Fourteen incumbents unseated in Tennessee school board elections

August 8, 2014

By Lauren Dixon

Fourteen incumbents were given the boot on August 7, 2014, as a result of 20 school board elections that took place in Tennessee. A total of 162 challengers and incumbents competed for the 86 seats at stake. The boards that saw the most drastic changes in composition proved to be Shelby County Schools, Sumner County Schools and Williamson County Schools. Shelby and Sumner County each welcomed four new members to its respective board, while the six seats up for election in Williamson County were filled entirely by newcomers. In contrast, the school boards in Jackson-Madison County School System, Robertson County Schools, Sevier County Schools and Tipton County Schools remained unchanged, with incumbents either running unopposed or challengers failing to garner the vote.

Spotlight: Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools

Unlike years past, when school board races in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools were considered low-cost and low-stake, over a quarter million dollars was funneled into the four elections that took place this year. Major issues that divided this year's candidates were charter schools and Common Core, with many of the candidates receiving donations and endorsements based on their views. The most contentious and costly race was in District 8, where Mary Pierce faced off against fellow challenger Becky Sharpe for the seat being vacated by incumbent Michael Hayes. The top fundraiser was Pierce, who managed to raise $66,000 and defeat Sharpe. Combined, the two candidates had over $108,000 in contributions.

Candidates

Note: An (i) next to a candidate's name indicates incumbent status.

Blount County Schools
District 1
☑ Debbie Sudhoff
☐ Sammy Humphrey
☐ Terry Hurst
☐ Joe McCulley

District 3
☑ Charles Finley (i)

District 5
☑ Scott Helton
☐ Don McNelly (i)

District 7
☑ Fred Goins
☐ Dennis Cardin
☐ Stan Giles

Bradley County Schools
District 2
☑ Vicki Beaty (i)

District 4
☑ Dianna Ball Calfee
☐ Troy Weathers (i)

District 6
☑ Christine Critchfield
☐ Tammy A. Magourik

Hamblen County Schools
Districts 1 & 2
☑ Shahin Assadnia

Districts 5 & 6
☑ Carolyn Holt-Clawson (i)

Districts 9 & 10
☑ Janice Haun (i)

Districts 11 & 12
☑ Clyde Kinder (i)

Hamilton County School District
District 3
☑ Greg Martin (i)
☐ Jim Watson

District 5
☑ Karitsa Mosley
☐ Richard K. Bennett
☐ Samuel Blakemore
☐ Patrick D. Hampton
☐ Cynthia Stanley-Cash
☐ Jacqueline A. Thomas
☐ Yashika Ward

District 6
☑ Joe Galloway (i)
☐ Oscar Brock
☐ C. Ballard Scearce, Jr.

District 8
☑ David Testerman (i)
☐ Samevelyn Morgan Rock

District 9
☑ Steve Highlander
☐ Karen Farrow
☐ Larry Lewis
☐ Dean Moorhouse
☐ Tim White

Jackson-Madison County School System
District 1
☑ George F. Neely (i)
☐ Dornell Chatman

District 4, Position 1
☑ David Clifft (i)

District 4, Position 2
☑ Bob Alvey (i)

District 5, Position 2
☑ Dave Bratcher (i)
☐ Jeff Wall

District 6, Position 2
☑ Joe H. Mays (i)

Clarksville-Montgomery County School System
District 1
☑ George Giles (i)

District 3
☑ Willie J. Freeman

District 5
☑ Jimmie Garland (i)
☐ Carmen Annette Gentry

District 7
☑ Josh Baggett (i)

Knox County School District
District 1
☑ Gloria Deathridge (i)
☐ Marshall Walker

District 4
☑ Lynne Fugate (i)

District 6
☑ Terry Hill
☐ Sandra Rowcliffe

District 7
☑ Patti Lou Bounds

District 9
☑ Amber Rountree

Maury County Schools
District 1
☑ Kristin C. Parker
☐ Loretta Goodloe (i)
☐ Monty G. Overton

District 3
☑ Jyuana L. Martin

District 5
☑ David Moore

District 7
☑ David A. Bates
☐ Jack Coleman
☐ Brandom Gengelbach
☐ Will Sims

District 9
☑ Carey Powers
☐ Lee Clayborne (i)
☐ Carolyn W. McArthur

District 11
☑ Tommy Dudley (i)
☐ Bowen Pratt

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
District 2
☑ Jo Ann Brannon (i)
☐ Edward Arnold
☐ Bernie Driscoll

District 4
☑ Anna Shepherd (i)
☐ Rhonda F. Dixon
☐ Pam Swoner

District 6
☑ Tyese R. Hunter
☐ Cheryl Mayes (i)

District 8
☑ Mary Pierce
☐ Becky Sharpe

Putnam County Schools
District 2
☑ Celeste Bates Gammon
☐ Vern Crabtree

District 4
☑ David M. McCormick (i)
☐ Charles Looper

District 6
☑ Jerry Maynard (i)
☐ Jimmy Neal

Robertson County Schools
District 1
☑ Allan B. Heard (i)

District 2
☑ Stoney Crockett (i)
☐ Gary N. Lima

Rutherford County Schools
Zone 1
☑ Aaron Holladay (i)

Zone 3
☑ Lisa W. Moore
☐ Veronica Buchanan
☐ Howard Jones

Zone 4
☑ Wayne Blair (i)
☐ Eric Tuttobene

Zone 7
☑ Jim Estes
☐ Jody Lynn Bond
☐ Gabriel Fancher
☐ Patrick McCarthy
☐ Paul Peavy

Sevier County Schools
District 1
☑ Mike Oakley (i)

District 3
☑ Mark Strange (i)

District 5
☑ Becky Williams Barnes (i)

Shelby County Schools
District 1
☑ Chris Caldwell (i)
☐ Freda Garner Williams

District 3
☑ Stephanie Love
☐ Teddy King
☐ Anthony Lockhart

District 5
☑ Scott McCormick
☐ David Winston

District 6
☑ Shante K. Avant (i)
☐ Jimmy Warren

District 7
☑ Miska Clay Bibbs

District 8
☑ William E. Orgel (i)

District 8
☑ Mike Kernell
☐ Roshun Austin
☐ Damon Curry Morris

Sullivan County Schools
District 2
☑ Dan Wells (i)

District 4
☑ Michael W. Hughes
☐ Robyn Ivester
☐ Bruce Reed

District 6
☑ Jerry Greene (i)

Sumner County Schools
District 1
☑ Tammy Hayes
☐ Vanessa Silkwood (i)

District 3
☑ Alice Bachman
☐ Don Long (i)

District 5
☑ Jeff Cordell
☐ Janet Arnold (i)

District 7
☑ Andy Daniels (i)
☐ John Ruth

District 9
☑ Patricia H. Brown

District 11
☑ David A. Brown (i)
☐ Jeff Carter

Tipton County Schools
District 2
No candidate qualified for this seat.

District 4
☑ Grant Shipley Jr. (i)

District 6
☑ Richard Ellis Joyner (i)

District 8
☑ Marty Haywood (i)

Washington County Schools
District 1
☑ Annette Buchanan
☑ Keith Ervin (i)
☑ Jack Leonard (i)
☐ Chad A. Williams (i)

District 3
☑ David L. Hammond Jr. (i)
☑ Clarence Mabe (i)
☑ Mike Masters
☐ Todd Hull
☐ Scott Utsman

Williamson County Schools
District 2
☑ Daniel E. Cash
☐ Melody M. Morris
☐ Patsy Writesman

District 4
☑ Paul J. Bartholomew

District 6
☑ Jay Galbreath

District 8
☑ Pat Anderson
☐ Melody M. Morris (i)

District 10
☑ Beth Burgos
☐ Eric Welch (i)

District 12
☑ Susan Curlee
☐ Vicki Vogt (i)

Wilson County Schools
Zone 2
☑ Bill Robinson (i)

Zone 4
☑ Linda Armistead
☐ Ron Britt (i)
☐ Sam Green

Zone 5
☑ Larry Tomlinson (i)

See also

• School board elections, 2014
• Tennessee school board elections, 2014
• Tennessee elections, 2014