Today is Election Day, Go Vote

So today is the big day.  Our county (hopefully a large percentage of us) will elect a new sheriff and three new school board members among others.

I know many of you think I’ve dropped off the radar the last month or so, but I’ve been swamped with work and school - precisely the reason why I withdrew my name from the Hamilton County District 7 School Board race.  Whether I’ve been posting online or not, I have been paying attention, and here’s what I think:

School Board, District 2 - Chip Baker (incumbent) vs. Joe Dumas
Chip Baker’s days are numbered.  I’m not sure if this is the year, but I am sure that Chip’s grip on Signal Mountain politics is loosening.  My prediction:  Joe Dumas in an upset.

School Board, District 4 - Gregg Juster vs. Debra Matthews (incumbent)
Again, Debra Matthews’ days are numbered.  I think Gregg has done an excellent job in getting his message out.  I still question his ability to get enough people out to vote.  Debra’s got the “race” issue in her favor.  In a heavily African American district, she’s got the advantage - even if she’s been a horrid school board representative.  My prediction:  Debra Matthews in a close one.

School Board, District 8 - Me (officially) vs. Michael Dzik vs. Linda Mosley
As nice as I think Joe Conner is, he’s not been a very good school board representative.  I really was going to give him a pass until the latest Scales contract renewal fiasco.  Joe completely lost my respect, and I believe most of the county feels the same way.  He lost his passion for the job long ago, and the only thing I can commend him for is not running again.  As I stated earlier, I have withdrawn my name from this race, but my name will appear first on the ballot.  Of course my chances of winning are slim, but I will garner a few votes - which could help and hurt the other two candidates.  I’m not saying this is good or bad - just the way it is.  Honestly, I believe this one is a toss up.  Michael Dzik definitely won the marketing contest.  He had his signs up early, and really worked on branding his name.  Linda’s advantage is that she was supported by District 7 County Commissioner, Larry Henry, and outgoing School Board member, Joe Conner.  Basically, she’s supported by the current power structure, and in this area that means a lot.  Prediction:  Michael Dzik in a VERY close race.

Sheriff - Greg Beck vs. Jim Hammond
This is not even a race.  The local Democratic leadership should be ashamed of their ability, or lack thereof, to produce a quality candidate.  I respect Mr. Beck for the work that he has done in his community, but he is not qualified to be our Sheriff.  After reading some of his press releases and hearing him speak, I could never ask anyone to vote for him to lead our Sheriff’s department.  Jim Hammond is experienced and qualified.  His career has prepared him for this post, and he’ll win in a landslide.  My Prediction:  Jim Hammond received 70% of the vote.

There are several other seats on the ballot, but those four have brought the most interest to this election.  No matter who you vote for, just VOTE!