{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nPatty Woodby is the incumbent mayor of Carter County and is seeking re-election in the August 6, 2026 county general election [1][3]. She won the May 5, 2026 Republican primary and faces three independent candidates in the general election [3][5]. Gov. Bill Lee endorsed her re-election bid [5].\n\n## Background and education\nWoodby 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].\n\n## Office history\nFollowing the death of Mayor Rusty Barnett in 2020, Woodby was appointed to complete his term [1][3]. She was elected to a full term in August 2022 [1].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\nAs 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].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\nIn 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].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Meet the Mayoral Candidates: Patty Woodby \u2014 Elizabethton Star](https://elizabethton.com/2026/04/07/meet-the-mayoral-candidates-patty-woodby/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [County Mayor - Patty Woodby \u2014 Carter County TN](https://cartercountytn.gov/government/elected_officials/county_mayor.php) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Woodby wins Carter County mayor Republican primary \u2014 WJHL](https://www.wjhl.com/news/your-local-election-hq/woodby-wins-carter-county-mayor-republican-primary/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[4] [Man files petition to remove Carter County mayor from office \u2014 WCYB](https://wcyb.com/news/local/man-files-petition-to-remove-carter-county-mayor-from-office) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[5] [This year is shaping up to be busy political year \u2014 Elizabethton Star](https://elizabethton.com/2026/03/10/this-year-is-shaping-up-to-be-busy-political-year/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[6] [Amendment limiting public comment fails; petition to oust Woodby unsuccessful \u2014 Yahoo/WJHL](https://www.yahoo.com/news/amendment-limiting-public-fails-pass-042139531.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_mayor","county":"Carter","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County Mayor"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"PATTY","fullname":"PATTY WOODBY","lastname":"WOODBY","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_mayor","contest_title":"County Mayor","county":"Carter","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_mayor","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_mayor","contest_title":"County Mayor","county":"Carter","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_mayor","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"R","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_mayor","office_title":"County Mayor","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Incumbent Carter County mayor since 2020 and first woman to hold the office; won the 2026 Republican primary and faces three independents in the August general election.","terms":[],"token":"Nb8ZVTcq0I"}