KYLE MURPHYStaff Writer

With the deadline to qualify for the May 5 primaries just over two weeks away, more potential candidates have picked and/or qualified for their respective races.

The ballot for the May 5 primaries will determine the Republican and Democratic candidates for the following Coffee County offices (all 4-year terms): Coffee County Mayor, County Commissioners–all districts, County Trustee, Sheriff, Circuit Court Clerk, County Clerk, Register of Deeds, Road Superintendent, Road Commissioners–all seats, and Constable–all seats. The May 5 primaries will also determine party candidates for the following seats in the Coffee County School Board (all 4-year terms): two of three school board members who serve Seat 1-Districts 1, 3 and 4; one of three school board members who serve Seat 2-Districts 2, 6 and 7; and one of three school board members who serve Seat 3-Districts 5, 8 and 9. For the city levels, the May primaries will determine candidates for four seats on the Tullahoma School Board and three seats on the Manchester School Board.

As of Jan. 30, 2026, incumbent Dennis Hunt, Khamai M. Rozier and Mark Messick have qualified for the race of Coffee County Mayor. Hunt will be on the Republican primary, and Rozier will be on the Democratic primary. Independent candidate Mark Messick will meet the primary winners on the August ballot. Cheryl Renee Swan has yet to submit her qualifying papers as of writing. In addition, Daniel Berry has picked up his papers for the county mayor seat.

In addition, State Rep. Rush Bricken has both picked up and submitted his qualifying papers for his seat in the State House of Representatives representing the 47th House District.

As for the Coffee County Commission, the following have picked up their papers: Cody Allen Lendley and Courtney Arlington Charity Le Seckler have yet to submit their papers for the two seats for District 1, while sitting commissioner Dowe Jones has official qualified; incumbent commissioner Roger Chambers and Jeff Perry have picked up but yet to submit papers for the two seats in District 2; incumbent commissioners Laura Nettles and Rose Ann Carden Smith have picked up their papers for District 3, but Carden Smith has officially qualified; incumbents Tim Brown and Joseph Hodge join Mark Brothers, who has officially qualified, Thomas Daniel Johnson and Samuel Gage Myers for the two seats for District 4; Jenny Renee Davis, who has officially qualified, and Robert Jarman join sitting commissioners Tim Morris, who has officially qualified, and Missy Deford for the race for the two seats in District 5; sitting commissioner Sammy Anderson joins fellow incumbent Terry Hershman, who has officially qualified, for the two seats in District 6; Daniel Berry has joined sitting commissioner Jackie Duncan in picking up his papers for the two seats in District 7. Berry picked up papers for the Republican primary while Duncan picked up papers for the Democratic primary; Derick Mann picked up his papers for District 8 while incumbent Tim Stubblefield has officially qualified for his seat; and incumbents Frank Watkins and Todd Malone have picked up their papers for the seats of District 9, but have yet to qualify. For the office of Circuit Court Clerk, incumbent Jenny Anthony has qualified for the Republican primary, while Kelsie M. Adams has yet to submit her qualifying papers. For the seat of County Trustee incumbent John Marchesoni has officially qualified. Sitting Road Superintendent Benton Bartlett has also officially qualified for the Republican primary for his seat. As for Coffee County Clerk, Donna Low Spaulding has officially qualified for the Republican primary, while Chasity Dawn Harris picked up her papers as an independent candidate. As for the Register of Deeds office, incumbent Donna Toney picked up her papers, while Kara Wimberley has officially qualified for the Republican primary.

For the Coffee County Sheriff’s race, incumbent Sheriff Chad Partin, Danny Ferrell and Kelly Wayne Smith have all officially qualified for the race of Coffee County Sheriff and will face off in the Republican primary on May 5.

For the school board races, sitting candidate Thomas Ballard has officially qualified for his seat Coffee County School Board for Seat 1-Districts 1, 3 and 4, while fellow incumbent Freda K. Jones has only  picked up her papers, Former school board members Brent Parsley and Gary Nester have picked up their papers for the Coffee County School Board for Seat 1-Districts 1, 3 and 4. Ballard, Parsley and Nester picked up papers for the Republican primary while Jones picked up papers as an independent candidate. Sitting school board member Christopher Koon has officially qualified for the Coffee County School Board Seat 2-Districts 2, 6 and 7, and will meet Charles Lawson at for the Republican primary for Coffee County School Board for Seat 2-Districts 2, 6 and 7. Sitting board member Jennifer Peacock Hodge and Dana Morris has picked up their papers for the Coffee County School Board for Seat 3-Districts 5,8 and 9.

As for the Manchester City Schools Board of Education, sitting members Travis Hillis and Lisa Gregory have picked up their papers. Incumbent Prater Powell has qualified for his seat as an independent candidate.

 Meanwhile, for the Tullahoma City Board of Education races, incumbent Teresa Lawson has qualified for the Republican primary, while fellow incumbents Andy Whitt, Gigi Robison, and Rosie Graham have only picked up their papers for their seats. Graham picked up papers for her seat as an independent while Robison and Whitt picked up papers for the Republican primary. The other potential candidates to pick up papers for Tullahoma school board was Sherrie McGuire Cleveland, Cathleen Manis and Daniel Berry for the Republican primary.

As for the Road Commissioner races, James R. Kennedy have picked up papers for the seats of Road Commissioner, Seat 2-District 4 and Road Commissioner, Seat 3-District 5, respectively. Jeff Bush has also picked up his papers for Road Commissioner, Seat 1-District 3. James Grady Weaver has picked up his papers for the seat of Road Commission, Seat 4-District 6. For the Constable seats, Nazario Jose Smith and Marvin R. Steward have picked up their papers for the seat Constable, Seat 1-Districts 1, 3, 4 for the Republican primary, meanwhile Allen M. Stanley picked up papers for the seat of seat Constable, Seat 1-Districts 1, 3, 4 as an independent candidate. Jason Edwin Dendy and Derrick Lee Morrison picked up papers for the seat of Constable, Seat 2-Districts 2, 6, 7, while James V. Sanders and Michael Ray Smith picked up their papers for the seat of Constable, Seat 3-Districts 5, 8, 9.

As for other city races, sitting Manchester aldermen Thomas Crosslin and Donny Parsley have picked up papers for their seats, while Benjamin D. Laine and Warren Walker have picked up their papers for one of the Manchester aldermanic seats in the August election. For the Tullahoma City Judge race, Judge James Conley has officially qualified for his seat. Greg Sandlin has officially qualified for the Republican State Executive Committeeman for District 16, while Daniel Berry has picked up his papers for the seat.

The deadline to file petitions for the May 5 primary is Thursday, Feb. 19, at noon and the deadline to withdraw will be the following week on Thursday, Feb. 26, at noon. Qualifying deadlines apply to all party and independent candidates. The deadline to file petitions for the Aug. 6 Municipal Election is Tuesday, March 10, at noon and the deadline to withdraw will be the following week on Tuesday, March 17, at noon. Qualifying deadlines apply to all party and independent candidates.

Early voting locations and dates

The early voting locations for Coffee County residents are the C.D. Stamps Community Center at 810 South Jackson St. in Tullahoma and the Coffee County Administrative Plaza at 1329 McArthur St., Suite 6, in Manchester. The hours for early voting for C.D. Stamps Community Center will be from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. The hours for early voting for Coffee County Administrative Plaza will be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday. The following are the dates are for early voting: For the May 5 primaries, early voting will be April 15, 2026 through April 30, 2026; for the August Primary, General and Municipal Election, early voting will be July 17, 2026 through Aug. 1, 2026; and for the November General Election, early voting will be from Oct. 14, 2026 through Oct. 29, 2026. As for election day in Coffee County, all poll locations will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For more information, contact the Coffee County Election Commission at 931-723-5103, email the Election Commission at votecoffee@coffeecountytn.org or stop by the Election Commission at 1329 McArthur St., Suite 6, in Manchester. Residents can also visit the Election Commission’s website.