Tester unseated in Elizabethton City Council election— Simerly, Carter, Barker, Frazier win
Published 10:42 pm Tuesday, November 6, 2018
- Star Photo/Bryce Phillips Members of the Elizabethton City Council watch as election results roll Tuesday night at Beef O Brady's in Elizabethton. Pictured from left to right, Mayor Curt Alexander, council member Jeff Treadway, newly elected council member Mike Simerly, coucil member Wes Frazier, and council member Bill Carter.
The Elizabethton City Council will have two familiar faces and two new faces after Tuesday night’s midterm elections.
Council Members Wes Frazier and Bill Carter will retain their seats on the council. While newcomers Mike Simerly and Richard Barker will join the council in the coming months.
Simerly, who had the third most votes at 2,345, said he is honored to have won and that this will be the first time he has held an elected office.
“I am humbled by the number of votes I got tonight,” said Simerly. “I am just blessed.
“It has been a wonderful homecoming for me,” continued Simerly. “My grandfather was elected to what was the equivalent of the county mayor back in the 70s. Conley T. ‘Red’ Simerly. He was the only person of the Simerly name to hold office. This is such a humbling homecoming for me to be elected to serve for our city.”
Frazier, who won 2,162 of the votes, said he is excited to have the chance to continue to strive for some of the goals that the council has set for the city.
“We have some goals already in place we would like to reach,” Frazier said. “I was hoping I could go back in and continue to push for them. We have a lot of good things that is fixing to happen, and it doesn’t happen overnight. We are looking at jobs that could be coming. Some new retail, and things like that.”
Fraizer went on to say that it is always good to have new members on the council to bring a fresh perspective to the table.
“I have always encouraged people to get out and vote and get involved,” said Frazier. “We need younger people to get involved. Because you can’t keep going with the same old ideas. We need people to come in and change things up.”
Carter earned the most votes at 2,623 and said he was honored to have been voted back in for a third term.
“I really appreciate the people of the Elizabethton for trusting me enough to vote me in again,” said Fraizer. “I will do my best to honor that vote and do the best job that I can.”
Barker had the second most votes at 2,621. Council member Richard Tester was unseated as he received 1,825 votes.
Barker and Simerly will begin their role with the council during the December meeting.
