{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nKeneth Lee Whitehead is an independent candidate for DeKalb County Sheriff in the August 6, 2026 general election, running against Republican Brian Williams [1][2]. He announced his candidacy in January 2026 and pledged to serve \"with integrity, honesty, dedication, and professionalism\" [2].\n\n## Background and education\nWhitehead is a DeKalb County resident and the son of Hilda Whitehead and the late Matthew Marshall Whitehead of Baxter [2]. He graduated from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy in 2003, in the top five of his class [2].\n\n## Career\nWhitehead has worked in law enforcement for 26 years [2]. At the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department he advanced from correctional officer to deputy, patrol supervisor, school resource officer at DeKalb County High School, and school resource officer supervisor, and was named a state school resource officer of the year [2]. He is currently the school resource officer at Dibrell Elementary with the Warren County Sheriff's Department [1][2]. His certifications include firearms instructor and training in standardized field sobriety testing, domestic violence, clandestine laboratories, drug investigation, and school resource officer work [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [New County Mayor and Sheriff to be Elected August 6 \u2014 WJLE Radio](https://www.wjle.com/new-county-mayor-and-sheriff-to-be-elected-august-6-early-voting-begins-friday-july-17/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Keneth Whitehead Announces Candidacy for Sheriff \u2014 WJLE Radio](https://www.wjle.com/keneth-whitehead-announces-candidacy-for-sheriff/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n","campaigns":[{"contest":"sheriff","county":"Dekalb","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"Sheriff"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"KENETH","fullname":"KENETH LEE WHITEHEAD","lastname":"WHITEHEAD","middlename":"LEE","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"sheriff","contest_title":"Sheriff","county":"Dekalb","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"sheriff","office_title":null,"party":"I","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"sheriff","contest_title":"Sheriff","county":"Dekalb","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"sheriff","office_title":null,"party":"I","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"I","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"sheriff","office_title":"Sheriff","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Independent candidate for DeKalb County Sheriff; 26-year law enforcement veteran now a school resource officer in Warren County.","terms":[],"token":"CeGAHhgILn"}