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By Buzz Trexler

Star Correspondent

Renea Jones defeated longtime Elizabethton Mayor Curt Alexander in the bid for the 4th District seat in the state House of Representatives during Thursday’s Republican Primary, sending her to Nashville as there is no Democratic opposition.

Jones, who campaigned as a “home-grown Tennessean committed to conservative values,” captured the seat with 4,485 votes compared to Alexander’s 2,094, according to unofficial results. In Carter County, Jones netted 2,676 votes, compared to Alexander’s 1,722; in Unicoi, Alexander received 372 votes, to Jones’ 1,809.

“It was a great night,” Jones said when contacted Thursday night after the polls closed. The president of Jones and Church Farms had spent the evening at a watch party at Roan Valley Tree Farm on Okalona Road. “We are very blessed and grateful to the citizens of District 4 for placing their vote for us today and just really excited about the opportunity to take their voice to Nashville. So very grateful.”

Attempts to obtain a comment from Alexander were unsuccessful.

The state House seat, which represents Unicoi and part of Carter County, is being vacated by state Rep. John B. Holsclaw Jr., who decided against reelection and instead sought the Republican nomination for Carter County Assessor of Property, losing to Shane Simerly in the March 5 primary. Simerly, who had no Democratic opposition, received 4,716 votes in Thursday’s General Election.

There were 10 other offices on the General Election ballot, all of which had unopposed candidates: Jason E. Clawson, County Commission District 6, received 481 votes; Lesley Hughes, County Commission District 7, 580; Jerry C. Stout, County Commission District 8, 382; Shannon Burchett, Superintendent of Roads, 4,617; Keith Bowers, School Board District 1, 695; Danny R. Ward, School Board District 4, 695; Nancy (Renee) Lewis, School Board District 6, 517; Dylan Hill, School Board District 8, 386; Michael Mason, Constable District 2, 406; and Shana Brower, Constable District 5, 390.

“I would characterize this turnout to be low turnout compared to the same election in 2020,” Carter County Election Commission Administrator of Elections Tracy Tanner-Harris said this morning. Tanner-Harris said she was not aware of any problems related to the voter ID requirement. “I think voters are happy to show their ID to prove that it’s them when voting.”

Sarah J. Fain, Unicoi County administrator of elections, said Thursday evening that traffic at the polls had been “pretty slow,” but steadily picked up as the day went on. “The only real issue we have had is just voters going to the election office instead of their election day precinct. Early Voting also went well, and all the voters had an appropriate photo ID.”

Hill, Love to Face Off in November

Timothy Aaron Hill, incumbent in the District 3 state House race, who was unopposed in the Republican Primary, received 7,107 votes. Lori Love, who was unopposed in the Democratic Primary for that seat, received 591. The two will face off in November for District 3, which includes Johnson County and part of Carter, Hawkins, and Sullivan counties, including Blountville. 

Incumbent Marsha Blackburn, who has represented Tennessee in the U.S. Senate since 2019, defeated Tres Wittum, 361,711 to 43,228, and will face Gloria Johnson, of Knoxville, in the November election. In Carter County, Blackburn received 4,446 votes to Wittum’s 359.

Johnson, who represented the 90th District in the state House of Representatives, received 143,904 votes – 269 in Carter – as she battled three others in the Democratic Primary: Marquita Bradshaw, of Memphis, 44,635; Lola Denise Brown, of Nashville, 10,025; and Civil Miller-Watkins, of Rossville, 6,420. Bradshaw was the party’s nominee to oppose Blackburn in 2020.

Diana Harshbarger, who ran unopposed in the Republican Primary for her 1st District seat, received 52,181 votes – 4,230 in Carter – as she seeks to retain her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She will face Democrat Kevin Jenkins, of Sneedville, who defeated Bennett H. Lapides, of Gatlinburg, 5,178 to 2,460. Jenkins received 211 votes in Carter County, to Lapides’ 118.

Also on the ballot were judicial retention questions regarding state Supreme Court Judge Dwight Tarwater, whom voters approved retaining, 73 percent to 27 percent. Voters also approved retaining Court of Criminal Appeals Western Division Judge Matthew J. Wilson, 74 percent to 26 percent.