Knoxville — Eight people have put their names in to fill the vacant 8th District seat of Knox County Commissioner Dave Wright.
Names released Monday by Knox County: Phil Ballard; Richie Beeler; Krystal Gibson; Douglas Iglehart; Rebecca Longmire; Sonia S. Sanders; Michelle Westover; and Terry Wilshire.
Monday was the deadline to apply. The district includes Corryton, Gibbs and East Knox County.
At 2 p.m. Wednesday, Knox County Commission will interview the candidates in the Main Assembly Room of the City County Building downtown. Afterward, they're to consider the appointment.
Wright was last elected to a four-year term to County Commission in 2016. A Republican, he was elected last month to a two-year term in the Tennessee Legislature for District 19, replacing Harry Brooks.
Ballard is a former two-term Knox County property assessor and also served two years as the district's county commissioner. He's also been on the county's E-911 board.
Beeler has been officer manager of the county's Register of Deeds. He held that job from June 2006-June 2017. Before that he was longtime chief bookkeeper.
Gibson has nearly 17 years experience with the Knox County Sheriff's Office that includes criminal investigations as a detective. She's a previous department Officer of the Month and Detective of the Month.
Iglehart is a retired Knox County teacher with more than 25 years of experience. He taught driver education at Austin-East High School and the L & N Stem Academy.
Longmire is a past chair of the Knoxville Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission. She also is a longtime, retired teacher and librarian in Knox County.
Sanders is newly retired from teaching more than 30 years in Knox County. She now works as a substitute teacher.
Westover was a candidate for the District 19 seat that Wright won. She is a lifelong farmer in the Thorngrove community.
Wilshire is a Knox County Sheriff's Office retiree with 28 years of experience. He now works in the "corrections technology industry" and is a certified auditor with the American Correctional Association, according to his commission letter of application.