East Ridge will be represented by two new faces in Hamilton County government for the next four years; Katie Perkins and Joshua Wichman, both Democrats.

Wichman, a newcomer to East Ridge and to politics, took down incumbent Mike Chauncey for the District 8 seat on the Hamilton County Commission. Wichman tallied 2,526 votes (55 percent) to Chauncey’s 2,047 votes (44 percent).

Perkins, who ran unsuccessfully for the school board seat four years ago, received 2,621 votes (58 percent) against retired educator Sabrina Daniel who tallied 1,868 votes (42 percent).

The school board seat was open, as two-term incumbent Larry Grohn chose not to run.

East Ridge’s favorite son, Vince Dean, was returned to office as the county’s Criminal Court Clerk in what many some may have believed a closer race than expected. Dean, a former East Ridge City Councilman and Mayor, garnered 54 percent of the vote to his Democrat opponent Aaliyah K. Hakeem’s 46 percent.

Marc Gravitt, former East Ridge City Councilman was unopposed in his re-election bid for Register of Deeds.

According to the Hamilton County Election Commission, this election was the largest August turnout in a decade with more than 65,00 ballots cast. Contrast that figure to the previous August election of 2024 when 36,636 ballots were cast.

“I like focusing on where I’m from instead of the larger picture,” East Ridge voter Tucker Berry told the Chattanooga Times Free Press. “Just making sure that East Ridge is still running and making sure that the Hamilton County area is doing well.”