Wilkey, McCawley win contested county primary races

RHEA COUNTY — In contested county GOP primary races, Rick Wilkey defeated incumbent road supervisor Glen Varner, 4,101-1,091, while incumbent District 4 school board member Bimbo McCawley defeated challenger Heath Smith, 358-266.

In uncontested county primary races, Rhea County Assessor of Property Debbie Byrd received 4,299 votes, District 2 school board member B.J. McCoy received 419 votes, District 6 school board member Wayne Cox received 235 votes and District 8 school board member Chip Pendergrass received 490 votes.

All preliminary election results are unofficial until certified by the Rhea County Election Commission later this month.

Rhea County Administrator of Elections Felicia Goodman that despite the rain, turnout was higher than was usually expected in a presidential primary race, likely due to the presence of contested county primaries on the ballot.

“The rain didn’t seem to slow voters down,” Goodman said. “Turnout was more than in a regular presidential primary race with the local elections on the ballot. Everything ran very, very smoothly. We really didn’t have any issues.”

Rhea County Deputy Administrator of Elections Amy Birdsong said volunteer poll workers helped ensure the election ran smoothly.

“We really do have a great group of poll workers,” she said

In the presidential primary in Rhea County, GOP presidential primary candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump received 4,336 votes, ahead of GOP rival candidate Nikki Haley’s 746 votes.

In Rhea County, current U.S. President Joe Biden received 203 votes in the Democratic Party Primary and was uncontested in the primary race.