County election qualifying opens; mayor, sheriff races draw challengers

January 7, 2026 by G. Chambers Williams III

Candidates, including two seeking the Republican nomination for Anderson County mayor, began filing for the various county positions when registration officially opened Dec. 22, with the primary election coming up May 5.

District 3 County Commissioner Joshua Anderson filed to run against incumbent Mayor Terry Frank in the GOP primary. Frank was the first candidate for any county office to pick up and file a petition to run.

Candidates have picked up petitions to run in all eight commission districts in the primary, according to the Anderson County Election Commission.

Four candidates have picked up petitions for the Republican nomination for county sheriff, including incumbent Russell Barker and challengers Carl Bailey, David G. Davis and Colt Jennings.

So far, only the incumbents have picked up petitions for the other four countywide positions in the primary: Rex Lynch for Circuit Court clerk, Regina Copeland for county trustee, Jeff Cole for county clerk, and Tim Shelton for register of deeds.

Road Superintendent Gary Long had not yet picked up a petition to run for re-election as of Monday afternoon, nor had anyone else for that position, Elections Administrator Mark Stephens said.

Property Assessor John Alley’s position is not on this year’s ballot, nor are any of the judgeships.

There are 16 County Commission seats open, with two seats in each district. So far, there are at least two candidates who have picked up petitions to run in seven of the eight districts, but only one candidate had done so for District 8 as of late Monday.

All eight county School Board district seats are on the primary ballot, but petitions have been picked up for only four of the seats, and two of those candidates – in Districts 6 and 7 – are running as independents and will be only on the general election ballot on Aug. 6.

Candidates who have picked up petitions for County Commission (two seats open per district) as of the end of day Monday are:

• District 1 – Chad McNabb, Raymond Neil Phillips, Tracy L. Wandell.

• District 2 – Lucas Heaton, Denise Palmer, Tina Graham Targonski.

• District 3 – Shannon Gray, Shelley Vandagriff.

• District 4 – Richard Constanzo, Tim IsbelJ. Shain Vowell.

• District 5 – Martin “Marty” May, Robert McKamey, Jeff Pack, Karin Martin Partin, Barbara Vickery.

• District 6 -- Anthony Allen, Ebony M. Capshaw, Derek Guy, Aaron Wells.

• District 7 – Sabra Beauchamp, Sharon Bourgeois Capshaw, Nathan Mullins, Steve Verran.

• District 8 – Don A. Layton, Phil Yeager (independent, Aug. 8 ballot only).

School Board candidates who have picked up petitions:

• District 1 – James W. Wells III, JC Williams.

• District 2 – Katherine Birkbeck, Debra Heaton.

• District 6 – Scott Gillenwaters (independent).

• District 7 – Don A. Bell (independent).

To get on the ballot either May 5 or the general election Aug. 6, a candidate must get signatures of at least 25 registered voters on their individual petitions, and for district seats, those voters must be residents of the particular district, Stephens said.

Early voting for the May 5 primary election will be held April 15-30, while early voting for the Aug. 6 general election will run from July 17-Aug. 1.