New faces fill county commission

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Election day not only brings out the voters, it brings out the campaigners, equipped with campaign signs. This group stationed at McMinnville City Hall yesterday includes, from left, Jackie Pope, Glynda Stevens, Alex Smartt and Rhonda Galligan.

The makeup of the Warren County Commission changed dramatically Thursday as nearly half of the commission will be made up of new faces beginning Sept. 1.

The anti-incumbent movement, which began in the Democratic Primary in May with losses by incumbents Frank Rice, Brad Cantrell and M.A. Bouldin, did not continue significantly into the general election although four commission veterans were handed their walking papers by the voters of their districts.

Of the 24 commission seats, 13 incumbents were returned to office, meaning there will be 11 new commissioners. The total was reached by seven incumbents being defeated in either the primary or Thursday’s election and by four commissioners choosing not to seek re-election.

Among incumbents defeated Thursday were Swanson Bennett of the 2nd District, replaced on the commission by Roy J. Pierce IV who will join incumbent Carl E. Bouldin in that district.

In the 9th District, Phil Hyatt was defeated by Donnie Caldwell who will join incumbent Gary Prater as a representative. In the 11th District, Edwin Grissom fell to Terry L. Bell who led the district in votes and will join incumbent David E. Vandagriff in that district on the commission. In the 12th District, Les Trotman and Hershell Wells defeated incumbent Bobby Cox.

Incumbents returned to office not mentioned above include Sally Brock and Bill Zechman of the 1st District, George Smartt in the 3rd District, Michael Martin in the 5th District, Bryan Denton and Wayne Pryor in the 6th District, Herb Wright in the 7th District, Danice Taylor in the 8th District, Bessie Smithson and Carl Hulett in the 9th District, and Gary Prater in the 10th District.