Fewer than half of the candidates for Carter County Commission seats took the opportunity to share their views and election platforms during a candidate forum Tuesday night.
Of the 52 registered candidates in eight districts, 22 attended the forum, which was hosted by Carter County Citizens in Action.
Candidates were given three minutes to explain their qualifications, education, background and why they wanted to be elected to the county commission. Candidates were also asked to tell about their goals and what they believed the biggest issue facing Carter County was.
Jim McGee, member of the CCCIA, said he believed the forum was a success but wished that more candidates had participated in the event.
“It went quite well overall,” McGee said after the forum. “It was disappointing that no more of the candidates participated than what was here.”
He added he felt the forum had reached its goal of getting the public more involved in the local election process.
“We got people interested,” McGee said. “Our main objective is to get people throughout the county to get out and vote. We need to get the young people to take part in their government and realize they need to be active.”
A number of community members also attended the event, which McGee felt may have been hampered by the colder, snowy weather that occurred earlier in the day on Tuesday.
“I think the weather did affect the attendance a little,” he said. “There was a good turnout from the community but the weather did play into it a little.”
Moderator David Miller also encouraged those at the forum to vote in the upcoming elections.
“You can’t vote in all the districts but we can pick the best candidates we can to serve the county,” Miller said. “We can pick those who are dedicated to Carter County and are going to work to do the best they can.”
Candidates who participated in the forum were:
District 1: Freddie Taylor.
District 2. John Bland, Nancy Brown, Mike Hill and Albert Meehan.
District 3: Billy Peters, Bobby Tester, Charles VanCannon and Howell Woods.
District 4: Jeffrey Wayne Hughis.
District 5: Timothy Holdren and Roy Scott Snell.
District 6: James Dabbondanza, Larry Miller and John Lewis.
District 7: Bobby Blevins, Ray Lyons and Scott Sams.
District 8: Robert Carroll, James Hughes, Cody McQueen and David Nelson.
Early voting starts today and will continue through May 1. The primary election is May 6. The general election will be Aug. 7 with early voting for it from July 18 to Aug. 2.