Clerks, school board members and other Democrats elected in local May primaries will officially take office after being unopposed in Thursday’s election.
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***Note from The Tennessee Conservative – this article posted here for informational purposes only.
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by Mikeie Honda Reiland [The Nashville Banner, Creative Commons] –
Tennessee voters chose to retain seven higher court judges Thursday. Additionally, several Nashville judges, clerks and school board members who won county Democrat primaries this spring officially claimed their seats because they ran unopposed in Thursday night’s general election.
Judicial retention votes
Per Tennessee statute, after an appellate court judge is appointed and confirmed, they must face a retention vote at the next regular August election. Judges in the Tennessee Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Court of Criminal Appeals must meet this requirement. Offered the choice to retain or replace, Tennessee voters chose to retain all seven judges facing a retention vote.
If the outcome had been different, the usual appointment process would have started over, beginning with applications, then public interviews by the Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments, which would have sent three names to the governor to choose from and appoint, pending the General Assembly’s confirmation.
The following judges have been retained, each with around three-fourths of the vote:
- Supreme Court At Large: Kyle A. Hixson, appointed by Gov. Bill Lee (2026)
- Supreme Court At Large: Mary L. Wagner, appointed by Gov. Bill Lee (2024)
- Court of Appeals Eastern Division: William E. Phillips, appointed by Gov. Bill Lee (2026)
- Court of Appeals Western Division: Steve Maroney, appointed by Gov. Bill Lee (2026)
- Court of Appeals Western Division: Valerie L. Smith, appointed by Gov. Bill Lee (2026)
- Court of Criminal Appeals Eastern Division: Stacy L. Street, appointed by Gov. Bill Lee (2026)
- Court of Criminal Appeals Eastern Division: Steven W. Sword, appointed by Gov. Bill Lee (2025)
Unopposed Nashville races
The following local candidates won their Democrat primaries in May and ran unopposed in the general election. Notably, Corletra Mance and Dawn Deaner defeated incumbents in Family and Criminal courts, respectively, while Jodie Bell kept her seat in General Sessions Court.
- Circuit Court Judge Division III 20th Judicial District Corletra Mance
- Criminal Court Judge Division III 20th Judicial District Dawn Deaner
- Public Defender 20th Judicial District Martesha Johnson Moore
- County Trustee Erica S. Gilmore
- General Sessions Judge Division VI Jodie Ann Bell
- Sheriff Daron Hall
- Circuit Court Clerk Joseph P. Day
- Criminal Court Clerk Howard Gentry
- Juvenile Court Clerk Lonnell Matthews Jr.
- County Clerk Sharon W. Hurt
- Register of Deeds Karen Johnson
- School Board Member District 2 Rachael Anne Elrod
- School Board Member District 4 Berthena Nabaa-McKinney
- School Board Member District 6 Cheryl D. Mayes
- School Board Member District 8 Erin O’Hara Block
One Response
Sadly, VERY few take time to educate themselves on judges.
Valerie L. Smith REALLY needed to go. She has several dimmercrap endorsements.
I really doubt we’re going to be able to Keep our Republic.