Democrat, Republican endorse candidates for Rutherford County offices

• 37 candidates seek seats on Rutherford County Commission
• Local GOP will not endorse any independents
• Democrats have 11 candidates for commission
• Republican Party dominates current commission and has nominees for all 21 seats

Chantho Sourinho endorsed all 10 fellow Democratic candidates to possibly join him on the Rutherford County Commission, a party press release announced.

Sourinho is running unopposed in the Aug. 4 election with current early voting running through July 30. He’s the lone Democrat on the current 21-member commission dominated by Republicans. At least eight new commissioners will win after retirements or incumbents losing in the GOP primary.

Fellow Democratic candidate Mariah Phillips said in the press release she’s looking forward to “working side-by-side with (Sourinho)” when elected to the commission. She’s competing against Jeff Phillips, an incumbent Republican representing District 17 in a Murfreesboro area that’s near Middle Tennessee State University.

Fellow Democrat Hope Oliver mentioned her party’s support for public education and opposition to charter schools promoted by Republican Gov. Bill Lee. Oliver is running against David Gammon, an incumbent Republican, for a District 1 seat that represents north La Vergne.

The local GOP led by Chairman Austin Maxwell expects the Republican Party to remain strong.

“We fully endorse and fully support all our Republican nominees for county commission and countywide offices,” Maxwell said.

GOP endorsement only for nominees

The local GOP is not endorsing any independent candidates, including any of them describing themselves as Republicans, Maxwell said. 

“Tennessee GOP bylaws state that local Republican parties exist to elect Republican candidates v. Democratic candidates in partisan elections,” Maxwell said. “The word independent appears no where in the GOP bylaws. Hence, we support all of our Republican candidates.”

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37 seats on commission

The Rutherford County Democratic Party has 11 candidates competing for commission districts but none for countywide offices.  

The following shows the candidates for each of the districts:

• District 1: David Gammon, incumbent Republican; Democrat Hope Oliver, Democrat;
• District 2: Steve Pearcy, unopposed incumbent Republican;
• District 3: Michael Wrather, incumbent Republican; Anita L. Herron, Democrat;
• District 4: Michael A. Rodgers, Republican; Robert Peay Jr., incumbent independent
• District 5: Carol Cook, incumbent Republican; Laura Davidson, independent;
• District 6: Jonathan Beverly, Republican; Tim Tidwell, independent;
• District 7: Mike Kusch, incumbent Republican; Joseph Locher, Democrat; Paul “Roscoe” Williams, independent;
• District 8: Pettus Read, incumbent Republican; Matthew Burke, Democrat;
• District 9: Joshua James, Republican;  Mark A. Linville, Democrat;
• District 10: Philip E. Wilson, Republican; Iris Dismukes, Democrat;
• District 11: Anthony Johnson, unopposed Republican
• District 12: Carl B. Boyd, Republican; Celest Davis, Democrat;
• District 13: Paul Johnson, incumbent Republican; Byron Glenn, independent;
• District 14: Wayne Irvin, unopposed Republican
• District 15: Craig Harris, incumbent Republican; Cedric Alford, Democrat;
• District 16: Phil Dodd, incumbent Republican; Kyle Mullicane, Democrat;
• District 17: Jeff Phillips, incumbent Republican: Mariah Phillips, Democrat;
• District 18: Allen McAdoo, unopposed incumbent Republican;
• District 19: Corey B. Sippola, Republican; Romel McMurry, independent;
• District 20: Trey Gooch, unopposed incumbent Republican;
• District 21: Chantho Sourinho, unopposed incumbent Democrat