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The 20th District state House of Representatives race has been a crowded one locally with four candidates, including County Commission Chairman Robert Ramsey, Commissioner Steve Hargis, Jimmy Melton of Maryville and Tona Monroe-Ball of Greenback, all competing for the Republican nomination.

Hargis, 60, has served as a county commissioner for 10 years, representing the 7th District, which includes Friendsville, Lanier, Carpenters, Happy Valley and Big Springs. He emphasizes being a team player.

"I could bring to this position an ability to get along with my other representatives," Hargis said. "A lot of people have the idea 'I will go to Nashville and I will do this. The bottom line is this. You are going to be one of 95 votes. You have to get the respect of people in Nashville. You get the respect by following the Republican caucus, by keeping your nose clean and, generally, being helpful to your county first and the state second."

Melton said he had several legislative priorities if elected.

"There are things like the 'Taxpayer Bill of Rights' I would like to see implemented at the state level," he said. "There is what I call TennSPAN, which is where we have a channel ... on cable TV throughout the state that shows live sessions of the legislature and live sessions of committees. People never see committees unless they go to Nashville, see how they work and what the decision making is."

A Taxpayer Bill of Rights would keep state spending under control, Melton said.

"That provides for controlling spending and controlling increases in taxes ... (after) two years of surpluses, the surplus would be refunded to the taxpayers. Right now it's spent, which increases spending for the next cycle. We need to get some kind of controls on spending. Taxes are not the issue. Spending is the issue."

Melton currently serves as an alternate on the Blount County Board of Zoning Appeals. He is the brother of County Commissioner Kenneth Melton.

Monroe-Ball, 29, said she has spent time in Nashville as a citizen activist, opposing such items as tolls roads and red light cameras.

"My top priority will be governmental accountability to the people," she said. "The first couple bills I plan to introduce would be to bring accountability to the taxpayers. The first would be tort reform because of the unfortunate experience that Martha Ridings had to endure."

Ridings, a Townsend woman, lost her home last September when a Blount County Highway Department truck sparked a fire by hitting a power line. She was only reimbursed for $100,000 ¬­-- the maximum amount the county said it could pay.

"She lived in poverty unnecessarily for about 10 months while the community, and all the great Tennessee volunteers, worked to rebuild her home, but the government did nothing to address the great loss she suffered," Monroe-Ball said.

Monroe-Ball runs a Web business selling natural medicine products and studies natural medicine.

Ramsey, 61, has served on the County Commission for 18 years, representing the 5th District, which includes portions of Maryville. He served as interim county executive in 1992 and as acting county mayor in 2006. He is a dentist.

"State government is extremely influential in the lives of Blount Countians and all counties," Ramsey said. "We need someone who has represented the citizens of Blount County and is familiar with the impact that state law has on our local government. I'm very interested in education, I'm very interested in the maintenance of our highway system. I am very interested in the state of Tennessee not putting more financial burden on the citizens during this time of economic trial. I take that to Nashville with me in hopes that we can adequately evaluate the impact of legislation in Nashville so we will not have the continuation of unfunded mandates."