District 1 Run-Off Centers Around Lookout Valley

• Like (1)
• Comment
• Email
• Facebook
• Twitter

Lookout Valley voters will play a pivotal role in the outcome of the District 1 run-off between Linda Bennett and challenger Deborah Scott. The victor of the April 14th contest will represent the citizens of North Chattanooga, Mountain Creek, Moccasin Bend, and Lookout Valley on the Chattanooga City Council for the next 4 years. Yesterday, former-candidate Joe Graham endorsed Ms. Scott during a press conference at the Country Diner near his Lookout Valley residence, "I am behind Deborah 100 percent. I will be working hard to get her elected." On Councilwoman Bennett, he added, "Linda is a very nice lady, but we need to do better and have better economic responsibility."

Mr. Graham, who finished third in the March 3rd election, handily won both Lookout Valley precincts, largely on a platform of 'fiscal responsibility,' and running as a North Chattanooga outsider. Ms. Scott runs on a similar platform, and the Graham endorsement made ideological sense for both. The importance of Lookout Valley on this District should not be understated. The quiet suburb exists outside of the downtown milieu, primarily accessible via I-24, located across the river from the remainder of District 1. Though it sits within the Chattanooga City Limits, it hasn't enjoyed the commercial development boom of North Chattanooga, or to a lesser extent, the foot of Signal Mtn. over the last 8 years. What sets Lookout Valley apart, however, is high voter turnout. Out of 3,283 registered voters, 741 voters came to the polls during the March 3rd election. In the last two municipal elections, Lookout Valley had higher turnout than any other neighborhood in District 1. And despite poor voter participation across the city, Lookout Valley voters cast only 115 less ballots this year than in 2005. The March 3rd results are a helpful barometer of where this contest is heading. Like Graham, the two remaining candidates split the District 1 vote based primarily where each resides. Ms. Bennett carried her North Chattanooga neighborhood and Moccasin Bend -- finishing second in both Lookout Valley and Mountain Creek. Similarly, Ms. Scott won the nearby Mountain Creek precincts. She finished second in North Chattanooga and third in Lookout Valley. The impact of the Graham endorsement remains to be seen. While it may rally minor support amongst Mr. Graham's constituents, it will not necessarily bring voters to the polls. Ms. Scott did not perform well in the suburb overall, winning only 83 votes out of 741. By contrast, Ms. Bennett won 178 votes, and probably would have fared better if Mr. Graham's close ties to the community had not thwarted her bid. The candidates share a similar path to an April 14th victory. Each candidate must bolster the March 3rd margins in her respective precincts while building support in Lookout Valley. Since Ms. Bennett has an established rapport with the area, she currently enjoys the upper hand. Meanwhile, Ms. Scott will have to start from scratch and introduce herself to Lookout Valley voters. Her potential victory rests not on the endorsement, per se, but on Mr. Graham's willingness to play the role of surrogate in the coming weeks. Chattarati invites both District 1 candidates to publish an editorial on our website. Full Disclosure: David Morton lives in North Chattanooga and endorsed Linda Bennett for the March 3rd election.