To be a candidate for Knox County Commission you must pick up a petition from the Knox County Election Commission and gain 25 Registered Voters signatures. The filing deadline to submit your petition to the Election Commission is 2/18/2010. On May 4, 2010 you can only vote for candidates in which partisan party you select. So, if you declare when you vote that you are a Republican you can only vote for one Republican in your district. Same with Democrat. Independents automatically advance to the August 5, 2010 General Election ballot. So, in August you vote for one, whether they are Republican, Democrat or Independent.
District One: Anthony Brown (D) -vs- Sam McKenzie (D)
We do not know Anthony Brown but a primary party challenge will make either candidate a stronger political servant.
District Two: Amy Broyles (D) -vs- Don Daugherty (D)
Amy Broyles will garner the support of the far left wing extremists of the local Democrat Party. Mark Harmon's wife serves as Broyles Treasurer. While former Democrat Chairman Daugherty will have the support of the local everyday Democrats that work with the Republicans. If a Republican does not surface in the Second District, the Republicans should support Daugherty as he is most likely to represent both Republicans and Democrats.
District Three: Tony Norman (R)
Tony Norman is in serious need of an opponent. He should have to defend his anti-Sheriffs Department positions.
District Four: Elaine Davis (R) -vs- Jeff Ownby (R) Finbarr Saunders (D)
Davis versus Ownby will be an interesting race. Davis a former appointed County Commissioner and Ownby a Republican grassroots volunteer. In August the Republican primary winner will challenge liberal Democrat Saunders.
Davis picked up of her petition on Wednesday January 13, 2010 the day after the former UT Coach announced his move west. The only reason we make that connection is that Mike Arms, Chief of Staff to Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale contacted Brian's Blog on January 13, 2010 concerning the Elaine Davis candidacy and said. "It is ironic that Elaine Davis and Lane Kiffin make their move in the same 24 hour period. University of Tennessee gave Lane Kiffin every chance and every opportunity and all the support it could to grow a strong program. The Democratic Party did the same thing for Elaine Davis. She took money from the state Democrat party she gave money to the local Democrat party she took money from the biggest democrat donors and ran as a Democrat in the last election and was soundly beating now suddenly without ever supporting any Republican candidates or giving any money to Republican causes she wants to be a Republican. Let her go to Los Angeles to run for elected office because that's where people with no loyalty need to end up."
Elaine Davis in response to Arms comment "It was Franklin D. Roosevelt that once said "judge me by my enemies" The same could be said in this case."
District Five: Richard Briggs (R)
Briggs like Norman would best be served in having an opponent and defending some of his controversial positions and explain some of his double speak.
District Six: Brad Anders (R)
A solid Commissioner that doesn't pick unnecessary fights but has the backbone to stand up to the extremist left wing liberal wackoes that sit on the other side of Commission. When Anders makes a point it makes sense and is reasonable.
District Seven: Michelle M. Carringer (R) -vs- Andrew Graybeal (R) -vs- Larry Smith (R) -vs- Lillian Williams (R) Scott Moore (I) Steve M. Rogers (I)
Oh, where do we start? Carringer and Smith will aggressively challenge each other and Smith will lose it by snapping at Carringer like he did to his wife at the Halls Republican Club
as noted here. When he does it to Carringer, she will likely file charges and involve local law enforcement. Williams and Graybeal will run as a professional businesspeople and let Carringer and Smith beat each other up. Who ever the Republican voters select between will then select between the Republican nomine and either Moore or Rogers. With three defeated Republicans and all their supporters jumping ship to either Moore or Rogers. Knox County Commission could eventually see an Independent as a colleague.
District Eight: Duane Bias (R) -vs- Andrew Graybeal (R) -vs- Dave Wright (R)
This race pits Duane Bias, a husband and father and Gibbs High School band booster President against Dave Wright. Wright in his time on Commission has filed two lawsuits challenging Knox County voters decision. One lawsuit is still currently in the court system. The high cost to the citizens of Knox County in defending the voters decision is not a favorable position to run for elective office.
District Nine: Mike Brown (R) -vs- Chuck Ward (R) Donald Land (I)
Mike Brown against Chuck Ward will be a tight race. Ward ran a good race in 2008. With two years of planning and cultivation of his name id will be to Ward's favor. Plus, to those of us that listen to Sports Talk there is that line, "I am Chuck Ward and I want to buy your house" On a sad note, Victoria DeFreese who served as an interim Commissioner has declined for personal family commitments to be a candidate. As for the August election the likelihood of an Independent beating either Brown or Ward is highly unlikely in the Ninth district.
Countywide At-Large District Ten: Michael L. Daugherty (I) Eddie Evans (D) Michael Hammond (R)
This race could use a Republican primary candidate to challenge "soundbite Mike" however an August General election with Michael L. Daugherty a well known long time Bearden High School teacher and football coach against Hammond (the former Bearden High School public address announcer) will be interesting. We will research Democrat Evans as of this posting we know nothing of him.
Countywide At-Large District Eleven: Richard Armstrong (R) -vs- Ed Shouse (R) Franklyn Moneyhan (I)
This is the saddest contest of the whole lot. Armstrong versus Shouse. Two great guys. As of this posting we know nothing of Moneyhan.