CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – In a tight three-way race, Jeff Burkhart will be the Republican nominee to the new state House District 75.
“Right now I am still sitting in my chair blown away,” he told Clarksville Now. “I feel good. I don’t even have words right now.”
He won over Deanna McLaughlin by only 71 votes, in a race that toggled between the two candidates several times as results came in.
In the end, it was Burkhart with 981 votes, McLaughlin with 910 and Kent Griffy with 527.
“I just hope I can do a good job that the people here elected me to do,” Burkhart said. “This is my first time in state Legislature.”
Vallejos wins primary
In District 67, Tommy Vallejos was elected to be the Republican nominee.
“The polls had me way up, and the numbers are running the way the polls had predicted,” Vallejos told Clarksville Now.
Vallejos defeated John Dawson, 1,433 to 830.
“God is doing good,” Vallejos said. “With voter turnout not being the way it should be today, we didn’t stay home, we got out and knocked on doors. This is my fourth race so I feel really, really good.”
Vallejos will face Democratic challenger Ronnie Glynn in November.
MORE: Final results for all races in Montgomery County election and local results of state primary
About the District 75 candidates
District 75 was established this year through redistricting and covers roughly the western third of Montgomery County and the west side of Clarksville.
Jeff Burkhart formerly worked for the Clarksville Fire Department and served as assistant fire chief. Burkhart has had a career in real estate development and has served several terms as president of the Clarksville Home Builders Association. He was elected in 2008 to serve on the Clarksville City Council and served 12 years.
Kent Griffy opened his own business on Fort Campbell Boulevard in 1998. In 2018, Griffy returned to full-time farming. In 1998, he was elected to the Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board and served three terms, four years as chairman. He was appointed to the Woodlawn Utility District in 2009 and continues to serve.
Deanna McLaughlin served three terms as a Clarksville city councilperson, has been an active member of the Montgomery County Republican Party since 2003, serving in various leadership roles. She is currently an Executive Committee member in the Montgomery County Republican Party.
About the District 67 candidates
District 67, recently redrawn, covers the middle section of Clarksville, from the Kentucky state line to the Cumberland River.
John Dawson was born in Memphis and has resided in the Clarksville area since 2005. He retired from the U.S. Army in 2007 as a non-commissioned officer after serving his country for 20 years.
Tommy Vallejos has served his country and community for nearly 40 years: as a 21-year veteran in the US Army Infantry; as a county commissioner; as a pastor; and as a gang awareness teacher and mentor. Vallejos served eight years as a county commissioner, with seven years on the Budget Committee.
Chris Smith contributed to this report.