Wayne County voters turned out in moderate numbers last week, electing some newcomers to the political arena, re-electing some incumbents, and giving votes of approval to some who ran unopposed.
Incumbent Jim Mangubat was re-elected to the seat of Wayne County Executive, defeating challenger Phillip A. Casteel by a margin of 2381 votes to 1403 (63% to 37%). Casteel carried two precincts near his home in southern Wayne County, Shawnettee and Southgate.
Three ladies were on the ballot to fill the seat of Wayne County Trustee upon the retirement of Janice Smith. Marsheila “Sheila” Rich came out on top with 42% of the vote. Christi Moore came in second with 30%, followed by Shawna Rich in third place with 28% of the vote. While Moore carried the precincts of Waynesboro, Clifton, Crazy Horse, Eagle Creek, Woodmen of the World, Buffalo River, and Ovilla, Sheila Rich was victorious with 1592 total votes. Shawna Rich carried the Big Cypress precinct, garnering 47% of the votes cast at that location.
There were three on the ballot for Circuit Court Clerk. Carol Warren will fill the seat held by Bill Crews for many years. Warren won over Verna Lay Miller by the very slim margin of 15 votes (1517 to 1502). Newcomer Barton Brison made a respectable showing by earning 770 votes. Most precincts, along with the absentee votes, were only divided by 10 or so votes between Warren and Miller. Brison was victorious in the southern precincts of Shawnettee and Southgate.
Wayne County Sheriff Shane Fisher completed a successful run to retain his seat, earning 2636 votes (66%) to Timmy Dale Harris’ 1331 votes (34%). This will be Fisher’s second term as Sheriff of Wayne County.
Wayne County incumbents who ran unopposed to retain their seats included County Clerk Stan Horton, Register of Deeds Tyler Strait, Road Superintendent Chuck Moser, and General Sessions Judge James Y. Ross.
Some new faces were elected to the Wayne County Board of Commissioners as well. Only two ran in District 1, Herbert Brewer and newcomer Logan Shull. Brewer garnered 54% of the votes in the district, with Shull getting 46%.
District 2 Commissioners Tom Mathis, Jr. and Stephen “Fuzz” Pevahouse ran unopposed to keep their seats on the Commission. Pevahouse received 55% of the District 2 votes, and Mathis received 45%.
Five were on the ballot for County Commission District 3, with only one incumbent, Tim Prater, seeking re-election. Winning the two available seats were brothers Tyler and Colby McDonald, with 314 and 293 votes respectively. Prater followed in third place with 142 votes, while Phil Dedrick earned 117 votes and Ben Kelley earned 105.
There were five on the ballot in District 4 as well: Stanley Hanback, Jeremy Heard, Timothy L. Powell, Brent Smith, and Mason Smith. Hanback and Heard were the top two vote-getters, with 349 and 230 votes respectively. Brent Smith and Mason Smith followed with 219 and 174 votes, while incumbent Commissioner Tim Powell came in fifth with 134 votes.
In Wayne County District 5, Vickie Petty and Sherrie Powers ran unopposed to retain their Commission seats. Petty received 52% of the votes cast, while Powers received 48%
District 6 incumbent Commissioners David Martin and Kathryn Staggs won the top two slots in their district with 396 and 327 votes. Challenger Clayton Cross received a respectable 198 votes to come in third.
The top vote-getter in District 7 was political newcomer Alvin W. Creecy, who received 436 (45%) of the votes cast in the district. Incumbent Commissioner Rickey Kelley placed second with 282 votes (29%) to retain the other Commission seat, and Katherine Reeves came in third with 243 votes (25%).
Three districts on the Wayne County School Board were on the ballot. District 5 Member Sherman Martin was unopposed, along with District 7 Member Amanda Gatlin VanFleet. Two were on the ballot for the District 2 seat, with “Little” Mark Staggs winning over Robert Lee Culp by a slim margin of 57 to 52 votes.
Three seats on the Waynesboro City Commission were on the ballot as well, with three incumbent Commissioners running unchallenged. Jeff Howell received 34% of the votes cast, while Tony Creasy garnered 33% and Chris Bevis received 32%.
In the State Primary Election, Wayne County’s Jason Rich was defeated by Lawrence Countian Kip Capley on the Republican ticket for Tennessee House of Representatives District 7; however, Rich carried the Wayne County vote by a handy margin of 57.6% over closest competitor Mitchell Skelton, who received 31.9% of Wayne County’s votes.
