Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Lenoir City Council Election 2026

3 of 6 council seats are on the ballot, with 8 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to vote Check your registration

Last day to request an absentee ballot (Oct 24): 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.

City Council

Vote for up to 3

Voters choose up to three of the eight candidates, and the three with the most votes win. The mayor is not on this ballot.

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
U.S. HouseDistrict 2
Tennessee SenateDistrict 5
Tennessee House of RepresentativesDistrict 32 (85% of Lenoir City residents) · District 21 (15%)
Statewide measures3 on the ballot: the state's official explanations

Official voter lookup State voter guide Vote411 (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.

What the next council decides

01Apartment moratorium3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council extended its pause on new apartment-style dwellings by one year starting in June 2026.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide whether to renew, change or end the pause after the land use study.

The extension passed 4-0 on second reading at the Feb. 23 council meeting and runs one year starting in June. News-Herald · Mar 4, 2026
Similar restrictions have been in effect since June 2024. News-Herald · Mar 4, 2026
The ordinance does not apply to groupings of single-family residences such as neighborhoods and subdivisions. News-Herald · Mar 4, 2026

02Annexation and growth3 sourced facts

Where it standsIn June 2025 the council tied 3-3 on annexing a 42-acre property off Shaw Ferry Road, and the mayor declared the proposal dead.

What's on the tableThe next council will vote on future annexation and rezoning requests.

Preliminary specifications projected around 97 single-family homes on the 42-acre lot. News-Herald · Jun 18, 2025
The Lenoir City Planning Commission had passed the proposal by a unanimous vote. News-Herald · Jun 18, 2025
A land use study costing about $79,750 was approved at the Jan. 26 council meeting. News-Herald · Feb 4, 2026

03School expansion bonds3 sourced facts

Where it standsA bond issuance for the LCIMS expansion failed on a 3-3 council vote in January 2026.

What's on the tableThe next council could take up the school system's expansion request again.

The expansion project totaled $20 million, expected to be paid out over 25 years. News-Herald · Jan 14, 2026
The mayor declined to break the tie and said he wanted to see what interest rates do in May. News-Herald · Jan 14, 2026
School officials cited overcrowding as a reason for the expansion. News-Herald · Jan 14, 2026

04Property tax rate and budget2 sourced facts

Where it standsIn June 2025 the council kept the city property tax rate unchanged at $0.9455 per $100 of assessed value.

What's on the tableThe next council will adopt annual budgets and set the property tax rate.

The city finance director said expenditures could exceed revenues, drawing on reserve funds in the 2025-2026 fiscal year. News-Herald · Jun 18, 2025
Garbage collection fees were set to increase from $15 to $16 in the new fiscal year. News-Herald · Jun 18, 2025

05Liquor stores referendum2 sourced facts

Where it standsVoters in Lenoir City will decide on the same ballot whether to permit retail package liquor stores.

What's on the tableThe referendum result decides whether retail package liquor stores can be sold within city limits.

The Nov. 3 Lenoir City ballot includes a referendum on retail package stores selling alcoholic beverages. Loudon County Election Commission
Lenoir City currently allows beer sales, liquor by the drink and wine sales in grocery stores, but not retail package liquor sales. WVLT · Aug 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. What should Lenoir City do about its pause on new apartment-style dwellings?
2. How should the council treat requests to annex land for new neighborhoods?
3. Should the city issue bonds for the Lenoir City Schools expansion project?
4. How should the council set the city property tax rate?
5. How should the city use its new land use study?

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 voted3 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.New · How Lenoir City is runWho runs Lenoir City, and what it costsWho the city manager is, council pay, whether the city is in the red, and where your property tax goes.Your houseA Lenoir City house at the typical market value ($252,400) pays about $6,400 a yearProperty tax, water, trash and energy, line by line for your address, plus the savings most owners miss.

Key dates

Voter registration deadlineLoudon County Election CommissionOct 5, 2026
Early voting beginsLoudon County Election CommissionOct 14, 2026
Early voting endsLoudon County Election CommissionOct 29, 2026
Last day to request an absentee ballotLoudon County Election CommissionOct 24, 2026
Election dayLoudon County Election CommissionNov 3, 2026

The seat math

4 stay (not up this year): Tony Aikens, Robin McNabb, Eddie Simpson, Jennifer Wampler3 on this ballot

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

The city is governed by a seven-member Board of Mayor and Aldermen, elected at large on a nonpartisan basis to four-year staggered terms. City of Lenoir City
Municipal elections are held in November on the first Tuesday of even-numbered years. City of Lenoir City

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