Jamie Carden was appointed District 9 county commissioner by the Hamblen County Commission on May 22 and was immediately sworn in by Mayor Chris Cutshall.

The appointment filled a vacancy for the seat; commissioners nominated three people and then held a roll-call vote. After the first round produced a tie for second place, commissioners advanced the top two nominees to a runoff. The final tally was 9 votes for Carden and 2 votes each for John Cox and Kim Coffey, and the commission declared Carden the winner.

The nomination phase included public comment from local residents. Justin Anderson, identified on the record as a resident of 31213 Springs Road, urged support for John Cox and described Cox’s long attendance and community service. “He does come to these meetings, religiously,” Anderson said, and praised Cox’s “dignity and integrity.” John Cox, one of the nominees, spoke to the commission about his service background and interest in representing the district. Kim Coffey addressed the commission before the vote and accepted her nomination.

Commissioners conducted the roll call by naming one of the three nominees; several commissioners’ spoken votes for Jamie Carden were recorded on the roll call. After the vote the mayor administered the oath of office. Carden repeated the oath, saying he would “perform with fidelity the duties of the office of county commissioner representing the Ninth District,” and was acknowledged by the commission.

Discussion at the meeting also included remarks from members of the public asking commissioners to select someone with a record of attending meetings and familiarity with county issues. One commenter estimated the appointee would serve through the next election cycle and noted the timing for the next office change; that timeline was described as an estimate by the commenter rather than a commission action.

The commission did not take other formal actions tied to the appointment at the same time. Carden took the oath and took his place on the dais; the mayor and commissioners encouraged him to consult with staff and fellow members as he begins duties.