{"biography":"Kevin Lee McCants is a Democratic candidate running for Governor of Tennessee in the 2026 election [1]. He is also a candidate for U.S. Senate in Tennessee, though he will not appear on the ballot for that specific primary race [1]. McCants filed petitions to run for both offices during the March 10, 2026 filing deadline [38].\n\nMcCants holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in electrical engineering technologies from the University of Alabama and a master\u2019s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga [1]. His professional background includes work as a production supervisor at a Hot Topic Distribution Center [1].\n\nIn his campaign for Governor, McCants has outlined a platform focused on economic stability and workforce adaptation. He proposes the \"Cognitive Dividend Act,\" which he describes as a measure to define how artificial intelligence integrates into the workforce while protecting workers by recognizing cognitive labor as intellectual property and helping displaced workers transition into independent income opportunities [19]. His campaign also promotes the \"LFEPSC Economic Plan,\" intended to manage inflation and economic change, and advocates for consumer-sponsored healthcare plans to shift control from employers to consumers [19]. McCants argues that Tennessee families earn below the national median and that nearly 60% of jobs require postsecondary education, a gap he aims to address through his proposed policies [19].\n\nMcCants is one of five candidates in the Democratic primary for Governor of Tennessee, alongside Carnita Atwater, Tim Cyr, Jerri Green, and Adam Kurtz [1]. The primary is scheduled for August 6, 2026, with the general election set for November 3, 2026 [1].\n\n## Sources\n\n[1] [Kevin Lee McCants - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Kevin_Lee_McCants)\n[19] [Kevin Lee McCants | Tennessee Governor & Senate Candidate](https://www.kevinleemccants.com/)\n[38] [MARCH 10, 2026 PETITIONS](https://www.scelect.org/march1026petitions.html)","campaigns":[{"contest":"governor","county":"Anderson","county_count":95,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"Tennessee Governor"},{"contest":"us_senate_class_2","county":"Anderson","county_count":95,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"US Senate (Class 2)"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Kevin Lee","fullname":"Kevin Lee McCants","lastname":"McCants","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"governor","contest_title":"Tennessee Governor","county":"Anderson","county_count":95,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"governor","office_title":"Governor","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":null,"party":"D","primary":{"contest":"governor","contest_title":"Tennessee Governor","county":"Anderson","county_count":95,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"governor","office_title":"Governor","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"governor","office_title":"Governor","state":"TN","terms":[]},{"campaigns":[{"contest":"us_senate_class_2","contest_title":"US Senate (Class 2)","county":"Anderson","county_count":95,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"us_senate_class_2","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":null,"party":"D","primary":{"contest":"us_senate_class_2","contest_title":"US Senate (Class 2)","county":"Anderson","county_count":95,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"us_senate_class_2","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"us_senate_class_2","office_title":"US Senate (Class 2)","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Kevin Lee McCants, a Democratic candidate for Governor of Tennessee in 2026, holds degrees from the University of Alabama and UTC and previously worked as a production supervisor.","terms":[],"token":"Bt0Y8R0MQq"}