Four Candidates Vie for Three City Council Seats in Elizabethton

In Elizabethton, four candidates, including two who are currently serving on the City Council, have met the deadline to file their papers for three available council seats. The upcoming election on November 5 will decide not just these seats but also a variety of other state and federal positions.

Those vying for the council seats include:

• Kim Birchfield: A two-term incumbent who retired from a career in law enforcement. Birchfield was first elected in 2016 and participates on several boards, including the Parks and Recreation Board, Surf Betsy Advisory Board, and the 911 Emergency System Board. He also has previous experience on the Elizabethton City School Board and has run, albeit unsuccessfully, for Carter County Sheriff.
• Deborah Gouge: A retired educator entering the political arena for the first time. Gouge has spent 37 years as the choral director and fine arts chair at Elizabethton High School. She retired from the city’s school system at the end of the past academic year.
• David Richard Tester: Former City Council member aiming for a comeback. Tester experienced an election defeat in 2018 but has previous leadership experience, including serving as the board chairman of Carter County Tomorrow, which was dissolved in 2019.
• Jeffrey C. Treadway: A long-serving incumbent with multiple board participations. Treadway, elected first to the City Council in 2012, serves on the Bonnie Kate Theatre Board, the Historic Zoning Commission, and the Main Street Board.

In addition to the council seats, some other significant races will be decided on November 5:

City Judge Race

There’s a familiar contest between incumbent Jason Holly and Teresa Murray Smith. Holly was elected as interim city judge in February 2020, following the passing of T.J. Little Jr. Although he lost a write-in bid that same year to Smith, he successfully defeated her later in the November election. This year, the voters will see these two face off once again.

City School Board

In the city school board race, three candidates are running for three open seats. The candidates are: David Phil Isaacs and Jamie M. Schaff, both incumbents, along with Robert Wayne Lewis Jr., an Elizabethton dentist.

Watauga City Commission

Similarly, the Watauga City Commission sees three incumbents running unopposed for three available seats. The candidates are Dennis G. Hicks, Richard D. McCracken, and Albert Mitchell Thomasson.

Other State and Federal Races

• District 3 State House Race: Republican incumbent Timothy Aaron Hill will compete against Democrat Lori Love.
• U.S. Senate: Incumbent Republican Marsha Blackburn will face Democrat Gloria Johnson of Knoxville.
• 1st District U.S. House of Representatives: Incumbent Republican Diana Harshbarger will go up against Democrat Kevin Jenkins.
• 4th District State House of Representatives: Renea Jones, who defeated longtime Elizabethton Mayor Curt Alexander in the Republican Primary, stands unopposed as there is no Democratic candidate.