Former State Rep. Jerome Cochran Has Filed Papers To Challenge House Speaker Kent Williams In This Fall’s Election. Williams, An Elizabethton Restaurateur, Beat Cochran In The Last Two Republican Primaries. But This Time Williams Is Running As An Independent Because He Was Stripped Of His Right To Run As A Republican For Standing As A Candidate For House Speaker Last Year And Winning The Post With The Help Of All Of The Chamber’s Democrats. Cochran, An Elizabethton Attorney, Told The Johnson City Press That He’s Not Sure If He Will Follow Through With Another Bid For Office. He Said He Would Discuss It With His Family And Make Up His Mind Over The Weekend. Candidates Have Until Thursday To Remove Their Names From The Ballot.