With Paul Bailey taking the oath of office Tuesday on Capitol Hill, the race begins to determine who will be next to take an oath in the coming year to represent the 43rd District.
For the first time in 19 years, it is someone other than Charles Curtiss sitting in the 43rd District seat in the Tennessee House. Curtiss resigned from his position Jan. 1 after accepting a job as executive director of the Tennessee County Commissioners Association. By leaving when he did, Curtiss will be able to lobby lawmakers on Capitol Hill starting next legislative session.
While Bailey is presently holding the seat, he does not plan to seek election to the office. He plans to run for the state Senate seat being vacated by Charlotte Burks.
Bailey was awarded the position by the White County Commission. Curtiss’ home county, by law, got to appoint his successor pending the November election.
The 43rd District covers all of White and Grundy counties, and about two-thirds of Warren County.
Presently, only two people have picked up papers to run for the seat and neither are from Warren County. The hopefuls are both from White County. They include Edward Leon Buck, who is looking to run as an independent, and Robert Dunham, a Republican who fell just short of unseating Curtiss two years ago.
The deadline to qualify to run for state representative is noon April 3. The primary will be held in August and the general election is in November.