The August election will be a county general election and the state and federal primary. When you go to the polls, you will be asked if you want to vote in the republican or democrat primary for the state and federal election. But no matter which primary you choose, you will be able to vote for all the local county offices that are on the ballot. The August election historically has the lowest turnout of all elections.

The most action in this election will be in the county school board races. School board elections run on staggered terms. This election will be for the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th districts.

First district seat "A" will have three contenders. Two term incumbent Bill Marcus will be defending his seat against Tellico Villager, Ken Hupp and Kenny Ridings of Loudon. Hupp is a retired school director from Illinois. Ridings is a Loudon Police officer who also serves as the SRO, School Resource Officer, for Loudon County School system.

Two term incumbent Scott Newman, first district seat "B", will be running unopposed.

Voters may vote for one candidate for each seat.

Third district will have two new comers with the decision of incumbent Lisa Russell not to seek re-election. Philip Moffett and Michael Phillips will be vying for the seat.

The fifth district will see the most action. Incumbent, Gary Ubben seat "A" will have three challengers. Brian Brown, Teresa Karimian, and Freddie E. Walker will be challenging Ubben for his seat. Brown is an employee of the Loudon County maintenance department. This will be Karimian's second fore a into politics. She ran for county commission in 2010 but came up short on her bid to unseat commissioner Harold Duff. Freddie E. Walker is the former fifth district seat "A" school board representative. Walker was defeated in 2008 by Ubben.

I will be challenged by twenty-one year old Jeremy Buckles for seat "B" in the fifth district.

Voters may vote for one candidate for each seat.

Seventh district incumbent Craig Simon will be unopposed in his re-election bid.

Also on the county ballot will be the Loudon County Property Assessor. Since Mike Campbell won the republican primary back in March and no democrats qualified to run for the office, Campbell will be unopposed. 

In the state house races, 21st district republican incumbent Jimmy Matlock will be unopposed in the August primary but will face democrat challenger Andrew Bennett in the November general election.

32nd district republican incumbent, Julia Hurley, will be challenged in the August primary by former Roane County commissioner, Kent Calfee. The winner of the August primary will face two challengers in the November general election. Democrat Jack McNew and independent Allen Cole will be on the November ballot. Both are Roane County residents.

Lenoir City voters will have two important Charter change questions to vote on in the August election.

The first will be asking the voters if they want to change the office of the Treasurer/Recorder from an elected position to an appointed position. If the voters opt to change the office to an appointed position, it will then be the city council who will choose the person who will fill the position rather than the voters. 

The second Charter change question on the ballot will be asking to extend the term of the mayor from two years to four years.

Below are the two questions as they will appear on the ballot. Voters will be asked to vote for the amendment or against the amendment.

Question 1

Shall Amendment 1 to the Charter of the City of Lenoir City, Tennessee, proposed in Section 1 of Ordinance No. 2012-3-26-1967-C which changes the position of City Recorder/Treasurer from a popularly elected position with a four-year term to a position consisting of a qualified City Recorder/Treasurer serving at the pleasure of the City Council be approved?

Question 2

Shall Amendment 2 to the Charter of the City of Lenoir City, Tennessee, proposed in Section 2 of Ordinance No. 2012-3-26-1967-C which changes the Office of Mayor from a two-year term of office to a four-year term of office, beginning November 6, 2012, be approved?