{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nLoren Thomas is a member of the Unicoi County Commission for the 1st District and has served as chairman of the county commission [2][3]. He is one of three Republican nominees on the August 6, 2026 county general ballot for the 1st District's three seats, a race in which three candidates run for three seats [1].\n\n## Career\nThomas works a full-time job and is a master beekeeper, having completed a master beekeeping program through the Tennessee Department of Agriculture; he sells honey from his bees at several locations in Unicoi and Washington counties [3].\n\n## Office history\nThomas is listed among the current Unicoi County commissioners for the 1st District and has chaired the county commission [2][3]. His CTAS county-official record lists his address in Flag Pond [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Official Ballot, State and County General Election, Unicoi County, August 6, 2026](https://unicoivotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/COUNTY-GENERAL.pdf) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [CTAS County Official Record \u2014 Loren Thomas, Unicoi County Commissioner](https://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/official/loren-thomas) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Unicoi County Commissioner Loren Thomas also successful beekeeper \u2014 Johnson City Press](https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/living/features/unicoi-county-commissioner-loren-thomas-also-successful-beekeeper/article_536effcc-379f-11ee-95ce-c356dc02b795.html) - accessed 2026-07-23","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_1","county":"Unicoi","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County Commissioner District 1"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"LOREN","fullname":"LOREN THOMAS","lastname":"THOMAS","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_1","contest_title":"County Commissioner District 1","county":"Unicoi","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_1","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission_district_1","contest_title":"County Commissioner District 1","county":"Unicoi","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_1","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"R","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission_district_1","office_title":"County Commissioner District 1","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Unicoi County commissioner for the 1st District and commission chairman; a master beekeeper who sells local honey. Running for re-election in 2026.","terms":[],"token":"7jKvZpHpR7"}