Updated List of Candidates

CARROLL COUNTY (January 20)  — Political races for county offices, school board seats and some municipal seats are officially underway, with 56 individuals holding petitions for local offices on the May and August 2026 ballots.

The primary election for county offices and board of education seats — for each political party — is Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

All candidates, party affiliated or independent, must file their petitions by noon on February 19, 2026, to be considered for the May 5 primary and August general election.

Following the primary election is the Thursday, August 6, general election — which includes the county office race, board of education race and Clarksburg municipal race for mayor and two alderman seats. Also August 6 is the primary election for state governor, state representative, U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress seats.

Candidates must qualify by March 10 at noon to be put on the August 6 election ballot.

Carroll County Administrator of Elections Peg Hamlett provided the following list of petitioners and qualified candidates on January 20 at 3:15 p.m.

Four candidates have picked up petitions since The Banner's last update on January 15.

Currently, 21 individuals seek Republican (R) nominations, one individual seeks office as a Democratic (D) candidate and 40 individuals seek office as independent (I) candidates. Eighteen have filed their petitions, officially qualifying for candidacy.

Circuit Court Clerk (four-year term): Incumbent Sarah Bradberry (R) is the sole petition-holder.

County Mayor (four-year term): Incumbent Joseph G. Butler (R) is the sole petition-holder and has filed as a qualified candidate.

Property Assessor (four-year term): Incumbent Rita Jones is not seeking re-election. John Austin (R) is the sole petition-holder and has filed, solidifying his candidacy.

County Clerk (four-year term): Incumbent Darlene Kirk (I) is the sole petition-holder and has filed, solidifying her candidacy.

Trustee (four-year term): Incumbent Paula Bolen (I) is the sole petition-holder and has filed, solidifying her candidacy.

Register of Deeds (four-year term): Incumbent Natalie McCullough Porter (D) and Chad Barnhart (R) have each picked up and filed petitions for this office.

County Sheriff (four-year term): Incumbent Sheriff Andy Dickson is not seeking re-election. Joel Pate (R), Tim Pratt (R), Eric Sawyers (R), Michael A. Smith (I) and Ryan White (I) have each picked up petitions for this office. Pratt, Sawyers and White have filed their petitions, qualifying for the county sheriff race.

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) and newcomers Otis Nesbitt (I) and William Jason Longmire (I) have picked petitions for the position. Wade and Longmire have completed and filed their petitions, qualifying for candidacy.

Currently, there are no petition-holders for the Republican State Executive Committee Man and Woman seats, held by Ryan Ellegood and Tess Robbins, respectively.

The following county commission seats have four-year terms:

There are three District 1 (Atwood, Cedar Grove, Lavinia) seats on the ballot. Incumbents Darrell Ridgely (R), Jimmy Halford (I) and Randy Long (I) have each picked up petitions.

There are two District 2 (McLemoresville, Trezevant) seats on the ballot, held by Daniel Willman and Lana Y. Suite. Incumbents Daniel Lee Willman (R) and Lana Y. Suite (I) have picked up petitions.

There are two District 3 (Bruceton, Buena Vista, Sp. Grove, Vale) seats on the ballot — one vacant and one held by Joey Simmons. Newcomers Will McMackin (I), Amon Miller (I), Dwayne Tordsen (I) and Brandy Boyd (R) have each picked up petitions for these seats.

There are two District 4 (Cannon, Hollow Rock, Macedonia) seats on the ballot. Incumbents Morris Rogers (R) and Daniel J. Thomas (R) have each picked up petitions.

There are three District 5 (Civic Center) seats on the ballot, held by Joey Darnall, Cyril Ostiguy and Barry Mac Murphy. Incumbents Cyril Ostiguy (R) and Barry Mac Murphy (I) and newcomers Paul D. Hugueley (I), Rakaya Humphreys (I), Anna Wheet (I), Curt Taylor (I) and Jimmy Crossett (R) have each picked up petitions for these seats. Murphy and Ostiguy have filed.

There are two District 6 (Clarksburg, Concord, New Liberty, Westport) seats on the ballot. Incumbents Jimmy D. McClure (I) and Philip E. Moore (I) and newcomers Kurt Hunley (I) and Madison Boyd Endres (R) are all petition-holders. Endres is the sole petition-holder to file.

There are three District 7 (Huntingdon Police Station) seats on the ballot. Incumbents Walter Smothers (I) and Lori Dillahunty (R) and newcomer Lynn Grice (I) are petition-holders.

There are two District 8 (McKenzie Senior Citizens Center) seats on the ballot. Incumbents Jay Phipps (R) and Willie Huffman (I) each hold petitions. Huffman has filed his petition.

There are three District 9 (McKenzie Church of Christ, City Hall) seats on the ballot, held by Jason R. Martin, Spiridon L. Roditis and John Austin. Incumbents Jason R. Martin (I) and Spiridon L. Roditis (I) and newcomer Rickey Price (I) each hold petitions. Martin and Price have filed their petitions, qualifying for the election.

There are three seats (four-year terms) available on the Carroll County School Board:

Currently, there are no petition-holders for the District 1 (Lavinia, Cedar Grove, Atwood, McLemoresville, Trezevant, McKenzie Senior Citizens Center) seat, held by Mike Foster.

Incumbent Deborah Broadbent (I) is the sole petition-holder for the District 2 (Bruceton, Recycling Center, Hollow Rock, McKenzie Church of Christ, McKenzie City Hall) seat.

Incumbent Charlotte Tucker (I) is the sole qualifying candidate for the District 3 (Civic Center, Clarksburg, Concord/Westport, Huntingdon Police Station) seat, having filed a completed petition.

There are four seats available on the Hollow Rock-Bruceton Special School District school board:

Currently, there are no petition-holders for the District 16 Hollow Rock city seat (2-year unexpired), held by Jonathan Tedford.

Incumbent Brandy Boyd (R) is the sole petition-holder for the District 16 Bruceton city seat (four-year term).

Incumbent April Hampton (I) and Eric Daniel Gonzalez (R) have picked up petitions for the District 16 at-large seat (four-year term).

Incumbent Michael Graves (I) is the sole petition-holder for the District 15 Buena Vista seat (four-year term).

There are two at-large seats available on the Huntingdon Special School District School Board (six-year term):

Incumbents Morgan Butler (I) and Shawna Smith (I) each hold petitions for the two at-large seats.

There are four at-large seats available on the McKenzie Special School District School Board (four-year term):

Incumbent Spiridon L. Roditis (I) and newcomer Brian Winston (I) each hold petitions. Other incumbents Bobby Young, LaShonda Williams and George Cassidy have not picked up petitions. Candidates must live in Carroll County.

There are two at-large seats on the ballot for the South Carroll Special School District School Board (four-year term):

Newcomer Sam Melton (I) is the sole petition holder for one of the at-large seats. Incumbents are Christy Blount and Tom R. Miller.

There are three seats on the ballot to join the West Carroll Special School District School Board (four-year term):

Newcomers Patrick E. Lindsey (R) and Linda Black (I) hold petitions for the Old County seat, held by Betty Wallace.

Currently, there are no petition-holders for the Old Atwood seat, held by Keith Murray.

Incumbent Kelly M. Weaver (I) and newcomer Paul Mueller (I) hold petitions for the Old Trezevant seat.

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

Currently, there are no petition-holders for Clarksburg mayor. Howell Todd is the current mayor.

Incumbent Barbara A. McClure has picked up a petition for one of two alderman positions. She is the sole petition holder. Judy Grant Smith currently holds the other alderman seat but has not yet picked up a petition for the seat.

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 picked up a petition to maintain his House of Representatives District 79 seat.