are as follows:
Gayla Colvert Hendrix:
DeKalb: 448
Smith: 325
Sumner: 202
Trousdale: 118
Total: 1,093
Teresa Marion:
DeKalb: 102
Smith: 115
Sumner:132
Trousdale: 74
Total: 423
Terri Lynn Weaver:
DeKalb: 831
Smith:942
Sumner: 2,248
Trousdale: 376
Total: 4,397
In the 46th District State House of Representative race, Amelia Hipps of Lebanon was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. She received 155 votes in DeKalb County. She will face Republican incumbent Mark Pody of Lebanon in the November General Election. Pody was unopposed for the Republican nomination Thursday and he received 270 votes in DeKalb County.
The 46th District results (District-Wide) according to the Tennessee Division of Elections website are as follows:
Amelia Hipps:
DeKalb: 155
Cannon: 244
Wilson: 1,006
Total: 1,405
Mark Pody:
DeKalb: 270
Cannon: 1,015
Wilson: 3,366
Total: 4,651
In the race for the Sixth District Congressional seat, Republican incumbent Diane Black of Gallatin carried DeKalb County with 769 votes, defeating challengers Joe Carr of Lascassas, Tommy Hay of Monterey and Donald Strong of Crossville. Carr finished second in DeKalb County with 435 votes. Hay was a distant third with 29 votes, while Strong tallied 26 DeKalb County votes.
District-Wide, Black won the Republican nomination with 33,180 votes to 16,699 for Carr. Strong received 1,358 votes and Hay had 950.
In the Democratic Primary for the Sixth Congressional seat, David W. Kent of Cottontown carried DeKalb County with 418 votes, while Flo Matheson of Crossville finished with 135 votes.
District-Wide, Kent won the Democratic nomination for Congress with 7,568 votes to 3,728 for Matheson.
The Sixth Congressional District includes Pickett, Fentress, Cumberland, White, DeKalb, Cannon, Coffee, Wilson, Smith, Jackson, Overton, Clay, Putnam, Trousdale, Macon, Sumner and Robertson Counties and small portions of Van Buren and Cheatham counties.
A breakdown of the vote totals by precinct can be found here: http://www.wjle.com/election-results
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