CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Local businessman Chris Lanier has overtaken longtime Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board member Charlie Patterson in a three-way race to become the Republican nominee to the District 6 seat. Lanier, a Republican, will now face Democrat Bernard Carter Jr. in the August election.
“I’m glad all this part is over; it has been a fight,” Lanier told Clarksville Now.
Patterson congratulated Lanier on the win. “He’s very active in the county,” Patterson said. “I’m sure he will continue doing a good job for the Montgomery County School Board.”
Lanier took almost half of the votes, with 49.44% (1,053 votes). Patterson had 29.86% (636), and Maribeth Knight finished third with 20.56% (438).
Lanier said deep knowledge of CMCSS was what made the difference in the election. “In my immediate family, we have over 100 years of experience in the school system, with 60 years of it sitting in this room tonight. We are more connected to the school system than anyone else around.”
As for what he wants to address on the School Board, he said, “rude distractions in classroom, follow the student code of conduct, hold parents accountable for their children’s actions. I think the biggest problem now is teachers and parents pulling a child apart trying to force them down a path that I think the student needs to be at the top and pushing them in the same direction. I don’t think we have that synergy working together at all.”
Patterson to end many years in government
Patterson told Clarksville Now he’s proud of his years on the School Board. “We, and it is we, it’s a seven-member team, did an excellent job as a group. I feel like I did represent my constituents very well and was always available. But sometimes, I feel, it’s good to pass the torch on down to the next generation or a younger person. I’m sure Mr. Lanier will do an excellent job with him being involved in the community like he has been.”
It’s the end of a political career for Patterson, who said he doesn’t plan to run again.
“Being 77 years old, I have two grandchildren in the system, and they’re both playing basketball for the school system, and I enjoy watching them. They keep me pretty busy. Of course, I’m retired for about 15 years now. I’m going to enjoy my family, and I have a wife that taught for 37 years, and I always enjoyed education. I still will be observing and attending a lot of athletic events for sure.”
Clarksville Now has reached out to Maribeth Knight.
School Board, Dist. 2, Republican Primary
In District 2, Kacie Bryant defeated David Johnson for the Republican nomination to the School Board seat. Bryant won with 54.75% (812 votes) to Johnson’s 45.18% (670 votes). She will face Democrat Ritchie Patton and independent Laura Barnett in the August election.
“It’s been a long day, and I’m excited,” Bryant told Clarksville Now. “This is the first step of many. The next race is going to be even harder, and it’s time to get to work.
“I’m learning a lot about politics. … I’m learning a lot about people. Our teachers are reaching out, parents are reaching out, and there’s a lot of things that they feel like are being swept under the rug when it comes to our schools. I think that we need School Board members that are going to be a lot more vocal about being advocated for our teachers, parents and our kids. That’s what my goal is.”
She said she looks forward to getting clarity for everyone on how the School Board is set up.
“The first thing is to figure out the governance policy. Even between our party, there’s arguments going on as to what power the School Board actually has. I’ve compared our governance policies to many other cities and counties school districts, and it’s different than a lot of the other ones. So, I think before we do anything, we need to look at the power the School Board actually has and make sure that we’re clear, that everyone’s clear, on what we can do. We can’t make a difference if we don’t know what we can do. That’s the first step.”
Clarksville Now has reached out to David Johnson.
About the candidates
Maribeth Knight is the mother of seven children, six of whom attend Clarksville-Montgomery County schools. She is married to Jason Knight, a member of the Montgomery County Commission. She helps manage their family-owned business, Knight Officiant Services & More.
Chris Lanier is the owner of Lanier Lawn & Landscape. He has a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Austin Peay State University. His wife, Carrie, is a first grade teacher at Rossview Elementary School, his mother served as a teacher and retired as the counselor of Sango Elementary.
Charlie Patterson, the incumbent and a past chairman, has served on the board since 2012. He attended Oklahoma State University, majoring in math and business. He worked full-time for the Tennessee Army National Guard and retired with 20 plus years of service. He is the past owner of Patterson Properties and served 16 years on the Clarksville City Council. He is married to the former Mary Jo Miller, a retired CMCSS teacher. One of his daughters, Charlsie, is an ELL teacher at Rossview Elementary, and Patterson has two grandsons in the school system.
Kacie Bryant, founder of Local Clarksville and The Business Project, graduated from Mississippi State University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in business management. She previously owned a fitness gym, and she has two children.
David L. Johnson, a supervisor at LG Electronics, attended King College, studying business management with a minor in coaching. He served as head coach for the Rossview Middle School Wrestling Club for the last three years and as an assistant coach for several other teams. Johnson and his wife Jessica have six children.
Christian Brown, Jordan Renfro and Lilly Russell contributed to this report.
MORE: 5 candidates sail past March 5 primary unopposed, some also unopposed in August