(The Center Square) – Candidates for Tennessee’s special election to fill the seat of former 7th District U.S. Rep. Mark Green are gathering signatures on nominating petitions ahead of the Aug. 12 qualifying deadline.
Fourteen Republicans, three Democrats and four independents are circulating petitions but only two have been turned into the Secretary of State’s office and approved. The candidates must garner 25 signatures that will be approved by the Secretary of State’s office.
Republican Matt Van Epps, the former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services, filed his signatures on July 25, the day after the special election was announced. Stuart Cooper, a Williamson County Republican, turned in his petition on July 28, and his signatures have been approved.
Stewart Parks, who was sentenced to an eight-month sentence on charges related to Jan. 6, 2021, has also turned in his signatures but they have not been approved. Parks was pardoned by President Donald Trump.
The race has also drawn two Republican members of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Rep. Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, and Rep. Gino Bulson, R-Brentwood, are running. Other Republicans in the race are Adolph Agbéko Dagan, Mason Edward Foley, Jason Demetrius Knight, Eddie Lee Murphy, Sr., John Wesley Smith IV, Michael Scott Vogel, John Russell Wilt, and Charles Garfield Wittum III.
Nashville Democratic state Reps. Vincent Dixie, Bo Mitchell have picked up petitions, along with political newcomer Darden Hunter Copeland.
Steven J. Hooper, Scerick Richard Longcope, Caleb J. Stack and Jonathan Thorp have petitions to run as independent candidates, according to the Secretary of State’s website.
Green, a Republican, has said he is supporting Van Epps.
“He will stand side by side with President Trump to deliver on the America First agenda that puts Tennessee first,” Green said in a statement posted by Epps.
The primary is Oct. 7. The general election is Dec. 2.
