April 6, 2018
By: Dwayne Page
State Senator Mark Pody and State Representatives Terri Lynn Weaver and Clark Boyd are being challenged in the 2018 elections.
Senator Pody, a Republican, will face a rematch with Democrat Mary Alice Carfi in the November General Election. The winner will represent District 17 for four years in the State Senate. Pody and Carfi, both of Wilson County, are unopposed in their respective party primaries on August 2.
Noon Thursday, April 5 was the qualifying deadline.
Pody narrowly defeated Carfi in a special election last December to fill the remaining year of former State Senator Mae Beavers’ unexpired term.
Meanwhile State Representative Weaver, a Republican who represents District 40, is facing a primary challenge on August 2 from Chad Z. Williams. Both are from Smith County. Jason Holleman, a Democrat also from Smith County, has filed a petition to run for the office in the Tennessee Democrat Primary in August. If nominated, Holleman would face either Weaver or Williams in the Tennessee General Election in November. The term is for two years. An independent, Teresa Marion of Pleasant Shade has also filed a petition with the state to run for the office in November but her candidate status is still pending according to the Tennessee Division of Elections website.
Republican State Representative Clark Boyd in District 46 is facing a GOP primary challenge in August from Menda McCall Holmes. Both are from Wilson County. Boyd was appointed by the Wilson County Commission to fill the remaining year of former State Representative Mark Pody’s unexpired term after Pody was elected to the State Senate. Meanwhile, two candidates are seeking the Democrat nomination for the District 46 State Representative seat, Mark Cagle of Wilson County and Faye Northcutt-Knox of Cannon County. Winners of the respective primaries in August will square off in the November Tennessee General Election. The term is for two years.
The following candidates have filed petitions to run for state executive committeeman and woman in their party primaries:
Republican State Executive Committeeman-17th District
Jerry Beavers of Wilson County and Dwayne Craighead of Clay County
Democratic State Executive Committeeman-17th District
Aubrey T. Givens of Wilson County
Republican State Executive Committeewoman-17th District
Terri Nicholson of Wilson County
Jennifer Franklin Winfree of DeKalb County
Democratic State Executive Committeewoman-17th District
Carol Brown Andrews of Smith County
All the candidates listed above but Marion have filed duplicate state petitions with the DeKalb County Election Commission.