MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Johnson County Mayor Larry Potter said the process of replacing former state representative Scotty Campbell is not something he or the county commissioners are planning to rush into.
Campbell represented Johnson County and parts of Hawkins, Sullivan and Carter counties. Mayor Potter said it’s the job of his county commissioners to re-appoint a representative to the seat since Johnson County is where Campbell calls home.
Mayor Potter said he wants to take his time with the process of finding Campbell’s replacement. This process consists of applicants stating their cases to the county commissioners at a special meeting.
“We want to do the right process and give people ample time to state why they want to serve,” said Potter.
The interim representative will serve until Governor Bill Lee calls for a special election. The state will reimburse the county for money spent on this special election.
Johnson County’s commissioners meet every third Thursday. They’re working out details on when the special meeting will be held, but Mayor Potter does say they will put out a public notice about the meeting beforehand.
News Channel 11 reached out to the office of legislative administration regarding the allegations filed against former representative Campbell. They said their workplace policy prohibits releasing this information.
Republican State Representative Rebecca Alexander (R – Jonesborough) released a statement about Campbell’s resignation.
“I was made aware of the allegations and ethics investigation through news reports [Thursday],” said Alexander. “Sexual harassment or discrimination will not be tolerated in the House of Representatives.”
