JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) – Early results from Washington County’s May 5 primary election show controversy may be impacting a local school board race.
Incumbent District 1 school board member Keith Ervin finished third in the Republican primary, receiving 999 votes.
Annette Buchanan received 1,480 votes, while Vince Walters led the race with 1,542 votes.
The top candidates are expected to advance to the August general election, where voters will decide who fills the seat.
Ervin has faced widespread criticism following an April school board meeting where he was recorded placing a hand on a student board member and telling her, “God, you’re hot.”
The incident sparked public backlash, and the Washington County Board of Education unanimously voted to censure Ervin shortly afterward.
He has since been charged with simple assault in connection to that interaction, according to court records.
The student involved later spoke publicly, criticizing board members for what she called a lack of accountability following the incident.
Despite running in a heavily Republican area, Ervin’s third-place finish among GOP candidates signals a potential shift as the race heads toward the general election.
