{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nArthur G. \"Art\" Shady is running for Smith County Mayor as an Independent candidate on the August 6, 2026 county general ballot, challenging incumbent Republican Jeff Mason [1]. Shady previously sought the same office in 2022 [2].\n\n## Background and education\nShady lives in the Riddleton community of Smith County with his wife, Sandra; the couple has seven children and three grandchildren [2]. He previously lived in the Nashville and Baxter areas before moving to Smith County [2].\n\n## Career\nShady has described roughly 35 years of accounting and tax-preparation experience, including building a tax practice with more than 200 clients while in college in Chattanooga, and work as a comptroller and human-resources director for a construction company in Knoxville, an assistant bank branch manager, and a computer instructor at Roane State Community College [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Qualified Candidates for May 5, 2026 Election - Smith County Election Commission](https://smithcountyelection.com/upload_petitions/petitions.pdf) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Art Shady Announces His Candidacy for Smith County Mayor - Smith County Insider](https://smithcountyinsider.com/home-page-featured/art-shady-announces-his-candidacy-for-smith-county-mayor/) - accessed 2026-07-23","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_mayor","county":"Smith","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County Mayor"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"ARTHUR","fullname":"ARTHUR G. SHADY","lastname":"SHADY","middlename":"G.","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_mayor","contest_title":"County Mayor","county":"Smith","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_mayor","office_title":null,"party":"I","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_mayor","contest_title":"County Mayor","county":"Smith","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_mayor","office_title":null,"party":"I","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"I","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_mayor","office_title":"County Mayor","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Independent candidate for Smith County Mayor and Riddleton resident with a 35-year accounting and tax-preparation background; also ran in 2022.","terms":[],"token":"20UIYijEDB"}