Paris, Tenn.–There now are three candidates for the 24th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge who have picked up their petitions at the Henry County Elections Commission.
Assistant District Attorney Vance Dennis of Hardin County is the latest candidate to pick up his paperwork. The other two are State Rep. Bruce Griffey, R-Paris, who already announced he was leaving the State Rep. position to run for judge; and Terry Leonard, attorney from Camden.
Dennis officially announced his intention to run for Circuit Court Judge in the 24th Judicial District in November.
The district includes Hardin, Benton, Carroll, Decatur, and Henry Counties. Long-time Circuit Court Judge Donald Parish of Carroll County earlier announced his pending retirement from the position.
According to his campaign website, Dennis was a partner at McGee and Dennis for over 10 years. First elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2008, Dennis served as the State Representative for the 71st District until 2014. Now Assistant District Attorney, he serves as the chief prosecutor for Hardin County, prosecuting criminal offenses.
He is a member and past president of the Savannah Lions Club, a past board member at Hardin County Skills, Inc., which is a non‑profit entity that provides housing and work programs for the mentally disabled, and a former board member of the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife, Ashley, who is a CPA and Chief Financial Officer at Hardin County Bank, have two sons.