Church HillNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Church Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen Election 2026

4 of 7 council seats are on the ballot, with 10 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

Not sure who to vote for? Answer 6 questions and see which candidates agree with you, and why.

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
Early voting ends (Oct 29): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Voters choose up to three of seven candidates for the four-year seats and one of three for the two-year seat. The mayor and two aldermen are not on this ballot.

Early voting ends · Oct 29

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

  • Governor
    15 candidates on the ballot
    • Marsha Blackburn · Republican
    • Jerri Green · Democratic
    • Misam Abidi · Independent
    • Dean Brewer · Independent
    • Ray Brown · Independent
    • David Hatley · Independent
    • Wendell Jackson · Independent
    • Charles Van Morgan · Independent
    • Eddie Lee Murphy · Independent
    • Lauren Pinkston · Independent
    • Victor L. Scoggin · Independent
    • Dave Seeman · Independent
    • Karl Knox Smithson · Independent
    • L. Webb Taylor · Independent
    • Robert C. Vick · Independent
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • U.S. Senate
    10 candidates on the ballot
    • Bill Hagerty · Republican
    • Marquita Bradshaw · Democratic
    • Tharon Chandler · Independent
    • Andrew Gerena · Independent
    • Jeremy Dean Hearn · Independent
    • Robert Jones · Independent
    • James William Macon III · Independent
    • Yoshi D. Matthews · Independent
    • David Sutman, Jr. · Independent
    • Catherine Barcel "Barcy" Whitson · Independent
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • Statewide measures3 on the ballot: the state's official explanations
Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

What the next council decides

01City administrator and the mayor's powers5 sourced facts

Where it standsChurch Hill runs under a strong-mayor system; an August 2026 ordinance to create a city administrator failed with three of seven board members in favor.

What's on the tableThe next board will decide whether to try again to create a city administrator or city manager, or to ask voters.

02Hiring, firing and employee pay3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe mayor hires and fires city employees; the personnel committee is advisory, and board members have raised employee turnover and pay.

What's on the tableThe board sets pay rates and approves full-time hires, and will decide whether to change how personnel decisions are made.

03Parks and recreation3 sourced facts

Where it standsChurch Hill left the joint recreation commission with Mount Carmel and Surgoinsville in 2022, and $200,000 was moved out of the parks budget in August 2026.

What's on the tableThe next board will set parks spending and decide whether to seek grants or rejoin a shared recreation league.

04Budget, tax rate and reserves4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe 2026-27 tax rate was lowered to the state-certified rate of $0.6369 per $100 of assessed value after reappraisal; last year's rate was $1.01.

What's on the tableThe next board will adopt future budgets and tax rates and decide how to use the city's reserves.

05City website and communication2 sourced facts

Where it standsSeveral candidates say the city website is out of date and residents need better ways to reach city officials.

What's on the tableThe next board will decide whether to pay for a new website, online services or live-streamed meetings.

3 notes on these statements

Michael Bell has held the two-year seat on an interim basis since January 2026. Rogersville Review · Aug 24, 2026

Keith Gibson was a sitting alderman with two years remaining in his term in November 2024. Rogersville Review · Nov 6, 2024

Ken Luster, Michael Walker, James Marsh, Keith Bruner, Keith Gibson and Kathryn Boggs Metcalf attended the Church Hill aldermen candidate forum. Kingsport Times News · Oct 19, 2026

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Should Church Hill hire a professional administrator to run day-to-day city operations?

  2. 2. Who should decide on hiring, firing and disciplining city employees?

  3. 3. What should the city do about pay for city employees?

  4. 4. Should Church Hill rejoin a shared recreation league with Mount Carmel and Surgoinsville?

  5. 5. How should the city use its cash reserves?

  6. 6. Should the city invest in a new website and online services?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted4 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Kathy Christian, Dennis Deal, Buck Tipton4 on this ballot

7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works

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