During their campaigns many candidates said it was time for change, and the voters agreed with them on Election Day Thursday.

Monroe County now has a new trustee, a new 2nd District county commissioner and four new county School Board members. Only 3rd District School Board incumbent Sonya Martin Lynn and Property Assessor Mike Shadden kept their seats.

Shadden defeated Democrat Floyd Shaffer by a wide margin.

Overall it was a good night for Republicans.

Republican Marna Hull unseated Democrat Tammy Miller for county trustee, and Republican Richard Kirkland defeated incumbent Democrat Ann Barker for the one County Commission seat up for vote.

Shadden is a Republican as well. County School Board candidates do not declare a party affiliation. 

As early vote totals were released, Miller was ahead in the trustee race with 2,050 votes compared to Hull’s 1,606. But when the night was over, Hull had won the race with 3,902 votes. Miller received 3,680 votes and write-in candidate Robert Chapman received two votes.

When the early vote total did not go her way, the 36-year-old Hull did not panic.

“I really tried not to think about it until after the last precinct,” she said after finally learning she had won.“

Like Hull, Kirkland had to wait out a relatively tight race against a Democrat incumbent before finally carrying the race 1,659 votes to 1,608 for Barker. 

All vote totals are unofficial until certified by the county Election Commission.

“It was a team effort,” said Kirkland.  “I just want to get in there and learn what I can learn, and to see how I can help the people the best.”

The County Commission had appointed Barker to fill the unexpired 2nd District commission term last year when Mike Lowry resigned to become director of the county school system.

Friday Barker said, "I'm proud of the things that were accomplished while I was on the board, including funding the new Madisonville Primary School and the addition at the Rural Vale Elementary School. The results of the election were a surprise, but I'm sure the county will keep moving forward and make needed improvements as they come along."

Twenty candidates were vying for five Monroe County Board of Education seats.

In the 1st District School Board race, there were no incumbents on the ballot. Jerry Snyder easily won the only seat on the ballot. 

“We had a lot of good help,” said Snyder. When asked what his immediate plans were he simply replied: “I think the children are our future, and I want the future to be bright.”

In the 2nd District county School Board race, incumbent Doris Davis lost to a former School Board member, Becky Ogle and Danny Isbill. 

“I want to work on the graduation rate,” said Ogle.  “Tennessee’s standard is 90 percent. We are at 72.5 percent. I want to start from the bottom with kindergarten, and make sure the kids gain knowledge in reading and phonic skills.  If you miss out at a young age, then you miss out.”

Former Tellico Plains Junior High Principal Ron Eydt and incumbent Sonya Martin Lynn carried the day in a close three-way battle for two seats in the 3rd District.

Eydt received 935 votes, Lynn 924 and Jo Cagle received 920. Incumbent Regan Dalton, who also served as board chairman, received 775.

 “I have always felt like it would be nice to have an educator on the school board,” said Eydt.  “I want to bring insight to the other board members about what actually goes on in a school from day to day.”

Lynn also gave her insight on how she wants to work to improve the school system.  “I want to do the best to educate our children…I’d like to see more vocational studies for females.”

She made clear she does not want to take away opportunities for boys.

Lynn, with her daughter Brittany by her side, was emotional as she spoke about her late father. 

“He was my hero,” she said. “May he rest in peace.” 

For 10th Judicial District Circuit Court judge, Republican challenger Mike Sharp defeated incumbent Democrat Ginger Willson Buchanan.

In state races, Robert D. Tuke won the Democrat Party Primary and will face incumbent Republican Lamar Alexander for the U.S. Senate in November.

Though Tuke won statewide, it was former Knox County Clerk Mike Padgett who carried Monroe County.

Padgett visited all 95 Tennessee counties and his June visit to Monroe County apparently paid off here if not statewide.

In the race for the 2nd District U.S. House of Representatives, Republican Incumbent John Duncan Jr. was unopposed and will face Democrat challenger Bob Scott in November.

Scott not only carried the district but Monroe County as well over David Hancock.

Monroe County’s two state House incumbents, Republicans Mike Bell and Jimmy Matlock, were unopposed in their primaries and will be unopposed in November.

According to the Monroe County Election Commission, 7,790 of the county’s more than 29,000 voters cast ballots for a turnout of just under 27 percent.

A lot of the candidates and supporters were tired from a long campaign and a long day but Election Day turned out to be much cooler than the mid-90-degree highs earlier in the day.