Runoff election set next Tuesday

Johnson, Porter square off for final school board position

by Danny Wade

The final piece of the puzzle for the 2017 city elections will be decided next week. On November 7, the mayor, all five aldermen and three of the school board members were elected.

Terry Johnson

One school board race for Ward 1 between incumbent Terry Johnson and challengers Thomas Red Porter and Bobby Barnett was not decided since no candidate received the votes needed to be elected, according to Humboldt’s charter.

Thomas “Red” Porter

Johnson received the most votes with 101 vote, which was 47-percent of the votes. Porter finished second with 72 votes for 34-percent. Barnett garnered 41 votes for 19-percent.

Now, Johnson and Porter will face off once again on Tuesday, December 19 to determine who will have the Ward 1 seat on the school board.
Johnson, the incumbent, beat Porter in the 2013 election, unseating him on the school board.

During both men’s time on the school board, they were elected chairman of the board.

Early voting for the runoff election began November 29 and will end December 14. Early voting is only held at the Gibson County Courthouse in Trenton, Tenn.

Election day voting in Humboldt on December 19 will be held at Lane Chapel in Humboldt and another location to be named later this week after St. James Baptist Church burned, perhaps at Fire Station #1 on Main St. Voters in the St. James precinct will be notified by mail. Those Humboldt residents who vote at Edison will use the Lane Chapel site for this election only.

Registered voters from Ward 1 or registered property rights voters who own property in Ward 1 are eligible to vote in this election.
If you have questions about your polling locations or ward, contact the Gibson County Election Commission at 731-855-7669.