Board to rule Wednesday on Knox Sheriff race
The Tennessee Republican State Primary Board is scheduled to decide Wednesday whether to uphold, overturn or vacate the results of the May 5 Knox County Republican primary for sheriff.
The board will meet at 5:30 p.m. June 10 at Tennessee Republican Party headquarters, 95 White Bridge Road, Suite 414, in Nashville.
The meeting was called under Tennessee Code Annotated § 2-17-104 and Rule K of the Tennessee Republican Party bylaws, according to Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden.
Republican candidate Mike Davis filed an election contest after the primary, arguing the race was compromised by the post-election indictments of fellow candidates David Amburn and J.J. Jones.
"The Republican primary for sheriff was severely tainted and the election's basic integrity was undermined," Davis attorney Greg Isaacs said in a news release announcing the challenge. "This needs to be remedied by a rerun of the primary election for sheriff."
Golden said Davis contends the indictments of Amburn and Jones following the primary election "have irrevocably tainted the election" and warrant action by the State Primary Board.
Unofficial results from the May 5 Republican primary showed Brent Gibson receiving 19,676 votes, or 44.14%; Amburn, 13,446 votes, or 30.16%; Davis, 6,330 votes, or 14.20%; and Jones, 5,124 votes, or 11.50%.
Golden said the board does not have the authority to order a new primary election before or as part of the general election ballot. Under party rules, the board's options are to:
• Allow the election results to stand, making Gibson the Republican nominee.
• Select another candidate from the primary field as the Republican nominee.
• Vacate the election entirely, resulting in no Republican nominee for sheriff in the general election.
Golden said the meeting will be governed by Robert's Rules of Order and will not be subject to formal rules of evidence used in courts. Proxies will not be permitted, and a quorum must be present for action to be taken.
Under the agenda, Davis or his attorney will have six minutes to present his case, followed by six minutes for Gibson or his representative. Davis will then have three minutes for rebuttal.
Candidates may be represented by legal counsel, but any remarks made by an attorney will count toward the candidate's allotted time, Golden said.
A 15-minute public comment period is also scheduled. Individuals wishing to speak may do so for up to one minute each.
Following public comments, members of the State Primary Board may ask questions and discuss the contest before voting.
The meeting is open to the public and may also be attended virtually via Zoom.
Meeting ID: 878 8629 6291
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87886296291
