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Wlaf1450Thank you for casting your ballot in the WLAF poll
JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF)- The Campbell County Democratic and Republican Parties decided earlier this year that they’d like to have a primary election. It will be held May 2026 and will be the first primary since 1996. WLAF wanted to know what you think, and you responded. Thank you.
On Oct. 6, the Campbell County Commission’s Legislative Affairs Committee approved a vote to invite the executive committees of those parties, along with all county elected officials and the county’s administrator of elections to the county commission workshop meeting on Mon., Oct. 13, 6pm, at the courthouse.
The committee members want their guests to be part of the discussion about having primaries for county offices next year and whether the county needs them. Who will be paying for the primaries is also among the questions. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-10/09/2025-6AM-UPDATED 10/13/2025-1PM)
The State of Tennessee has allocated money in the current budget to reimburse the counties for the cost of primaries next year should the executive committees of the parties choose to have them.
Yes we need to know who’s who and their affiliation!
Absolutely in favor of holding a primary election! We are part of America, the state will reimburse the cost, and EVERY citizen has the right to a proper election process. There is no good reason to reject the primary process.
Absolutely. This scares a lot of registered Democrats in our elected positions. They could not win another election if their true party was revealed
I agree let’s do this so we know who is who!
Tennessee’s 2026 local county primary elections are being fully funded by the state legislature, thanks to House Bill 855 and Senate Bill 799, which was passed overwhelmingly, which allocated $8 million or 0.013% out of the state’s $59.8 billion budget, to reimburse all counties—like Campbell County—for the costs of holding these primary elections. This means Campbell County and every other county in Tennessee will have their actual primary election costs refunded/reimbursed, so there will be no negative impact on Campbell County’s bottom line or general budget for 2026. Additionally, 2028 is a national presidential election year, which also will not present financial or budgeting impacts for Campbell County, since that election’s funding is also handled at the state and federal levels. The earliest year where Campbell County might have to budget for these local primary costs again is likely 2030, assuming state funding is not provided in the future. The cost for local primaries varies by county, but Campbell County’s 2026 local primary is estimated to cost about $50,000 to $60,000. This approach was designed to ensure local governments, like Campbell County, are protected from unplanned election expenses and to promote uniformity across Tennessee for the next major election cycles.