{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nBen Houston II is the Democratic nominee for Knox County General Sessions Court Judge, Division IV, in the August 6, 2026 general election, running against appointed Republican incumbent Andrea Kline [1][2]. He proposes a Pro Se Indigency Motion Docket to let eligible indigent people have court costs, fines and fees waived, and campaigns on expanding access to justice and bringing \"a broad range of experience\" to a bench he contrasts with the incumbent's prosecution background [1]. \"Judges in the General Sessions Courts must be independent, fair, and impartial. Everyone who comes before the court deserves to be heard, respected, and treated equally,\" he says [1].\n\n## Career\nHouston, 47, is an attorney who has practiced law for 21 years in Knox County and surrounding counties, handling divorce, employment discrimination, domestic violence, criminal defense, landlord-tenant, consumer-protection and tort matters [1]. He has represented clients before the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Court of Criminal Appeals and Supreme Court [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Knox County general sessions court judge voter's guide (Knox News)](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/knox-county-general-sessions-court-070030014.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Primary 2026: General Sessions Court Judge (Compass Knox)](https://compassknox.com/2026/05/04/primary-2026-general-sessions-court-judge/) - accessed 2026-07-23","campaigns":[{"contest":"general_sessions_judge_unexpired","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"General Sessions Judge Division Iv (Unexpired Term)"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Ben","fullname":"Ben H. Houston II","lastname":"Houston","middlename":"H.","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"general_sessions_judge_unexpired","contest_title":"General Sessions Judge Division Iv (Unexpired Term)","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"general_sessions_judge","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"general_sessions_judge_unexpired","contest_title":"General Sessions Judge Division Iv (Unexpired Term)","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"general_sessions_judge","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"D","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"general_sessions_judge","office_title":"General Sessions Judge Division Iv (Unexpired Term)","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"suffix":"II","summary":"Democratic nominee for Knox County General Sessions Judge, Division IV; a 21-year Knox County attorney running on access to justice and courtroom experience.","terms":[],"token":"CKGnOMaNLS"}