CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – One week after the Clarksville City Council postponed the appointment of a Ward 2 councilperson following a voting stalemate, the council voted to appoint Eric Claunch to serve as Deanna McLaughlin’s replacement.
Claunch was approved on a 7-5 vote to serve as the representative for Ward 2 until the next city general election.
Last week, when the voting process began, the council eventually got down to two candidates, AC Lopez and Claunch. The council voted more than 25 times between the two; however, each council member remained locked in with their selections, which led to the appointment process being postponed for one week.
Consistently, voting for Claunch were Brian Zacharias, Carlos Peters, Tim Chandler, Stacey Streetman, Keri Lovato and Mayor Joe Pitts. Voting for Lopez were Ambar Marquis, Wanda Smith, Travis Holleman, Jerry Haywood, Jimmy Brown and Joe Shakeenab.
When the process picked back up on Thursday afternoon, Brown changed his vote to Claunch, making it 7-5.
After the meeting, Claunch told Clarksville Now that when he heard the news, it was an incredibly humbling experience.
“I love this city; I know AC loves this city; we all love this city,” Claunch said. “To be able to be that voice in this council (for Ward 2) means the world to me. Also, I understand that its only just began, the work starts now.”
Claunch said he is prepared to pick up the torch McLaughlin had carried over the years, and he is ready to serve the Ward 2 community.
U.S. Army veteran Eric Claunch has an MBA in organizational management, and after his time in the Army, he worked for the nonprofit Homebuilders Institute. Currently, he works various jobs around Clarksville and said his priorities would be supporting Clarksville’s youth, infrastructure and fiscal responsibility.
This article has been updated with quotes from Eric Claunch.
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