Emert, Barker, Lynch lead in early, absentee voting

Note: This story was last updated at 8:48 p.m.

CLINTON—Anderson County Commissioner Steve Emert had a narrow 63-vote lead over Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank in the race for a four-year term as mayor in early and absentee voting results released after primary election polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Emert had 2,997 votes (50.53 percent) compared to 2,934 (49.47 percent) for Frank, who was first elected in August 2012. Both are candidates in the Anderson County Republican Party primary.

Election day votes have not been tabulated, so results could change. The results that follow are from the Republican Party primary. There are two candidates in the Democratic primary, Mark Lucas for sheriff and Ebony Capshaw for trustee, but they are unopposed in the primary election and are assured a spot in the August 2 county general election.

In the three-person Republican race for Anderson County sheriff, Scott Barker, a Clinton Police Department detective sergeant and director of the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force, had a significant lead over Lewis Ridenour, an Oak Ridge Police Department officer and former chief deputy. Barker had 2,841 votes (49.88 percent), compared to 1,992 (34.97 percent) for Ridenour, according to the unofficial results.

A third candidate for sheriff, Mark “Hollywood” Whaley, had 863 votes (15.15 percent).

In one of the most closely watched races, former Anderson County Mayor Rex Lynch had 3,644 votes (70.01 percent), compared to 1,561 votes (29.99 percent) for the incumbent, William Jones.

In the trustee election, 911 Director Regina Copeland had a large lead over Clinton Mayor Scott Burton and former Anderson County Commissioner Scott Gillenwaters. Copeland had 2,747 votes (47.74 percent), compared to 1,866 (32.60 percent) for Burton and 1,131 (19.66 percent) for Gillenwaters.

Incumbent Jeff Cole, the county clerk, had a large lead, 74 percent to 26 percent, over businesswoman Leesa Arowood. Cole had 4,300 votes, compared to 1,523 for Arowood.

Incumbent Tim Shelton, the register of deeds, had a similar 74 percent-to-26 percent lead over his challenger, Rocky Top City Manager Michael Foster. Shelton had 4,159 votes, compared to 1,504 for Foster.

Anderson County Road Superintendent Gary Long, a Republican, did not have a GOP challenger in the primary today (Tuesday, May 1), and he also does not have a Democratic challenger in the August 2 county general election.

See our previous story on the candidates here.

More information will be added as it becomes available.