Knox County Municipal Election Results

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 By Echo Menges 

About one in five Knox County voters made their way to the polls or cast an absentee ballot for the Municipal Election on April 2 with a low voter turnout of 21.39 percent and a total of 523 ballots cast out of 2,445 registered voters, according to information released by the County Clerk’s Office. 

The countywide Knox County Proposition passed by a large margin with 433 yes votes to 81 no votes. Voters were in support by a margin of 84 percent to 16 percent opposed the four-year continuance of an existing sales tax of one-half of one percent for road and bridge building, repair, maintenance, and general capital improvement. 

The Knox County R-1 School Board race, also countywide, attracted three candidates vying for two open seats. Incumbent Karisha Devlin brought in the most votes with 384 votes followed by newcomer Jason Doss’ 373 votes over challenger Martha Strange’s 167 votes. Devlin and Doss will be sworn-in to begin the new term this month. 

At the Baring precinct, voter turnout dipped below the county average at 19.67 percent with 60 out of 305 registered voters making their way to the ballot box on election day. 

Teresa Hunolt was the top vote winner for the Baring City Council race with 11 votes and 36.67 percent of the margin. The incumbent will continue to serve. Newcomer Cody Moore obtained the second-highest number of votes with eight and will join the Council this month. Third runner-up, Brett Lowe pulled in seven votes, however, this third-place placing will not affect his participation in the Council. 

Lowe was recently appointed as the Baring Mayor after the resignation of Mayor Tony Snelling. According to a Council member, Snelling resigned after moving out of town. 

In Edina, voter turnout on Election Day was 17.54 percent with 168 ballots cast out of 958 registered voters. 

Linda Kerr will replace Edina Mayor Alex Reel, who did not file for the office this year. Kerr ran unopposed for the seat and will join the Edina City Counsel this week. 

Edina’s incumbent City Council members, David Bugh in the First Ward, Staci Rimer in the Second Ward, and Rick Yoakum in the Third Ward, ran unopposed and will begin new terms this month. 

The Hurdland precinct saw the lowest voter turnout on election day with only 12.5 percent of voters going to the poll casting 39 ballots out of 312 registered voters. 

No one filed for the open Hurdland Mayor seat, two one-year, or two two-year City Council seats. 

Cortland Shobe was the top write-in for the Mayor position with three votes. Sarah Vansickle had one write-in vote for the Mayor’s seat. 

Julie Green got three write-in votes, and Tom Boatman got two write-in votes for the two open one-year Hurdland City Council seats pushing them ahead of two other write-in candidates who each received one write-in vote – Linda Baker and Katie Hamlin. 

Curtis Mason got three write-in votes and Brian Mason got two write-in votes for the two open two-year seats on the Hurdland City Council. Tammy Florea and Donna Cardwell each received one write-in vote. 

Knox City had an election day voter turnout of 17.69 percent of voters casting 72 ballots out of 407 registered voters. 

Knox City Mayor Larry Edwards ran unopposed and received 24 votes. Six candidates were written in for the Mayor seat who were not named in the election results. 

For Knox City Counsel, Lori Strange and Jazzlyn Fuller ran for two open seats receiving 32 and 28 votes respectively. 

In Newark, the second highest percentage of voters turned out on election day with 24.74 percent and 47 ballots being cast out of 190 registered voters. 

Three Newark Board of Trustees candidates filed for three open seats. Bettina Wainwright received 15 votes. Rita Lindsey received 14 votes. Sheree Lumley received 13 votes. No absentee Newark ballots were cast. No candidates were written in. 

Novelty voters had the most questions on the Municipal Election ballot and the highest voter turnout countywide on election day with 31.87 percent turning out to cast 87 ballots out of 273 registered voters. 

Novelty voters cast 27 votes for Rejena Franke for Mayor. Eight votes were cast for write-in candidate Ryan Nelson. Franke will be sworn in this month. 

The Village of Novelty Council has been operating under interim Mayor Kent Franke since former Mayor Jason Violette resigned last year, after moving out of town. 

Novelty Council incumbents Chris Thyson and Kent Franke have been reelected. Thyson received 39 votes and Franke received 38 votes to write-in candidate Amber Nelson’s seven votes. 

Novelty voters also supported continuing a street tax of 25 cents per 100 valuation for street maintenance for a four-year term. 

Fifty-two absentee ballots were cast by Knox County voters ahead of this year’s Municipal Election Day. Those votes have been included in the totals given above.