Richard Venable
Encyclopedia
Richard Venable is a Tennessee
politician currently serving as head of NETWORKS - Sullivan Partnership, a joint economic development effort of Sullivan County and its cities. He was county mayor
of Sullivan County, Tennessee and is a former member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
. While county mayor, he was chairman of the Sullivan County Board of Commissioners commonly called the County Commission. He lost his Republican Party
nomination bid in first congressional district
race to replace the retiring Bill Jenkins
to David Davis.
At the end of the race, Venable waited two weeks on official election results to concede his loss. Unofficial results were inconsistent, varying from a margin of 512 votes to 576 votes, but the Davis win was confirmed by election officials.
Turnout was lower than expected in Venable's home county of Sullivan. In addition, voters faced wait times in excess of two hours in 90- degree weather. Some left before casting votes, citing physical disabilities or responsibilities to family or employer. A long ballot, including judgeship retention questions, and new voting machines, mandated to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements by the federal government in time for this election, may have caused voters to take more time at the voting booth. Among Venable supporters and campaigners, questions were repeatedly raised as to why more machines were not provided when, as the story goes, 80 remained unpacked, and why paper ballots were not issued in lieu of distributing unused machines. However, election officials said nowhere near 80 machines were unused. And media accounts in the Bristol Herald Courier and Kingsport Times-News, among others, indicated the long lines and snafus were statewide, although they were especially troublesome in Sullivan County and the 1st Congressional District because of the race for Congress.He also has A granddaughter named Sidney and a Grandson named Jackson.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
politician currently serving as head of NETWORKS - Sullivan Partnership, a joint economic development effort of Sullivan County and its cities. He was county mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Sullivan County, Tennessee and is a former member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
Tennessee House of Representatives
The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional requirements:...
. While county mayor, he was chairman of the Sullivan County Board of Commissioners commonly called the County Commission. He lost his Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination bid in first congressional district
Tennessee's 1st congressional district
The Tennessee 1st Congressional District is the congressional district of northeast Tennessee, including all of Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties and parts of Jefferson County and Sevier County...
race to replace the retiring Bill Jenkins
William L. Jenkins
William Lewis "Bill" Jenkins is a politician from the state of Tennessee. He represented the state's 1st Congressional district, centered around the Tri-Cities , from 1997 until his successor was sworn in on January 3, 2007....
to David Davis.
At the end of the race, Venable waited two weeks on official election results to concede his loss. Unofficial results were inconsistent, varying from a margin of 512 votes to 576 votes, but the Davis win was confirmed by election officials.
Turnout was lower than expected in Venable's home county of Sullivan. In addition, voters faced wait times in excess of two hours in 90- degree weather. Some left before casting votes, citing physical disabilities or responsibilities to family or employer. A long ballot, including judgeship retention questions, and new voting machines, mandated to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements by the federal government in time for this election, may have caused voters to take more time at the voting booth. Among Venable supporters and campaigners, questions were repeatedly raised as to why more machines were not provided when, as the story goes, 80 remained unpacked, and why paper ballots were not issued in lieu of distributing unused machines. However, election officials said nowhere near 80 machines were unused. And media accounts in the Bristol Herald Courier and Kingsport Times-News, among others, indicated the long lines and snafus were statewide, although they were especially troublesome in Sullivan County and the 1st Congressional District because of the race for Congress.He also has A granddaughter named Sidney and a Grandson named Jackson.