Hamilton County School Board candidate Cindy Fain contests election loss

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Hamilton County School Board District 6 candidate Cindy Fain has become the second candidate in Hamilton County's May 3rd primary to contest their election results.

Fain lost her race by 48 votes. She lost to Jon Baker.

In documents filed with the Tennessee Republican Party Primary Board, which you can read below, Fain claims "a highly organized campaign by the Democratic Left to adulterate the votes of bona fide Republicans had occurred."

"Rampant cross-over voting by the Democratic Left in numbers never seen before had taken place," the document continues.

Fain's contesting her election echoes the same arguments made by Hamilton County mayoral candidate and current Hamilton County Commission Chair Sabrena Smedley, who finished second in her race on May 3rd.

Read more:

• In documents, Smedley makes case for contesting Hamilton County mayor's race
  
• Is it valid? Experts weigh in on Smedley contesting Hamilton County mayor's race
  

Like Smedley's, Fain's challenge is now in the hands of the Tennessee Republican Primary Board to determine if the claims have merit.

Christopher Acuff, an assistant professor for UTC's Department of Political Science & Public Service, told us on Thursday that in Tennessee, voters are not required (nor do they have the ability) to register with a particular party.

However, Acuff says state law stipulates that only “bona fide” members of a party are allowed to vote in a particular party’s primary.

"The problem is, neither state law nor the parties themselves define a “bona fide” member for the purposes of voting," says Acuff.

Acuff says there is nothing in state law that prevents someone from voting in a particular primary based on their voting history.

Read the document Fain filed below:

Depend on us to keep you posted on this developing story.