Jackson City Councilman Sam Turner has decided to step away from running for the District 1 seat in the May 2 election. His opponent, JP Stovall, is aware of the situation, and plans on working with Turner to create a smooth transition.
In a release sent to the media, Turner says he and his wife are interested in moving to East Tennessee to be closer to the family, as his mother has recently died.
“It is too late to remove my name from the ballot,” Turner said in the release. “I have learned a lot over the past five months as a City Councilman and hope to have opportunities to share this knowledge with the City Councilman this District elects to ensure he is as prepared as possible to assume the role after the election.”
In a separate news release, Stovall gave his condolences to Turner and his family.
“Councilman Turner and I will meet later this week to discuss the pertinent issues facing District 1. Sam has invited me to join him in a series of meetings over the next couple of months to help me come up to speed with the needs of our district, and make sure that we have a smooth transition as he passes the baton of service to me. We both care about this district, and I look forward to meeting with Sam in these meetings and continuing to meet the residents that I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting,” Stovall said.
Turner says he will continue to serve District 1 throughout the remainder of this term. He wants people to know that since the ballots for this election cycle have already been made, constituents need to be aware of his decision to work with Stovall.
Election Day for the City of Jackson Municipal Election is May 2. Early voting is April 12-27.
It is my intent to continue to represent District 1 throughout the remainder of this term and to be available to constituents as needs arise.
Julia Ewoldt, julia@jacksonpost.news
