Anderson County Mayor-Elect Terry Frank
Anderson County has a new mayor.
Voters selected Terry Frank for the county's top job. She defeated Warren Gooch in Thursday night's election.
Frank got 7074 votes. Gooch collected 5032 votes.
"We've had hundreds of volunteers and contributors in this campaign and I'm eternally grateful to them. I know if we can move forward we can all move Anderson County forward," Gooch said while greeting supporters at the Market House Restaurant in Oak Ridge.
"I'm just very, very excited and thankful for the people of Anderson County. I love Anderson County and I'm really looking forward to getting to work," mayor-elect Frank said.
Her watch party was held at her own business, Nature's Marketplace, in Oak Ridge.
Gooch phoned and congratulated Frank around 9 p.m.
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The top political position in Anderson County will be claimed Thursday night.
Two candidates want to be Anderson County's next mayor.
The winner will fill the term for two years, after former County Mayor Rex Lynch resigned last Spring. Lynch pled guilty to tax fraud.
The Republican candidate, Terry Frank, is an Anderson County native and has owned a small business for 20 years.
The Democratic candidate, Warren Gooch, has lived in Anderson County for 19 years and is a Health Care Lawyer.
Frank and Gooch both want to attract business and families to Anderson County. The two have different plans to meet their goals.
"Stabilizing and looking to reduce taxes, control spending, control debt and do a little bit of long-term planning. I also believe in friendly government service," Frank said outside of a polling place late Thursday afternoon.
"Business investment, creating new retail development, support our three excellent school systems in Anderson County and obviously support the DOE missions here in Oak Ridge that are vital," Warren Gooch said while explaining his platform.
The two candidates are throwing watch parties Thursday night.
10News will bring you reaction on Fox 43 at 10 p.m. and 10News Nightbeat after the Olympics.