Rutherford County Voters Shake Up Local Leadership In Primary Election

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS) - Local voters opted for change Tuesday night as several incumbents lost their seats in the Rutherford County primary.

In the race for County Mayor, Randy Allen secured the Republican nomination by defeating incumbent Mayor Joe Carr and County Commissioner Craig Harris. This marks a major victory for Allen, who previously ran for the seat twice as an independent candidate. Carr, a former State Representative who unseated Bill Ketron four years ago, fell short in his bid for a second term. Because no Democrats qualified for the August ballot, Allen is now the presumed successor to the mayor's office.

HEAR BRYAN BARRETT'S INTERVIEW WITH RANDY ALLEN

The shake-up continued at the judicial building where Jeff McKinney unseated incumbent Circuit Court Clerk Melissa Harrell. Harrell was seeking her third term in office but fell short as McKinney captured nearly 55 percent of the vote. McKinney is unopposed in the August general election.

HEAR BRYAN BARRETT'S INTERVIEW WITH JEFF MCKINNEY


The Sheriff's office is also preparing for a change in leadership following the retirement of Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh. Fitzhugh first took the helm in 2017 after being appointed to steady the department following the suspension and eventual federal conviction of former Sheriff Robert Arnold. After winning two full terms and serving nearly nine years, Fitzhugh announced last September he would not seek re-election in 2026. Lieutenant Kenneth Barrett secured the Republican nod to succeed him, earning 52 percent of the vote. He defeated fellow department Deputy Chief Steve Spence and veteran Murfreesboro Police Officer Trey Mansfield, a 33-year veteran with K-9 and SWAT experience. Barrett will face independent challengers Kevin Dodds and James Rankin in the August general election.

HEAR BRYAN BARRETT'S INTERVIEW WITH KENNETH BARRETT

The Rutherford County School Board will also see significant changes after two incumbents lost their primary bids. In Zone 1, challenger Chuck Isbell defeated incumbent Tammy Sharp. In Zone 7, Julie Wishing unseated incumbent Frances Rosales. Zone 4 incumbent Katie Darby was the only board member on the ballot to retain her seat, holding off challenger Clarissa Smith.

Rutherford County General Election: August 6th Matchups

Rutherford County Mayor

• Randy Allen (R) vs. (No Opposition) Note: With no Democrat or Independent in the race, Allen is the presumed Mayor-elect.

Rutherford County Sheriff

• Kenneth Barrett (R) vs. Kevin Dodds (I) vs. James Rankin (I)

Circuit Court Clerk

• Jeff McKinney (R) vs. (No Opposition) Note: With no Democrat or Independent in the race, McKinney is the presumed Circuit Court Clerk-elect.

County Commission (Contested General Election Races)

• District 1: David Gammon (R) vs. Hope Oliver (D)

• District 4: Robert Peay Jr. (R) vs. Will Lehew (D)

• District 6: Jonathan R Beverly (R) vs. Danielle Nadeau (D)

• District 7: Michael Kusch (R) vs. Catie Beth Thomas (D)

• District 8: Bill Tollett (R) vs. Jennifer Burke (D)

• District 9: Joshua James (R) vs. Jake Malmstrom (D)

• District 11: Anthony Johnson (R) vs. Wayne Sharpe (D)

• District 12: Carl Boyd (R) vs. Celest Davis (D)

• District 13: Brian Stoll (R) vs. Brendan Doughtie (D)

• District 15: Shawn McGowan (R) vs. Chay Woods (D)

• District 16: Phil Dodd (R) vs. Cathy Watts (D)

• District 17: Terry Hodge (R) vs. Sean Tyler Gilliland (D)

• District 18: Allen McAdoo (R) vs. Diana Carter (D)

• District 19: Pat Clements (D) vs. Romel McMurry (I)

• District 20: Trey Gooch (R) vs. Josh Walker (D)

• District 21: Jeff Lloyd (R) vs. Laura Blackwell Clark (D)

Rutherford County School Board

• Zone 1: Chuck Isbell (R) vs. Jeanice McCord (D) vs. Sumatra Drayton (I)

• Zone 4: Katie Darby (R) vs. Brian Hall (D) vs. Dayna Nichols (I)

• Zone 7: Julie Wishing (R) vs. Jonathan Yancey (D)

Murfreesboro City School Board (Vote for 3)

• Barbara Hutchins Long (R) vs. Amanda Moore (I) vs. Karen Dodd (I) Note: Since there are 3 candidates for 3 seats, all are effectively elected.

Tuesday Night Final Results (30 of 30 Centers Reporting)

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

• Mayor: Randy Allen (6,844), Joe Carr (6,459), Craig Harris (5,584)

• Sheriff: Kenneth Barrett (9,894), Trey Mansfield (5,559), Steven Spence (3,467)

• Court Clerk: Jeff McKinney (10,024), Melissa Harrell (8,194)

• Trustee: Teb Batey (16,324)

• County Clerk: Lisa Duke Crowell (16,485)

• Register of Deeds: Heather Dawbarn (16,318)

• School Board Zone 1: Chuck Isbell (607), Tammy Sharp (462)

• School Board Zone 4: Katie Darby (1,693), Clarissa Smith (1,314)

• School Board Zone 7: Julie Wishing (1,855), Frances Rosales (1,205)

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

• School Board Zone 1: Jeanice McCord (518)

• School Board Zone 4: Brian Hall (693)

• School Board Zone 7: Jonathan Yancey (725)

• Comm. Dist 21: Laura Blackwell Clark (250), Ashley Benkarski (210)

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS) - As polls close in Rutherford County at 7pm, voters will decide the future of local government in the Primary Election. High interest surrounds the race for County Mayor, where Joe Carr, Craig Harris, and Randy Allen are vying for the position. Our team is stationed at the Rutherford County Election Commission and our Election Headquarters to bring you live updates as the numbers are tallied and released.

Beyond the Mayor's race, several other local seats are on the ballot. In the Sheriff's race, Kenneth Barrett, Trey Mansfield and Steve Spence are competing, while Melissa Harrell and Jeff McKinney face off to be the next Circuit Court Clerk. There are three contested Rutherford County School Board races and several county commission races also hotly contested on the primary ballot.

Listen live to FM 101.9 and AM 1450 in Murfreesboro, FM 100.5 in Smyrna or here at WGNSRadio.com for real-time results and expert analysis and we break in and out of Atlanta Braves baseball.

You can also watch our live stream on Big G TV for continuous coverage, with candidate interviews and local reactions as the night progresses. Bryan Barrett will anchor our coverage throughout the evening.

Stay with WGNS for the most comprehensive local election coverage in Rutherford County.

LINKS TO RESULTS

Election Day Results | https://secured.rutherfordcountytn.gov/election/currentelectionresults/

After Election Results | https://secured.rutherfordcountytn.gov/election/050526-html/