Entering Final Days for County, School Board Petitioning

CARROLL COUNTY (February 12)  — Only a few days remain for some candidates to file petitions for the May 5 and August 6 elections. 

County office and school board seats are up for grabs this year, and, so far, 71 individuals have picked up petitions for these seats. Of those, 39 have filed their petitions, officially qualifying for candidacy. The deadline to complete these petitions — for party-affiliated or independent nominees — is noon on February 19, 2026.

The primary election for county offices and board of education seats — for Republican and Democratic parties — is Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Primary winners and candidates running as Independents will appear on the August 6 general ballot.

Also August 6 is the City of Clarksburg municipal election for mayor and two alderman positions. So far, two candidates have picked up petitions for City of Clarksburg Mayor, and two candidates have picked up petitions for City Alderman positions. Petitions for these seats must be filed by March 10 at noon to qualify for the August election.

Twenty-three candidates have picked up or filed petitions since The Banner's last update on February 3:

• Michael A. Smith (I) filed a petition for Sheriff.
• Jerry Wayne Autry (I) and Tommy Davis (I) picked up petitions for Road Supervisor.
• Ryan Anthony Ellegood (R) and Tess Robbins (R) filed petitions for Republican State Executive Committee Man and Woman, respectively.
• Paul D. Huguely (I) and Anna Wheet (I) filed petitions for District 5 County Commissioner seats.
• Jimmy D. McClure (I) and Philip E. Moore (I) filed petitions for District 6 County Commissioner seats.
• Lori Dillahunty (R) and Walter Smothers (I) filed petitions for District 7 County Commissioner seats. Jimmie Sue Staten (D) also picked up a petition for a District 7 County Commissioner seat.
• Spiridon Roditis (I) filed a petition for a District 9 County Commissioner seat.
• Matthew Lane (I) picked up a petition for a McKenzie School Board seat.
• Brian Keith Stafford (I), Spiridon Roditis (I) and Brian Winston (I) filed petitions for McKenzie School Board seats.
• Shawna Smith (I) filed a petition for a Huntingdon School Board seat.
• Johnathan Tedford (I) picked up a petition for the Hollow Rock-Bruceton School Board District 16 – Hollow Rock City seat.
• April Hampton (I) filed a petition for the Hollow Rock-Bruceton School Board District 16 At-Large seat.
• Deborah Broadbent (I) filed a petition for the Carroll County School Board District 2 seat.
• Keith E. Hollowell (R) picked up and filed a petition for a South Carroll School Board Member seat.
• Howell W. Todd picked up a petition for City of Clarksburg Mayor.
  

Carroll County Deputy Administrator of Elections Jennifer Hilliard provided the following list of petitioners and qualified candidates for the May 5 and August 6 elections on February 12 at 9:30 a.m.

Currently, 21 individuals seek Republican (R) nominations, one individual seeks a Democratic (D) nomination, 41 individuals are running as Independent (I) nominees, and two candidates are running without a listed party.

County Offices

Circuit Court Clerk (four-year term): 

• Incumbent Sarah Bradberry (R)

County Mayor (four-year term):

• Incumbent Joseph G. Butler (R) - filed

Property Assessor (four-year term): 

• John Austin (R) - filed

County Clerk (four-year term): 

• Incumbent Darlene Kirk (I) - filed

Trustee (four-year term): 

• Incumbent Paula Bolen (I) - filed

Register of Deeds (four-year term):

• Incumbent Natalie McCullough Porter (D) - filed
• Chad Barnhart (R) - filed

County Sheriff (four-year term):

• Joel Pate (R)
• Tim Pratt (R) - filed
• Eric Sawyers (R) - filed
• Michael A. Smith (I) - filed
• Ryan White (I) - filed

Road Supervisor (four-year term): 
The county has reduced the number of road supervisors from two to one, effective September 1, 2026.

• Incumbent Ronnie Wade (I) - filed
• Otis Nesbitt (I) - filed
• William Jason Longmire (I) - filed
• Jerry Autry (I)
• Tommy Davis (I)

Republican State Executive Committee Man

• Incumbent Ryan Ellegood (R) - filed

Republican State Executive Committee Woman

• Incumbent Tess Robbins (R) - filed

The following county commission seats have four-year terms.

District 1 (Atwood, Cedar Grove, Lavinia) - 3 seats

• Incumbent Darrell Ridgely (R)
• Jimmy Halford (I)
• Randy Long (I)

District 2 (McLemoresville, Trezevant) - 2 seats

• Incumbent Daniel Lee Willman (R)
• Incumbent Lana Y. Suite (I)

District 3 (Bruceton, Buena Vista, Sp. Grove, Vale) - 2 seats

• Brandy Boyd (R)
• Will McMackin (I)
• Amon Miller (I)
• Dwayne Tordsen (I)
  

District 4 (Cannon, Hollow Rock, Macedonia) - 2 seats

• Incumbent Morris Rogers (R) - filed
• Incumbent  Daniel J. Thomas (R) 
  

District 5 (Civic Center) - 3 seats

• Incumbent Cyril Ostiguy (R) - filed
• Incumbent Barry Mac Murphy (I) - filed
• Jimmy Crossett (R) - filed
• Paul D. Hugueley (I) - filed
• Rakaya Humphreys (I)
• Anna Wheet (I) - filed
• Curt Taylor (I)

District 6 (Clarksburg, Concord, New Liberty, Westport) - 2 seats

• Incumbent Jimmy D. McClure (I) - filed
• Incumbent Philip E. Moore (I) - filed
• Madison Boyd Endres (R) - filed
• Kurt Hunley (I)

District 7 (Huntingdon Police Station) - 3 seats

• Incumbent Lori Dillahunty (R) - filed
• Incumbent Walter Smothers (I) - filed
• Jimmie Sue Staten (D) 
• Lynn Grice (I)

District 8 (McKenzie Senior Citizens Center) - 2 seats

• Incumbent Jay Phipps (R)
• Incumbent Willie Huffman (I) - filed

District 9 (McKenzie Church of Christ, City Hall) - 3 seats

•  Incumbent Jason R. Martin (I) - filed
• Incumbent Spiridon L. Roditis (I) - filed
• Rickey Price (I) - filed

Carroll County School Board - three seats (four-year terms)

District 1 (Lavinia, Cedar Grove, Atwood, McLemoresville, Trezevant, McKenzie Senior Citizens Center): 

• Incumbent Mike Foster (I)

District 2 (Bruceton, Recycling Center, Hollow Rock, McKenzie Church of Christ, McKenzie City Hall):

• Incumbent Deborah Broadbent (I) - filed
  

 District 3 (Civic Center, Clarksburg, Concord/Westport, Huntingdon Police Station): 

• Incumbent Charlotte Tucker (I) - filed

Hollow Rock-Bruceton Special School District School Board - four seats

District 16 Hollow Rock City seat (2-year unexpired):

• Incumbent Johnathan Tedford (I)

District 16 Bruceton City seat (four-year term):

• Incumbent Brandy Boyd (R)

District 16 at-large seat (four-year term):

• Incumbent April Hampton (I) - filed
  
• Eric Daniel Gonzalez (R)

District 15 Buena Vista seat (four-year term):

• Incumbent Michael Graves (I)

Huntingdon Special School District School Board - two at-large seats (six-year term):

• Incumbent Morgan Butler (I)
• Incumbent Shawna Smith (I) - filed

McKenzie Special School District School Board - four at-large seats (four-year term):
Candidates must live in Carroll County.

• Incumbent Spiridon L. Roditis (I) - filed
• Brian Keith Stafford (I) - filed
• Brian Winston (I) - filed
  
• Renee Hobson (I)
• Matthew Lane (I)

South Carroll Special School District School Board - two at-large seats (four-year term):

• Keith E. Hollowell (R) - filed
• Sam Melton (I) - filed

West Carroll Special School District School Board - three seats (four-year term).

Old County seat:

• Patrick E. Lindsey (R)
• Linda Black (I)

Old Atwood seat: No petition-holders.

Old Trezevant seat (2-year unexpired):

• Incumbent Kelly M. Weaver (I)
• Paul Mueller (I)

The City of Clarksburg will hold an election for mayor and two alderman positions on August 6.

City of Clarksburg Mayor:

• Incumbent Howell W. Todd
• Jeff Reed

Two alderman positions:

• Incumbent Barbara A. McClure
• Incumbent Judy Grant Smith

Other offices on the August 6 primary midterm election ballot are David Kustoff's U.S. Congressional District 8 seat, Bill Hagerty's U.S. Senate seat, Bill Lee's Tennessee Governor seat, Tandy Darby's Tennessee House of Representatives District 76 seat and Brock Martin's Tennessee House of Representatives District 79 seat.

Brock Martin (R) has filed a petition to maintain his House of Representatives District 79 seat.