Lane withdraws from commission race

UPDATE: Jason Chandler, who is running for the 3^rd District County Commission seat, withdrew Thursday morning. That leaves, Randy Smith and Billy Stephens, both Republicans, to vie for the seat. Candidates have until noon Thursday to formally withdraw, and have their names removed from the ballot.

Rodney Lane, who is running for the 7^th District seat on the Knox County Commission, withdrew from the race this morning and threw his support behind his friend, and now former opponent Charles Busler.

Lane, who works in the county’s Property Assessor’s Office, said he would probably seek an elected office in the future, didn’t want to compete against Busler, who got into the race late.

Now that Lane is out, only Busler, a deacon at Sharon Baptist Church, and Bo Bennett, who ran unsuccessfully for the Knoxville mayoral post a couple years ago, are left.

They will face off in the May 6 Republican primary. No Democrats qualified to run, so the winner – barring a rare victory from a write-in candidate will take office on Sept. 1.

Incumbent R. Larry Smith is term-limited from running again.

The District includes the Halls and Fountain City area.