CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Early and absentee voting wrapped up Thursday for the Montgomery County Primary Election, and it drew 4,638 voters. That figure includes 117 mail-in ballots.
The Republican Party drew 2,917 ballots; the Democratic Party had 1,721.
On the ballots are county mayor, sheriff, the entire County Commission and part of the School Board. However, despite that 64 people are running, there are only four contested races: three County Commission Republican primaries and one School Board Democratic primary.
History of Montgomery County primary
County primary elections are held every two years, ahead of the August county general election. Every four years, the county primary is held in conjunction with the presidential primary, alternating with the county mayor’s primary every four years.
Montgomery County primaries were first held in 2016, and prior to then, county elections were nonpartisan. The Montgomery County Republican Party called for a primary that year, which meant that all candidates would be required to declare a Republican, Democrat or independent label. The local Democratic Party followed suit in 2018.
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Montgomery County primary early voting records
Turnout for the county primary is, of course, weighted by public interest in the presidential race. That hit a peak in 2016, according to Election Commission records. The first standalone county primary two years later, however, drew the lowest early/absentee voting turnout to date.
- 2016: 8,673 early votes. Presidential primary selecting Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. For the county races, there was only a Republican primary.
- 2018: 1,867. County-only, with both parties participating but only one contested race.
- 2020: 7,501. Presidential, selecting Joe Biden to challenge Trump.
- 2022: 5,515. County-only, with county mayor primary, selecting Wes Golden.
- 2024: 5,088. Presidential, selecting Trump to run again against Biden.
- 2026: 4,638. County-only, with only four contested district-level races.
Typically, 40% to 60% of votes are cast in early voting in Montgomery County, with the highest percentages of early voters in higher-turnout presidential elections.
This year’s Montgomery County Primary will cost taxpayers an estimated $150,000, according to the Election Commission.
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Who’s on Montgomery County primary ballot?
Here’s the list of contested races, with links to the candidate profiles:
Commission District 2 Republican
- Teddy Denny
- Christina Hardesty
- Jason Knight, incumbent
With no opponents in August, the winner takes the seat.
Commission District 11 Republican
- A.C. “Big Sarge” Lopez
- David Shively
The winner faces Democrat Luther Hutchenson in August.
Commission District 21 Republican
- Brad VanKirk, R
- Marco Lee, R
The winner faces independent incumbent David Shelton in August.
School Board District 5 Democratic
- Jacqueline Burton, D
- Jimmie Garland, D, incumbent
The winner faces Republican Jessica Meyers Shaffer in August.
| MORE: List of all candidates running in Montgomery County races
What happens next in Montgomery County elections?
May 5 election: With early voting wrapped up, Election Day is Tuesday, May 5, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at voting precincts located throughout the county. Your voting precinct is listed on your Voter ID card or online at the Voter Registration Lookup site. Come back to Clarksville Now Tuesday night for live election results.
Aug. 6 election: In addition to Aug. 6 being the county general election, it will also be the state primary, with governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House and all three state House races on the ballot. Early voting will begin July 17.
Nov. 3 election: In addition to Nov. 3 being the state general election, it will also be the City of Clarksville general election, with the mayor and half the City Council seats on the ballot.
For more information on voting, including registering to vote, go to the Montgomery County Election Commission website, visit their office at 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 404, email vote@mcgtn.net or call 931-648-5707.