Carroll County Sheriff Town Hall, Community Forum Coming June 30

CARROLL COUNTY (May 19) — Voters have an important decision to make on August 6, 2026 about who will lead the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and Carroll County news media entities are working together to help voters make an informed decision.

The McKenzie Banner and The Carroll County Observer are partnering to organize a Carroll County Sheriff’s Town Hall Community Forum event, as an opportunity for voters to meet the Carroll County candidates and hear their ideas for the position.

The event will be held on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at 6 p.m. at the Carroll County Civic Center in Huntingdon, Tenn. (201 Mustang Drive, Huntingdon, TN 38344).

After the May 5 Republican Primary, the candidates vying for the position of Carroll County Sheriff are Eric Sawyers, Michael A. Smith and Ryan White. All three candidates plan to attend.

Each Sheriff candidate will be given time to make an opening statement and asked a series of questions related to the position and their vision.

Personal questions or attacks of any candidate will not be tolerated.

The moderator will be retired Circuit Court Judge Donald Parish.

The rules, refreshments and other exact details of the event are still being finalized. The candidates have been updated via email and text message of what to expect and the intent of the event.

We are here to learn about the candidates and their vision for the Sheriff’s office. This is an important position that affects Carroll Countians.

We ask that everyone please be respectful.

This is a free event and the public is invited to attend.

For those who cannot attend in person, at least two media outlets in attendance will be broadcasting the event on the web.

Additionally, a new development in the works is that we, the Carroll County media, intend to invite other Carroll County candidates to make a short address to the public stating their name, position they are campaigning for and a few brief points about their vision. 

County-level positions on the August ballot are Circuit Court Clerk, County Mayor, Assessor of Property, County Clerk, Trustee, Register of Deeds, Sheriff, Road Supervisor, and County Commission Districts 1-9.

Candidates are not required to speak, but we will be extending that invitation.

Updates will be provided as soon as we confirm each detail.  Stay tuned as we move forward with this crucial process!

The early voting period for the August election is July 17 - August 1. Election day is August 6, 2026.