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LIVE COVERAGE: Orr defeats Wyatt, road bonds win big

Henderson County Board of Commissioners candidate Steve Wyatt (standing in the center) speaks with supporters Tuesday night, including former county commissioner Tommy Thompson, after learning he would not win a seat on the board.

By AMY B. MCRAW and BILL MOSS, Published: March 4, 2026

Political newcomer Rudd Orr defeated former Henderson County Manager Steve Wyatt for a county commission seat, state Reps. Jennifer Balkcom and Jake Johnson turned back primary challengers and Hendersonville residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of a $10 million road bond issue on Tuesday, the results showed with all of Henderson County's 35 precincts reporting.

Orr won the District 3 seat being vacated by three-term incumbent Bill Lapsley with 56 percent of the vote.

Orr on Tuesday night said he was excited about his win.
“I think people are ready for a change and some fresh ideas, new energy and ideas,” Orr said shortly after learning he likely earned a seat on the board. “I think that is how we were able to pull it off. I care about this place, and I think that is what stood out.”
Orr said wants to listen to the concerns of Henderson County residents once he takes office. His priorities as a commissioner will include preserving farmland in the county, limiting development and providing needed infrastructure.
“I’m ready to get started,” he said.
Wyatt wished Orr success after learning he would not win the primary.
“It looks like people have gone in a different direction,” he said.
Wyatt said he had no regrets in his campaign.
“I didn’t make promises, especially when I knew it wasn’t reality,” he said.
With 67.58 percent of the vote, Commissioner Rebecca McCall easily earned a likely third term on the Board of Commissioners defeating challenger Tom Appleby of Bat Cave in the race for the District 4 seat.
McCall said her third term will be her last on the board.
“It will be good to hand it over to somebody else after that,” she said Tuesday night.
Before she leaves office, McCall said she hopes to complete work on the county’s farmland preservation program and finish capital projects including enclosing East Henderson High School and the county’s detention center and jail project. McCall said she also hopes the county and city governments can come to an agreement on water and sewer issues.
She thanked the county residents who voted for her in the primary.
“It’s a nice feeling the citizens are telling me they have confidence in me,” she said.
Republican primary winners in the District 3 and District 4 Board of Commissioners seats will be the presumptive winners of those seats; no Democrat filed to run for either seat.

City residents voted in favor of the transportation improvement bonds by 68 to 32 percent.

“I’m excited to see that. It really gives us a chance to make improvements to these roads," Hendersonville's mayor pro tem, Jennifer Hensley, said Tuesday night, adding that one of her campaign slogans was “fix the darn streets."

Balkcom vanquished challenger Christopher Lamar Wilson with 76 percent of the vote; Johnson led Mike Hager, a former state House majority leader from Rutherford County, 61-39, with more than half the House District 113 precincts reporting.