Rutherford County Circuit Court Clerk Melissa Harrell has a challenger. Robin Eades Gentry announced her campaign for the office Harrell has held since 2014, according to a press release.

Some background: Gentry unsuccessfully ran against Harrell in 2018. And Harrell fired Gentry from her post as deputy clerk in the Circuit Court Clerk after winning election in 2014.

According to the press release, Gentry started her career in an entry-level position in the Rutherford County Circuit Court Clerk’s office in 1986 and worked her way up to chief deputy for Criminal Court and served under four Rutherford County Circuit Court Clerks. Since Harrell fired her, Gentry has spent the last five years working for the District Attorney General Child Support Enforcement Division and was appointed administrator in 2018. She resigned her appointment to run for office.

"The office of the Circuit Court Clerk affects the public, the judiciary, the legal community, law enforcement, probation and various other government agencies. I am a fiscally conservative Republican with the experience and vision for how the office should operate and what it takes to ensure the collection of funds, public access, and efficiency," Gentry said.

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The Circuit Court Clerk is responsible for maintaining the records of the Court and collection and fees of General Sessions, Juvenile, and Circuit Courts. One of the most important roles of the Circuit Court Clerk’s office is the collection of fines and fees, which are distributed to various agencies and to the county’s general fund.

“I’ll work to improve efficiency and enhance public access to the office by improving current systems and processes to ensure the office is providing the best service to the taxpayers possible. I’ll also prioritize the collection of delinquent costs to generate revenue for the county," she said. "The Circuit Court Clerk’s office plays an important role in county government and, in many Rutherford County residents' minds, has failed to improve efficiency and increase trust in the office over the last several years. Rutherford County deserves better."

While working in the court clerk's office, Gentry was certified as a public administrator by the University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service Institute of Public Service and completed the county's Leadership Rutherford program.

She is an Oakland High School graduate. Gentry and her husband, David, attend Holly Grove Baptist Church and have two adult children, Amy Ruel, husband Joey, and Adam Anderson and wife Celina, and three grandchildren. Gentry is the daughter of Butch and Freida Eades.