Bradley County Schools elections (2016)
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Five of the seven seats on the Bradley County Schools Board of Education were up for by-district general election on August 4, 2016.[1][2] In his bid for re-election to the District 1 seat, incumbent Chris Turner was defeated by challenger Nancy Casson. The District 3 race featured a rematch between incumbent Nicholas Lillios and challenger Melvin "Teddy" Bryson. Lillios defeated Bryson by one vote in 2012 to win his first term on the board. In the 2016 race, Bryson won the seat by more than 500 votes, according to unofficial election night results. Incumbents Rodney Dillard and Amanda Lee ran unopposed and won the District 5 and 6 seats, respectively. In District 7, incumbent Charlie Rose was defeated by challenger Jerry Frazier.[3][4][5][6]
With no open seats, the three successful newcomers had to defeat incumbents in order to win seats on the board. In 2014, one newcomer was able to defeat an incumbent, taking 54 percent of the vote.[7] To see how this race compared to past elections in both the district and the state, check out the "Election trends" section below.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Bradley County Board of Education consists of seven members elected by district to four-year terms. Elections are held on a staggered basis every August of even-numbered years. The District 2, 4, and 6 seats were up for election on August 7, 2014, and the District 1, 3, 5, and 7 seats were up for general election on August 4, 2016. The District 6 seat was also on the 2016 ballot to fill an unexpired two-year term. There was no primary election.[2][5][8]
To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to file their qualifying documents by April 7, 2016. The deadline to withdraw from the election was April 14, 2016.[1]
To vote in this election, residents of the district had to register by July 5, 2016.[1] Photo identification was required to vote in this election.[9]
Candidates and results
District 1
Results
| Bradley County Schools, District 1 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Nancy Casson |
77.28% | 1,476 |
| Chris Turner Incumbent | 22.57% | 431 |
| Write-in votes | 0.16% | 3 |
| Total Votes | 1,910 | |
| Source: Bradley County Election Commission, "Election Summary Report," accessed September 8, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Chris Turner | Nancy Casson 
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District 3
Results
| Bradley County Schools, District 3 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Melvin "Teddy" Bryson |
70.36% | 871 |
| Nicholas Lillios Incumbent | 29.32% | 363 |
| Write-in votes | 0.32% | 4 |
| Total Votes | 1,238 | |
| Source: Bradley County Election Commission, "Election Summary Report," accessed September 8, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Nicholas Lillios | Melvin "Teddy" Bryson
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District 5
Results
| Bradley County Schools, District 5 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Rodney Dillard Incumbent (unopposed) |
99.55% | 439 |
| Write-in votes | 0.45% | 2 |
| Total Votes | 441 | |
| Source: Bradley County Election Commission, "Election Summary Report," accessed September 8, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Rodney Dillard
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District 6
Results
| Bradley County Schools, District 6 General Election, 2-Year Term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Amanda Lee Incumbent (unopposed) |
99.13% | 681 |
| Write-in votes | 0.87% | 6 |
| Total Votes | 687 | |
| Source: Bradley County Election Commission, "Election Summary Report," accessed September 8, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Amanda Lee
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District 7
Results
| Bradley County Schools, District 7 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Jerry Frazier |
69.78% | 1,134 |
| Charlie Rose Incumbent | 29.91% | 486 |
| Write-in votes | 0.31% | 5 |
| Total Votes | 1,625 | |
| Source: Bradley County Election Commission, "Election Summary Report," accessed September 8, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Charlie Rose | Jerry Frazier
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Tennessee elections, 2016
The Bradley County Schools election shared the ballot with primary elections for the 3rd and 4th Congressional Districts of the U.S. House of Representatives, the District 10 seat on the Tennessee State Senate, and the District 22 and District 24 seats on the Tennessee House of Representatives. It also shared the ballot with general elections for Bradley County Assessor of Property and some city-level offices.[2]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for Tennessee school board elections in 2016:[1]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| April 7, 2016 | Candidate filing deadline |
| April 11, 2016 | 1st quarter campaign finance report due |
| April 14, 2016 | Candidate withdrawal deadline |
| July 5, 2016 | Voter registration deadline |
| July 11, 2016 | 2nd quarter campaign finance report due |
| July 15, 2016 - July 30, 2016 | Early voting period |
| July 28, 2016 | Pre-election campaign finance report due |
| August 4, 2016 | Election day |
| October 11, 2016 | 3rd quarter campaign finance report due |
| January 25, 2017 | 4th quarter campaign finance report due |
Endorsements
The Bradley County Education Alliance endorsed District 1 challenger Nancy Casson, District 3 challenger Melvin "Teddy" Bryson, and District 7 challenger Jerry Frazier.[10]
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign finance
The pre-general campaign financial disclosure report for this election was due July 28, 2016. Candidates were also required to file quarterly reports for the 2016 election year. Those reports were due on April 11, 2016; July 11, 2016; October 11, 2016; and January 25, 2017.[1]
Reports
Candidates received a total of $14,951.22 and spent a total of $10,853.26 as of July 25, 2016, according to the Bradley County Election Commission.[11]
| Candidate | Existing balance | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Turner | $0.00 | $3,195.00 | $3,091.93 | $103.07 |
| Nancy Casson | $0.00 | $3,550.06 | $0.00 | $3,550.06 |
| Nicholas Lillios | $0.00 | $788.00 | $788.00 | $0.00 |
| Melvin "Teddy" Bryson | $0.00 | $627.95 | $627.95 | $0.00 |
| Rodney Dillard | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Amanda Lee | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Charlie Rose | $0.00 | $3,540.21 | $3,166.97 | $373.24 |
| Jerry Frazier | $900.00 | $3,250.00 | $3,178.41 | $971.59 |
Past elections
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What was at stake?
2016
Election trends
- See also: School board elections, 2014
Three new members were elected to the Bradley County Schools Board of Education in 2016 after defeating incumbents. Though there were five seats up for election, there was only the chance for three new members to be elected due to two incumbents running unopposed.
The district's 2014 election put two new members on the board. One won an open seat, and one defeated an incumbent. With three seats on the ballot, that meant newcomers took 66.67 percent of the seats up for election. The only incumbent to win re-election that year was unopposed. Overall in 2014, Tennessee's largest school districts saw newcomers win 45.98 percent of the seats up for election. A total of 75.41 percent of incumbents statewide won re-election that year.
The Bradley County Board of Education election in 2016 attracted fewer candidates per seat compared to past elections in the district. The district's 2012 election had an average of 1.75 candidates run per seat, and in 2014, an average of 1.67 candidates ran per seat. In 2016, eight candidates ran for five seats, which equaled 1.6 candidates per seat. The state's 2014 average was 1.94 candidates per seat.
The district's 2016 race had a higher percentage of unopposed seats than its 2014 election, but a lower percentage compared to the 2012 election. Two of the five seats on the ballot in 2016 (40 percent) were unopposed. In 2014, 33.33 percent of the seats were unopposed, and in 2012, 50 percent of the seats were unopposed. Statewide in 2014, 36.78 percent of school board seats saw no opposition.
Issues in the state
Transgender bathroom bill withdrawn
State Rep. Susan Lynn (R-57) proposed legislation in January 2016 that would require public school students in kindergarten through college to use the bathroom and locker room that corresponded with the sex listed on their birth certificates. Four months later, she withdrew the bill. "I am still absolutely 100 percent in support of maintaining the privacy of all students. But I'm going to roll the bill over until next year so we can work on those issues," Lynn said.[12][13]
House Bill 2414 drew criticism from local media and some companies threatened to withhold business from the state if the bill were passed. Lynn said that was not why she withdrew the bill; instead, she put it on hold in order to further study the issue. She said school districts in Tennessee were "largely following what the bill says."[12][14]
While HB 2414 was still in committee, Gov. Bill Haslam (R) expressed concern about the bill. “I’m hearing that our school boards have figured out how to adjust to each situation that arises, and to date, I’m not hearing parents say we have [a] problem in our schools today,” said Haslam.[15]
State Reps. Mike Stewart (D-52) and Harry Brooks (R-19) asked for an opinion on the issue from Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery (R). Slatery responded by warning that the state could lose federal Title IX funding if the bill were passed.[16]
| “ | As things currently stand, we must, as a practical matter, assume that H.B. 2414 would violate Title IX, because the enforcer of Title IX has clearly interpreted — and enforced — Title IX to prohibit as 'discriminatory on the basis of sex' what H.B. 2414 is designed to accomplish.[17] | ” |
| —Attorney General Herbert Slatery (April 2016)[16] | ||
Stewart said Slatery's opinion was the "final nail in the coffin" for the bill. He and State Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-55) said the bill could also hinder the state's goal of creating a business-friendly climate.[16] Executives of dozens of companies had signed a letter to state lawmakers asking them to reject the bill on the grounds that it was discriminatory.[18]
David Fowler, former state senator and president of the Family Action Council of Tennessee, objected to Slatery's opinion. He said the attorney general had used settlement agreements rather than court decisions to warn the state legislature away from passing the bill. "Settlement agreements have no persuasive value as a matter of law, unlike the court decisions that have actually ruled in favor of sex-designated bathrooms," Fowler said.[16]
After the bill was withdrawn, Fowler issued a statement:
| “ | But we join the thousands of parents across the state who are profoundly disappointed that at this point in the process Rep. Lynn has decided not to proceed with a bill that would have simply protected the privacy of the children they have entrusted to our public schools.[17] | ” |
| —David Fowler (April 2016)[12] | ||
In addition to receiving support from the Family Action Council of Tennessee, the bill was backed by approximately 30 pastors from the Tennessee Pastors Network. At least 67,000 state citizens opposed the bill, as two transgender high school students turned in that many signatures to the governor's office. They were joined by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, the Tennessee Equality Project, the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition, and the Human Rights Campaign.[12]
Candidate survey
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About the district
- See also: Bradley County Schools, Tennessee
The Bradley County school district is located in Bradley County in south-eastern Tennessee. The county seat is Cleveland. Bradley County was home to 104,091 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[19] The district was the 18th-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 10,455 students.[20]
Demographics
Bradley County underperformed compared to Tennessee as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 19.3 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 24.4 percent of state residents. The median household income in Bradley County was $41,575, compared to $44,621 for the entire state. The poverty rate was 17.5 percent, compared to 18.3 percent for the entire state.[19]
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Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Bradley County Schools' 'Tennessee'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Bradley County Schools | Tennessee | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Tennessee Secretary of State, "Election Calendar 2016," accessed March 30, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bradley County Election Commission, "State Primary & County General August 4, 2016," accessed April 8, 2016
- ↑ Abbey Smith, "Phone communication with the Bradley County Election Commission," April 12, 2016
- ↑ Timesfreepress.com, "Nicholas Lillios wins seat on Bradley County school board," August 7, 2012
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bradley County Schools, "Board Members," accessed March 30, 2016
- ↑ Bradley County Election Commission, "Election Summary Report," accessed August 4, 2016
- ↑ Bradley County Election Commission, "Election Summary Report," accessed April 7, 2016
- ↑ Bradley County Election Commission, "Latest Election Results," accessed August 7, 2014
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "What ID is required when voting?" accessed March 30, 2016
- ↑ Bradley County Education Alliance, "Bradley County Parents, Teachers, and Students Support," July 16, 2016
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Phaedra Walker," July 29, 2016
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 The Tennesseean, "Transgender bathroom bill dead for year," April 18, 2016
- ↑ Open States, "HB 2414," accessed April 19, 2016
- ↑ Knoxville News Sentinel, "Tennessee lawmakers should stay out of students’ restrooms," April 3, 2016
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Tennessee Governor Skeptical Of Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bill," April 13, 2016
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 The Tennesseean, "Attorney general: Tennessee bathroom bill threatens Title IX funds," April 11, 2016
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ CBS News, "Tennessee lawmakers under fire over transgender bathroom bill," April 13, 2016
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 United States Census Bureau, "Bradley County, Tennessee," accessed April 7, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Election Results," accessed June 26, 2014
| 2016 Bradley County Schools Elections | |
| Bradley County, Tennessee | |
| Election date: | August 4, 2016 |
| Candidates: | District 1: • Incumbent, Chris Turner • Nancy Casson District 3: • Incumbent, Nicholas Lillios • Melvin "Teddy" Bryson District 5: • Incumbent, Rodney Dillard District 6: • Incumbent, Amanda Lee District 7: • Incumbent, Charlie Rose • Jerry Frazier |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
