This past Tuesday, the Tennessee Trial Court Vacancy Commission held an intense, nine-hour meeting to interview eight candidates vying for a seat on the bench. After a lengthy process, the Commission selected three finalists to send to Governor Bill Lee.

Emily F. Abbott and J. Franklin Ammons secured their spots in the first round of voting. But it took three additional rounds to settle on the third finalist—Cashauna C. Lattimore.

Now, it’s up to Governor Lee to choose one of these three to fill the judicial vacancy. Whoever he appoints will then appear on the ballot in the May 2026 Republican or Democratic primary, followed by the General Election in August 2026.

A look at the candidates’ voting histories reveals that seven of the eight applicants—including Abbott and Ammons—are consistent Republican voters. That means if either of them is selected, there’s virtually no chance of their party eligibility being challenged.

Lattimore, on the other hand, has exclusively voted in Democratic primaries, signaling she would likely run on the Democratic ticket. If Governor Lee appoints her, she would become the first Democratic judge in Knox County since September 1, 2014. That’s when the late Circuit Judge Harold Wimberly and former Chancellor Daryl Fansler lost their seats to Republicans Bill Ailor and Eddie Pridemore.

It’s been 11 years since a Democrat has held a judicial position in Knox County. That could change this summer—depending on the Governor’s pick.

Stay tuned. This decision could reshape the county’s judicial landscape.