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PATTY WOODBY
Office history
Current office and 2026 campaign
Patty Woodby is the incumbent mayor of Carter County and is seeking re-election in the August 6, 2026 county general election 13. She won the May 5, 2026 Republican primary and faces three independent candidates in the general election 35. Gov. Bill Lee endorsed her re-election bid 5.
Background and education
Woodby served on the Carter County Commission, where she was the commission's first chairwoman, holding that role for two years before her appointment as mayor 1. She is the first woman to serve as mayor of Carter County 1.
Office history
Following the death of Mayor Rusty Barnett in 2020, Woodby was appointed to complete his term 13. She was elected to a full term in August 2022 1.
Legislative record and accomplishments
As mayor, Woodby has cited managing the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on county services, championing a new Carter County Higher Education Center, supporting a regional treatment center serving nine Northeast Tennessee counties, and leading Hurricane Helene recovery efforts 1. She has made recovering FEMA funds owed to the county a priority, saying it is needed to avoid tax increases and to fund road and bridge reconstruction 1.
Documented disputes and controversies
In January 2025, county resident James Byrd submitted a petition seeking Woodby's removal from office at a county commission meeting, the first meeting after Woodby fired county emergency management director Billy Harrell 4. The petition followed a dispute over Hurricane Helene emergency planning: Woodby had said Harrell had no emergency plan when Helene struck, but the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency indicated a plan existed and had been signed by Woodby 4. At the time, Harrell was pursuing a settlement and a potential lawsuit over his firing 4. The removal petition was ultimately unsuccessful 6. During the 2026 Republican primary, Woodby was the target of political attack mailers, prompting a request for a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation inquiry into their origin 3.
Sources
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)
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State offices (Governor, TN Senate, TN House, State Executive Committee, statewide judiciary) —
Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.
Click Search for Candidates and PACs, enter last name “WOODBY”, and submit.
US House, US Senate, and Presidential candidates file with the FEC — see the federal section below. - 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 (“WOODBY”).
Tennessee — statement of interest
- Required for state and local officials and candidates — Tennessee Ethics Commission Conflict of Interest Search. Enter last name “WOODBY”and, if needed, select the applicable position.