Results Are In

Jefferson County municipalities of Dandridge, White Pine and Jefferson City got the voter nod for liquor by the drink in the General Election on November 4, 2014. The Town of Dandridge returned strongly in favor of the referendum on consumption with 70 % of the voters in favor. Jefferson City also had a mandate on the referendum with 61% in favor and an even greater margin in favor of retail liquor with almost 64% voting to permit. White Pine had a more narrow vote, however with 54% voting in favor of the consumption referendum there was still a 9% spread over those opposed.

Governor Haslam showed well in Jefferson County, garnering 80% of the vote, as did Lamar Alexander for United States Senate with 70% of the vote. United States House Representative Roe carried 84% and Duncan came away with 77%. Jeremy Faison, Tennessee House Representative for District 11, retained 73% of the vote in Jefferson County and Andrew Farmer, Representative for District 17, received a 98% confidence vote.

In the local municipalities, Hurley (118) and Metzger (108) will be the Commissioners for Baneberry. Incumbents held their seats in the Town of Dandridge Aldermen race, with Chambers (351), Kesterson (348) and Jones (290) elected to serve another term. Bunch (523) and Cain (467) will represent residents on the Jefferson City Council and Mayor Mark Potts (1007) was uncontested in his bid for re election. In New Market, Solomon (211) and Williams (212) will hold the position of Aldermen. Warren (242), Lamb (203) and Taylor (174) won a close race for Aldermen of White Pine.

The hot ticket items for this election, both Statewide and in Jefferson County, were the Constitutional Amendments that would impact abortion, judicial appointment, State income tax and Veteran’s fundraising through lottery. In Jefferson County, all four Amendments found favor with voters. Amendment 1, perhaps the most controversial of the four Amendments, found 6508 of the voters approving the Amendment and Amendment 2, (judicial) had almost like numbers with 6462 in favor. Voters came out stronger in favor of Amendments 3 and 4, voting 7229 and 7232 respectively.

Voter turnout was relatively strong, considering that there was no big ticket race on the ballot. Jefferson County voted 5058 in early and absentee and 5912 on Election Day for a total turnout of 10970. According to information provided by the Secretary of State, those number are slightly behind the November 2010 turnout of 11, 346. Provisional ballots for the November 4, 2014 election totaled 11, however information provided by the Jefferson County Election Office indicated that, should the ballots be added to the total, independent race results would not change due to the districts of the voters with provisional ballots.