Carroll County Republicans selected 77 delegates on Oct. 29 for the 24th Judicial District conference on Nov. 23 when a chancellor nominee is to be chosen. The conference location has not been decided, but will likely be in Benton or Decatur county due to being centrally located.
The GOP party is filling the position left vacant when Carma McGee was named in mid-April by Gov. Bill Lee to the judgeship for the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Western Division.
Seventy-seven Republicans filled the conference room at Huntingdon’s Police Department for the caucus. However, a few of them said they would not be able to attend the conference and were eliminated as delegates. However, several who were not present had submitted necessary paperwork in order to be delegates. Alternate delegates were also chosen.
The 24th Judicial District includes besides Carroll County, the counties of Henry, Benton, Decatur and Hardin that will also hold caucuses. State Republican chairman Scott Golden, who conducted the meeting, said the number of delegates is determined by the county’s Republican vote in the last presidential election. One delegate is allowed per 100 votes cast.
The three candidates, Brent Bradberry of McKenzie, Vicki Hoover of Paris and Vance Dennis of Savannah, who are seeking the position, were present and spoke briefly about their qualifications.
Bradberry, is a former Carroll County party chairman and a public defender attorney for Weakley County. Hoover is a Paris attorney in the law firm of Ainley, Hoover and Hoover and the municipal judge for Big Sandy and Henry. Dennis is an assistant district attorney for the 24th Judicial District and a former state House representative.
However, Golden said there is still time for a candidate to announce which can be done up until the district conference.
Henry County has already held their caucus that has 95 delegates who have committed to Hoover.
Jennifer King of Huntingdon was named to the position on Sept. 4 by Gov. Bill Lee, but resigned days later in a disagreement concerning the selection process.
Bradberry and Dennis were in the top three finalists previously selected by the governor when he picked King.
