{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nSteve Atkinson is a Democratic candidate for Williamson County Commission District 11 (Franklin area), a two-member district whose general-election field also includes Republicans Eric McElroy and Marie Fellhauer and fellow Democrat John Haynes [1][2]. His campaign centers on three pillars: conscious growth to safeguard historical character and open spaces, community collaboration through empathy-based leadership, and a lasting legacy focused on children, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability [3].\n\n## Background and career\nAtkinson and his wife, Katherine, relocated to Tennessee in 2022 and settled in Franklin [3]. He spent decades working as a journalist, and says that experience shapes his approach of \"listening to our neighbors, evaluating needs, finding collective solutions\" [3].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Williamson County Election Commission Candidate List (Rev. Feb. 19, 2026)](https://www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/29313/CandidatesMayAugRevFeb19th12NOON) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[2] [County Commission incumbents up against dozens of candidates vying for a seat (Williamson Herald)](https://www.williamsonherald.com/news/local_news/county-commission-incumbents-up-against-dozens-of-candidates-vying-for-seat-on-the-commission/article_add50868-edcb-41f3-ad43-67f482d3ef2b.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[3] [The Vision for Williamson County (Atkinson campaign site)](https://www.atkinson4williamsoncc11.com/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_11","county":"Williamson","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County Commission District 11"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Steve","fullname":"Steve Atkinson","lastname":"Atkinson","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_11","contest_title":"County Commission District 11","county":"Williamson","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_11","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission_district_11","contest_title":"County Commission District 11","county":"Williamson","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_11","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"D","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission_district_11","office_title":"County Commission District 11","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Democratic candidate for Williamson County Commission District 11; longtime journalist who moved to Franklin in 2022.","terms":[],"token":"HJm3rsELNx"}