Clarksville's ward 2 without a candidate; Vondell Richmond ineligible to seek re-election
Clarksville's ward 2 is now without a candidate in the Nov. 8 city council election.
Current Ward 2 Councilperson Vondell Richmond had petitioned the Montgomery County Election Commission for candidacy, pending a determination of whether he met the commission's eligibility rules regarding residency.
There had been growing questions about whether Richmond currently resides within the boundaries of his ward, a key requirement for holding a seat on the council.
Early this week, local Administrator of Elections Elizabeth Black said there is not sufficient evidence that Richmond lives inside the boundaries of ward 2.
"It was determined that there wasn't sufficient evidence of his residency, and he (Richmond) did not come to our meeting where his residency eligibility issue was discussed," Black said. "So therefore he was ruled ineligible."
Black added that Richmond had been notified of the matter in writing. The Leaf-Chronicle reached out to Richmond for comment on Tuesday morning.
The city of Clarksville is divided into 12 representative wards with distinct geographical boundaries. In what may be a historical first for Clarksville city politics, the ruling leaves ward 2 without a qualified candidate on the Nov. 8 ballot in the State General and Clarksville City Elections.
No one had sought to potentially run against Richmond, and now the candidate qualifying deadline with the Election Commission has passed.
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The other alternative on Nov. 8 is for someone to be elected as a write-in candidate on the ballot. There is an Election Commission deadline of noon, Sept. 19, for any prospective ward 2 residents to have a certificate of write-in candidacy submitted.
However, Black said, this does not mean anyone who meets the certification deadline will appear on the ballot.
"Write-in candidates are only on the ballot when their names are added by the voting public, and it would be up to the candidates, themselves, to educate voters in ward 2 about their write-in candidacy, and their correct name spelling," she said.
The only other alternative for filling the ward 2 seat, if there are no write-in candidates, is for the council itself, to select a new councilperson early in the coming year.
Otherwise the current ballot includes a full slate of city council candidates, including three people seeking the Clarksville mayor's seat — current Mayor Joe Pitts against David Allen and Ascension "Big Sarge" Lopez.
Reach Jimmy Settle at jimmysettle@theleafchronicle.com or 931-245-0247. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to TheLeafChronicle.com.
This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Clarksville's ward 2 without a candidate after Vondell Richmond ineligible
