KYLE MURPHYStaff Writer

The May primaries are now set in place as the deadline to submit qualifying papers officially closed Thursday, Feb. 19, at noon. However, if any candidate wants to withdraw from a race will have until next Thursday, Feb. 26, to do so.

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.

Here are what voters can expect to see when they go vote in the primaries.

For the office of Coffee County Mayor, incumbent Dennis Hunt will meet Cheryl Swann in the Republican primary, while Khamai M. Rozier runs unopposed in the Democratic primary. Mark Messick, who is running as an independent candidate, will meet Rozier and the winner in the Republican primary on the August ballot. For the Coffee County Sheriff’s race, incumbent Sheriff Chad Partin, Danny Ferrell and Kelly Wayne Smith will face off in the Republican primary.

For the Coffee County Commission, the races for the two seats in each of the nine districts have been finalized and are as follows. For District 1, sitting Commissioner Dowe Langford Jones will be on the Republican primary while Amand LeVieux will be on the Democratic primary. Sitting Commissioner Jimmy Hollandsworth will not be seeking reelection. For District 2, incumbent commissioners Roger Chambers and Jeff Perry will meet at the Republican primary, while Larry Bowen will be on the Democratic primary. For District 3, incumbent commissioners Laura Nettles and Rose Ann Carden Smith will be on the Republican primary.

For District 4, incumbents Tim Brown and Joseph Hodge will meet Mark Brothers in the Republican primary, while Marlene Genesio will be on the Democratic primary. Independent candidates Dan Johnson and Sam Myers will meet the primary winners on the August ballot. For District 5, incumbents Tim Morris and Missy Deford will meet Rodney Duncan in the Republican primary, while independent Jenny Davis will meet the winners in the August election. For District 6, sitting commissioners Sammy Anderson and Terry Hershman will be on the Republican primary.

For District 7, Rosemary Crabtree and sitting Commissioner Jackie Duncan will be on the Democratic primary. Sitting Commissioner Tina Reed will not be seeking reelection. In District 8, Derick Mann and incumbent Tim Stubblefield will meet on the Republican primary. Sitting Commissioner Dwight Miller will not be seeking reelection. In District 9, incumbents Frank Watkins and Todd Malone will meet in the Republican primary.

For the office of Circuit Court Clerk, incumbent Jenny Anthony and Kelsie M. Adams will meet in the Republican primary. For the seat of County Trustee, incumbent John Marchesoni runs unopposed in the Republican primary.

As for Coffee County Clerk, Donna Low Spaulding and Jenna Amacher will meet in the Republican primary. Independent candidate Chasity Dawn Harris will meet the winner of the primary in the August election. As for the Register of Deeds office, incumbent Donna Toney and Kara Wimberley will meet in the Republican primary, and Debbie Williams will be on the Democratic primary.

In the Coffee County School Board races, two seats for Seat 1-Districts 1, 3 and 4 will be up while one seat will be up for both Seat 2-Districts 2, 6 and 7 and Seat 3-Districts 5, 8 and 9. All are four-year terms.

Sitting candidate Thomas Ballard will meet Gary Nester and Brent Parsley in the Republican primary for the Coffee County School Board for Seat 1-Districts 1, 3 and 4. Meanwhile, sitting school board member Freda Jones will meet the winners in the August ballot as an independent candidate. For Coffee County School Board Seat 2-Districts 2, 6 and 7, sitting school board member Christopher Koon will meet Charles Lawson in the Republican primary. For the Coffee County School Board for Seat 3-Districts 5, 8 and 9, sitting board member Jennifer Peacock Hodge will meet Dana Morris in the Republican primary.

For the Manchester City Schools Board of Education races, three seats will be up for grabs in August. Incumbent Travis Hillis will be on the Republican primary while Zak Mohyuddin will be on the Democratic primary. The winners will meet independent candidates and incumbents Lisa Lovelady Gregory and Prater Powell on the August ballot

For the Tullahoma City Schools Board of Education races, four seats will be up for election. Incumbents Teresa Lawson, Gigi Robison and Andy Whitt will meet Sherrie Cleveland and Cathy Manis in the Republican primary. School board member Rosie Graham will not be seeking reelection.

Sitting Road Superintendent Benton Bartlett runs unopposed in the Republican primary for his seat. 

As for the Road Commissioner races, Jeff Bush will be on the August ballot for Road Commissioner, Seat 1-District 3 as an independent candidate. No other candidates qualified for the either primary.

For Road Commissioner, Seat 2-District 4, Arlis Markum runs unopposed in the Republican primary. For Road Commissioner, Seat 3-District 5, Carolyn Beaty Duke will be on the Republican primary while Eugune O’Kelley will be on the Democratic primary. Independent candidate James Randy Kennedy will meet the winners in the August election. James “Jamie” Weaver will be on the Republican primary for the race of Road Commissioner, Seat 4-District 6.

For the Constable races, independent candidate Milton Stanley will be on the August ballot for Constable, Seat 1-Districts 1, 3, 4. No other candidate qualified in either primary. For Constable, Seat 2-Districts 2, 6, 7, Jason E. Dendy runs unopposed in the Republican primary. For Constable, Seat 3-Districts 5, 8, 9, Kevin Bowles, James V. Sanders Jr. and Michael Smith will face off in the Republican primary.

While the May primaries are set, there is still plenty of time for those who are seeking office to submit their petitions for the Aug. 6 election as the deadline is set for Tuesday, March 10. The deadline to withdraw will be the following week on Tuesday, March 17, at noon. Qualifying deadlines apply to all party and independent candidates.

On the Aug. 6 election will see races for the state primaries of Tennessee Governor, U.S. House of Representatives for the 4^th Congressional District, U.S. Senate, State House of Representatives for the 47^th House District, State Executive Committeeman and Committeewoman, and any applicable Judicial, State and/or Federal office.

Meanwhile, along with the primary winners for all the county offices, the August election will also have the municipal elections for both Manchester and Tullahoma aldermanic and school board races. For Manchester, three seats are up for both aldermen and school board races, while Tullahoma will have three alderman seats and four school board seats up. In addition, Tullahoma City Judge will be on August ballot.