Monday, February 23, 2015

GOP lawmakers to pick their election commission members on Thursday

Over the weekend, Georgiana Vines posted a pretty good story about the local Legislative delegation's meeting Thursday to pick three of the five Knox County Election Commission board members.

(Republicans, because they're the majority, get three picks and Democrats get two.)

Bob Bowman, Chris Heagerty and Rob McNutt are the current Republicans. I suspect the delegation will keep Heagerty and Bowman, but probably not McNutt.

The later was pick by then-state Rep. Steve Hall, who is no longer around. You might recall that McNutt also (allegedly) illegally voted - and for Hall - a number of times. There was some serious egg on the face of the delegation when that one came out.

Still, they didn't bother to do anything about it, and McNutt's sole purpose for being appointed was to serve as the swing vote to out then-Election Administrator Greg Mackay. Now that Hall is gone, I expect McNutt to join him.

Vines reports that Ruthie Kuhlman, current Knox County GOP chair, and local attorney Tamara Boyer are interested in a two-year term on the board.

Cassandraw McGee Stuart and Tammy Kaousias are currently the Democrat reps on the panel. I figure Stuart sticks around, I don't know about Kaousias. Vines notes that then-state Rep. Gloria Johnson backed her two years ago, but Johnson is now out.

Once picked, the board will then vote on an election administrator. Regardless of the board's makeup, I expect then to retain Cliff Rodgers for another two years.

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