CUNNINGHAM, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – About two dozen candidates for elected office and their representatives got a chance to speak to voters Saturday at the 118th annual Lone Oak Picnic. The event also included barbecue, music by the Back Lot Pickers and a display of classic cars.

The main attraction was the candidates who are running in the Aug. 6 State Primary and Montgomery County General Election. Early voting has started and continues until Aug. 1. Here’s what a few of the candidates who attended had to say.

State House candidates

Man in a dark short-sleeve shirt speaks into a handheld microphone at an indoor event, with two men in the background.
Michael Lankford at the Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)

State Rep. Michael Lankford, District 75, a Republican, promised better public safety, support for law enforcement and first responders, and helping businesses succeed.

He said he’s for “supporting an environment that businesses can succeed and families and communities can succeed. If we take care of that and fix those issues, a lot of the other things like affordable housing, cost of living and education – that kind of becomes more manageable,” Lankford said.

Woman with curly blonde hair speaks into a microphone at an outdoor gathering, wearing a navy T-shirt and smartwatch.
Allie Phillips at the Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)

Allie Phillips, a Democrat, is running against Lankford in District 75 on a platform of helping working families. She said families should be able to thrive instead of surviving to get by. Phillips is focused on issues regarding affordability, better access to child care, supporting public schools and expanding infrastructure.

“I would like to see us as a state invest in mass transit. So, that would be getting a rail for the state line down in Nashville so we could have a commuter train,” she said.

Man in a gray cap and light blue button-down shirt speaks into a handheld microphone, gesturing with his raised right hand.
Aron Maberry at the Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)

State Rep. Aron Maberry, District 68, is running for re-election. He is also a member of the Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board. While he is not running for re-election for School Board he is running for re-election to the Tennessee House of Representatives. Maberry’s priorities are limited government, low taxes and conservative values.

He said it’s important to bring “as much as we can to Montgomery County. We’ve got over a million dollars in road spending coming,” said Maberry. “We’ve got I-24 expansion. We have Trenton Road being expanded. We have a bridge right over here that’s about to be replaced by the zinc plant, and then we’ve got Rossview (Road) to Kirkwood – $68 million right there. So we have over a billion dollars that the Legislature over the last couple of years has fought for Montgomery to have.”

Man in a maroon patterned shirt speaks into a handheld microphone at a community event, holding a folded note. Behind him is a blue wall with posters.
Chris Lanier at the Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)

Chris Lanier, a Republican, is running for state House, District 67. He is currently chairman of the School Board, representing District 6. Lanier is running to support small businesses, job creation, infrastructure, public education, and veterans’ and parents’ rights to choose where to send their children to school. 

“We need to make sure Montgomery County gets our fair share. And that we need a representative that is pushing for Montgomery County all the time. I’ve grown up here all my life, and I just want to make sure that we have the best county and the best representation that we could possibly ever have,” Lanier said.

| MORE: Who’s on the ballot in state, Montgomery County election and how to vote early

Montgomery County mayor candidates

Man in a black shirt speaks into a handheld microphone at an outdoor event, with several people and a table in the background.
Wes Golden at the Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)

County Mayor Wes Golden, who is running for re-election, said his top four priorities are kids, public safety, infrastructure and quality of life.

“We’ve had four new schools in four years,” Golden said. “I don’t know another community in Tennessee that can say that, so we’ve been very aggressive just trying to meet the needs for our kids. There are over 40,000 kids in our school system.”

Man wearing glasses speaks into a handheld microphone at an outdoor event, with others and vehicles in a blurred background.
Isaac Greenwood at the Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)

Isaac Greenwood is also running for election to be county mayor. His top three campaign priorities are free school meals, affordable housing and well-lit roads.

Greenwood, if elected, plans to work with the School Board to adopt the federal CEP program, which he said would cover 90% of the cost of free school meals for kids, leaving only having to pay the remaining 10% which he said would be less than 1% of the school board budget.

Greenwood also said he would offer more support to the City of Clarksville.

| MORE: Mayor candidates on the issues: School funding, quality-of-life projects, flooding

Christine McNemar is the third candidate in the race for county mayor. McNemar said she would like to end negligent developments that raise property taxes and drive out the average citizen. She also wants to stop the destruction of the county’s beautiful natural scenery. McNemar’s main focus if elected would be on infrastructure and schools before any further development. She would also like to redirect a lot of attention as a county toward the everyday citizens’ needs rather than focusing on mega corporations.

McNemar would like to see incentives for small land-owners who are not interested in farming but also not interested in selling to developers for amenities like drive-in theaters, speedtracks and even a water park, which she said would bring in both jobs and citizen enjoyment. She also would like to address the employment deficit for at-risk youth and aging out fosters in order to boost extended foster care and independent living programs in the county.

“I would like to restore the sense of community like we see today, here at the Lone Oak Picnic. It reminds me of a Montgomery County we used to know,” McNemar said.

| MORE: Wes Golden raises 26 times nearest opponent in county mayor’s race

Judge candidates

Woman in a red shirt speaks into a microphone at an outdoor fundraiser, with a crowd gathered around a grill and a pickup in the background.
Erin Poland Nolder at the Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)

Judge Erin Poland Nolder is running for election to return as the Division 5 General Sessions and Juvenile Judge in Montgomery County; she was appointed by the County Commission in December 2025. She was an attorney for 18 years, and prior to that she was a therapist for children.

Poland Nolder’s focus is on children, and her mission is to help children cut back on truancy, which in turn would help de-escalate other bad behaviors that lead to incarceration. “What I have learned is that there is one thing that is a common factor and a common contributor that is a predictor of that type of behavior: truancy. It starts with truancy,” Poland Nolder said.

She noted that while truancy seems like a minor infraction, it can be a big indicator of more going on at home. She believes that focusing on truancy will in turn help prevent escalating behaviors from children later on.

“If we can grasp and gravitate towards truancy, I feel that it would prevent some of the catastrophe and some of the really violent behaviors going on later on in life. Because a child that doesn’t go to school doesn’t learn, and a child that doesn’t learn gets really frustrated, right? We want to establish a trend, here in Montgomery County, of being able to help those children not evolve in the court system,” Poland Nolder said.

A Black woman speaks into a wired microphone at a justice-themed event, wearing a dark T-shirt with 'Answering the Call for Justice' and a name badge.
Merriel Bullock-Neal at the Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)

Merriel Bullock-Neal is running against Poland Nolder for General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge. “I’m running for judge to answer the call for justice, to ensure that people of all groups and ages actually get justice,” Neal said.

She said there is inequality when it comes to justice and that Black people are overrepresented in the justice system, far greater than their percentage in the overall population. 

Another concern is individuals with disabilities, especially special education individuals, being sent to juvenile court instead of addressing the issue in the school system. Neal said she wants to be judge so that she can work with the system and with law enforcement to re-train people in how to handle these issues.

| PUBLICIZE YOUR CAMPAIGN: Click here to learn more about campaign advertising on Clarksville Now

County Commission, City Council

Clayton Rudder is running for election to his seat as District 6 county commissioner. He said the overwhelming majority of his constituents would like to keep the community rural. Rudder notes that the county is crowded, and while his district does not mind the growth, they would prefer a more soft development.

“Everybody should be welcomed, but we need to respect what we have here, and I have to respect the wishes of my constituents because that’s what I’m being elected to do,” Rudder said.

While the City of Clarksville General Election isn’t until Nov. 3, campaigning has begun, and several candidates attended on Saturday.

Bearded man in a white cap and black polo speaks into a microphone at an outdoor event, holding a can in his other hand.
Justin Swallows at the Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)

Justin Swallows, an advocate for downtown Clarksville, is campaigning for City Council in Ward 6. He said the downtown area is struggling, and he wants to help restore it to its former glory.

Swallow’s priorities are local businesses and bringing more amenities to downtown, which he said is the last hotbed for local business. “I want to find a way to bring people downtown, not just as a destination; I want Ward 6 to be the most desirable address in the City of Clarksville,” Swallows said.

| MORE: Election news, including candidate announcements

The Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)
Outdoor Matt Van Epps for Congress campaign booth with maroon canopy and multiple signs on the grass
The Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)
The Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)
The Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)
The Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)
The Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)
Man in a gray Under Armour shirt and cap speaking into a handheld microphone at a memorial or community event, with a Mark Riggins badge visible on his chest.
Man in a light gray Under Armour shirt and cap speaks into a handheld microphone at an outdoor event, badge visible on chest reading 'Mark Riggins'.
Woman speaks into a handheld microphone at an indoor community event, wearing a gray t-shirt that says 'County Clerk'.
Person wearing a white cap and glasses speaks into a microphone at an outdoor community event with a bulletin board in the background.
Group of people listening to a speaker under a shelter at an outdoor event; man in a light blue shirt stands at the front while attendees watch nearby.
Man in a white shirt speaks into a microphone at a community event, gesturing with his finger raised.
Man in a red polo shirt speaks into a handheld microphone at a community event, with a woman in a white shirt and cap listening in the background.
Group of people at an outdoor gathering under a canopy, with a white SUV in the background.
Speaker with a microphone at a community gathering, wearing a gray T-shirt and watch; people stand behind him.
Woman wearing a light blue shirt speaks into a handheld microphone at a community gathering.
Man in a red shirt and gray cap speaks into a microphone while showing a 'Wine in Grocery Stores' flyer at a gathering,”
Group of people mingling under a canopy at an outdoor event, some holding drinks.
Man with a gray beard speaking into a microphone at an outdoor event, wearing a black polo with a logo and sunglasses on his head, with others in the background.
Man in a light blue shirt speaks into a microphone at an outdoor community event, with a Lone Oak Picnic signboard in the background.
Woman wearing a white baseball cap speaks into a microphone at an outdoor event.
The Back Lot Pickers at the Lone Oak Picnic in Cunningham on July 25, 2026. (Patrick Smith)
Rusty orange 1970 Chevrolet C10 truck with hood open at a car show; a signboard describes the vehicle in front on grass.
Vintage two-tone pickup with a raised hood at a grassy car show, turquoise with orange rust patches.
Red classic Chevrolet pickup at a car show with the hood open, engine visible on a grassy field.
Pink and black vintage Chevrolet pickup truck parked on a grassy field among trees and a road in the background.
White vintage Chevrolet car under a blue canopy at a car show, front view with chrome bumper and black racing stripes
Vintage black Cadillac from the 1930s parked on grass at a car show, with inflatable attractions in the background.
Rear of a vintage Chevrolet pickup decorated with skulls, a wooden barrel, and an American flag at a car show.
Rusty vintage pickup with its hood open, exposing the engine at a car show, with people nearby and an American flag in the background
Red vintage car with hood up at a grassy car show, engine visible and other classic cars in the background
Maroon vintage Ford pickup with the hood open, displayed at a sunny outdoor car show on the grass.
Gold vintage two-door car on grass at an outdoor car show, chrome grille and Michigan license plate visible on the front.
Green vintage convertible with its hood up at a sunny car show; people and tents in the background.
Volunteers in red shirts serve food at an outdoor pavilion, with condiments and drinks on the counter.
Man in white athletic outfit walking toward the camera at an outdoor festival with tents and trees] (trim)

What happens next in Montgomery County elections?

Aug. 6: Election Day for the State Primary and County General Election. Early voting is July 17-Aug. 1.

Nov. 3: Election Day for State General and City of Clarksville Election, with the mayor and half the City Council seats on the ballot. Early voting will be Oct. 14-29.

| MORE: Who’s on ballot for City of Clarksville mayor, City Council elections?

For more information on voting, 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.

| DOWNLOAD THE APP: Sign up for our free Clarksville Now app