Two Post 1 commissioner candidates are headed to a runoff, while two incumbents retained their elected positions in contested races on the Tuesday, May 21, primary election ballot.
Gilmer Board of Commissioners (BOC) Post 1 candidates Karleen Ferguson and Doug Rink will be in the runoff set for Tuesday, June 18.
Rink received 1,742 votes and Ferguson received 1,222 votes in the May 21 election. Post 1 candidate Jim Parmer received 1,025 votes. There was no incumbent in this race as current Post 1 commissioner Hubert Parker opted not to seek re-election.
In the race for Gilmer Clerk of Superior Court, incumbent Amy Johnson will serve another term after receiving 2,919 votes. Challenger Carol Daves received 1,065 votes.
Incumbent Post 4 board of education (BOE) member Michele Penland will also serve another term, which will be her first full one as an elected school board member. She had previously been nominated to fill the remaining term of late Post 4 school board member Michael Bramlett. Penland received 2,477 votes, while challenger David Settel received 1,954 votes in the BOE special election.
Chad Deboard, who ran for the uncontested BOE Post 2 seat, will be a new addition to the school board. Deboard received 3,780 votes in the election.
Unchallenged incumbents retaining their posts are: Sheriff - Stacy Nicholson, Probate Judge - Scott Chastain, Chief Magistrate Judge - Kevin Johnson, Tax Commissioner - Becky Marshall, Coroner - Jerry Hensley, BOE Post 1 - Michael Parks and BOE Post 3 - Doug Pritchett.