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Vince Dean
born 1977-04-05 (Age 49)
Office history
Vince Dean (born January 7, 1959) is a Republican politician from Chattanooga, Tennessee, who served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from April 6, 2006, to August 31, 2014 [1]. He represented District 30 and previously held the position of State House Majority Floor Leader [1]. Dean was first elected during a special election in April 2006 and was re-elected in 2008, 2010, and 2012 [1]. During his legislative tenure, he served on several committees, including Transportation, where he chaired the committee in 2013-2014 and served as vice chair in previous sessions [1]. He also served on the Calendar and Rules, Local Government, Ethics, State & Local Government, Health & Human Resources, and TACIR committees [1]. Dean resigned from the state House in August 2014 after being elected Hamilton County Criminal Court Clerk [1]. He was succeeded in the state legislature by Marc Gravitt [1].
Before his election to the state House, Dean served as a retired police officer for the Chattanooga Police Department starting in 1979 and as the mayor of East Ridge, Tennessee [10]. He also served three terms on the East Ridge City Council [4]. His educational background includes graduation from Baylor High School and attendance at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Cleveland State University [1]. Dean is a Baptist and was adopted by a Baptist minister at age three [10].
Dean has held the office of Hamilton County Criminal Court Clerk since 2014, when he defeated incumbent Gwen Tidwell [10]. The clerk serves as the keeper of records for Hamilton County's Criminal Courts, overseeing three divisions: General Sessions Courts, Delinquent Collections, and Criminal Courts [2]. The office employs 58 deputy clerks and manages a budget that Dean states generates approximately $6 million annually in collected fines and costs against a $5 million operating budget [10]. During his tenure, Dean has established one-stop payment and expungement centers and released a mobile app for the office [10]. He is currently seeking a fourth term as clerk in the 2026 Republican primary, facing challenger Archie Currence [10].
Sources
- [1] Vince Dean - Ballotpedia
- [2] Vince Dean, Criminal Court Clerk, Hamilton County Government
- [4] Rep. Vince Dean - Tennessee General Assembly
- [5] sample ballot
- [6] Rep. Vince Dean - Representatives - TN General Assembly
- [7] Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State
- [8] Vince Dean - Wikipedia
- [9] Vince Dean - Wikipedia
- [10] Vince Dean seeks fourth term as Hamilton County Criminal Court clerk | Chattanooga Times Free Press
- [11] Free Press Opinion: Reelect Vince Dean as Criminal Court clerk | Chattanooga Times Free Press
- [12] Dean seeks new term as Hamilton County Criminal Court clerk | Chattanooga Times Free Press
Public filings
Candidates and officeholders are required by law to file campaign finance reports and statements of economic interest. The sites below don't support direct links to an individual record — search by last name on each.
Tennessee — campaign finance (search)
- State offices (Governor, US Senate, US Rep, TN Senate, TN House, State Executive Committee) — Tennessee Registry of Election Finance. Click Search for Candidates and PACs, enter last name “Dean”, and submit.
- County and municipal offices (County Mayor, Commissioner, Sheriff, School Board, court clerks, municipal alderman, etc.) — most major TN counties use the EasyVote portal. Select the relevant county and search by candidate name (“Dean”).
Tennessee — statement of interest
- Required for state and local officials and candidates — Tennessee Ethics Commission Conflict of Interest Search. Enter last name “Dean”and, if needed, select the applicable position.