Election field taking shape
Targonski, Craig switch to Independent
As of late Monday, with the Feb. 19 deadline looming next Thursday, several would-be candidates who picked up petitions had not yet filed them to get their names on the ballot for the Anderson County May 5 primary and Aug. 6 county general election.
There were changes in the past week for two candidates for County Commission who initially filed to run as Republicans, but have now listed themselves as Independents. They are Tina Graham Targonski, running in District 2, and Kevin Craig, running in District 7.
Of the main countywide positions up for election this year, only Carl Bailey, one of four who picked up petitions to run for sheriff, had not yet filed his petition as of late Monday.
County Trustee Regina Copeland was the last of the countywide incumbent candidates to file a petition, which she did on Feb. 5.
The candidates, including two seeking the Republican nomination for Anderson County mayor, began filing for the various county positions when registration officially opened Dec. 22, with the primary election coming up May 5. Filing deadline is Feb. 19.
District 3 Commissioner Joshua Anderson has filed to run against incumbent Mayor Terry Frank in the GOP primary.
Frank was the first candidate for any county office to pick up and file a petition to run, seeking re-election to the post she has held since Sept. 1, 2012. The mayor serves a four-year term, but she was initially elected to fill out the two years remaining on the term of her predecessor, who resigned mid-term. She was re-elected to four-year terms in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
Candidates have picked up petitions to run in all eight commission districts, according to the Anderson County Election Commission.
Four candidates picked up petitions for the Republican nomination for county sheriff, including incumbent Russell Barker and challengers Bailey, David G. Davis and Colt Jennings. Bailey is the lone holdout.
So far, only the incumbents have picked up petitions for the other five countywide positions in the primary: Rex Lynch for Circuit Court clerk, Copeland for county trustee, Jeff Cole for county clerk, Tim Shelton for register of deeds, and Gary Long for road superintendent. All have filed their petitions.
Property Assessor John Alley’s position is not on this year’s ballot, nor are any of the judgeships.
There are 16 County Commission seats open, with two seats in each district. So far, there are at least two candidates who have picked up petitions to run in each of the eight districts.
Four of the eight county School Board district seats are up for election this year, for a four-year term.
The open seats are in School Board Districts 1, 2, 6 and 7.
Petitions have been picked up for all four of the open seats, but two of those candidates – in Districts 6 and 7 – are running as independents and will be only on the general election ballot on Aug. 6. The other two districts have candidates running in the Republican primary May 5.
Candidates who have picked up petitions or (filed) for County Commission (two seats open per district) as of Monday are (Republican, unless otherwise indicated below):
• District 1 – Chad McNabb (filed), Raymond Neil Phillips (filed), Tracy L. Wandell (filed).
• District 2 – Michael Y. Foster (filed), Lucas Heaton, Denise Palmer (filed), Tina Graham Targonski (filed, running as Independent in the Aug. 6 general election).
• District 3 – Shannon Gray (filed), Shelley Vandagriff (filed).
• District 4 – Richard Constanzo, Tim Isbel (filed), J. Shain Vowell, Amy Jones.
• District 5 – Martin “Marty” May, Robert McKamey (filed), Jeff Pack (filed), Karin Martin Partin (filed), Barbara Vickery (filed).
• District 6 – Anthony Allen (filed), Ebony M. Capshaw (Democrat, Derek Guy (Democrat, filed), Aaron Wells (filed).
• District 7 – Sabra Beauchamp, Sharon Bourgeois Capshaw (Democrat, filed), Nathan Mullins, Steve Verran (Democrat), Kevin Craig (Independent).
• District 8 – Jawrell Cook (filed), Don A. Layton (filed); Phil Yeager (Independent, Aug. 6 ballot only (filed).
School Board candidates who have picked up petitions or (filed):
• District 1 – James W. Wells III, Jo Williams (filed).
• District 2 – Katherine Birkbeck (filed), Debra Heaton.
• District 6 – Scott Gillenwaters, independent, Aug. 6 ballot only (filed).
• District 7 – Don A. Bell, independent, Aug. 6 ballot (filed).
Early voting for the May 5 primary election will be held April 15-30, while early voting for the Aug. 6 general election will run from July 17-Aug. 1.
