Dems, GOP holding county-position primaries in 2026

For the first time this century, Johnson County will have primaries for both Republicans and Democrats running for county offices.The deadline to rescind the call for a primary was 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21.Johnson County Democratic Party Chair William Marsh confirmed they did not rescind their primary call. Randy Dandurand, chair of the Johnson County Republican Party, confirmed as well that the primary is still on.Both parties informed the county elections office that they wish to hold a primary back in August, with the Republican Party going first. Dandurand did so after calling for Bitcoin protections at the county level and the vote failed among the 15-member Johnson County Commissioners.In 2026, all 15 commissioners, four of the five school board members (one will be a special election due to a mid-term resignation), the county mayor, sheriff, circuit court clerk, county clerk, register of deeds and road superintendent are up for re-election. These seats are all four-year terms.The Tennessee primary for state judicial offices and county offices will take place on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.Johnson County Election Commission Administrator Cheri Lipford previously confirmed that the county would be reimbursed for a primary by the state.This would be the first time in at least 25 years that Johnson County would have partisan primaries for county elections. This means if someone runs as a Republican or Democrat for any of the aforementioned seats in 2026, they must partake in the May 5, 2026, primary.The first day to pick up petitions is Dec. 22. The qualifying deadline for state judicial and county office races is Feb. 19, 2026.Unaffiliated candidates or those from another party declaring for those seats would move on to the Aug. 6, 2026, election, joining the Republican and Democrat primary winners on that ballot.Johnson County Election Commission Chairman Mike Fritts confirmed that a simple plurality of votes with no minimum threshold is required to win the primary.Fritts and Lipford confirmed that a candidate can't lose in the May primary and then declare for the August election as part of another party or unaffiliated.The Aug. 6, 2026, election for state judicial and county seats will also be the primary for statewide and federal elections. The latter includes the Tennessee governor (currently Bill Lee, who can't run again), Bill Hagerty's U.S. Senate seat, all nine Tennessee U.S. House seats, the odd-numbered Tennessee Senate districts (including the Third Senate District, which includes Johnson County), all 99 Tennessee House district seats, plus Republican and Democratic State Executive Committees.The Aug. 6, 2026, primary winners go to the Nov. 3, 2026, election, more commonly known as the midterms.