{"biography":"Amanda Sovago-Royal is a Democrat running for Hamilton County Commission District 2 in the August 6, 2026 primary [7]. She represents the westernmost parts of the county, including Signal Mountain, Walden, and Fairmount [7]. Sovago-Royal is 38 years old and has lived in Chattanooga since she was a toddler, currently residing at the foot of Signal Mountain [7].\n\nProfessionally, Sovago-Royal is a Licensed Massage Therapist and Men\u2019s Massage Specialist based in Chattanooga [6]. She opened her own business after graduating from Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Chattanooga State Community College (ChattState) in April 2024 [6]. Her specialization in men's health was influenced by her father's death from an unexpected medical complication, leading her to focus on stress and self-care for men [6]. She operates a practice located at 4513 Hixson Pike #107 in Hixson, TN [9].\n\nSovago-Royal\u2019s educational background includes recognition as the 2024 Technical College Student of the Year by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) [6]. She was selected from across the College System of Tennessee based on an essay submission and a three-part interview process [6]. During her time at ChattState, she served as a Tennessee SkillsUSA State Officer [6]. Along with teammates, she won gold medals in the Opening and Ceremonies competition at both the statewide and national SkillsUSA competitions in 2024 [6].\n\nIn her campaign for County Commission District 2, Sovago-Royal has stated a desire to see a woman sit on the commission [5]. Her platform emphasizes government transparency and accessibility. She advocates for livestreaming smaller board and committee meetings and creating a condensed calendar for public notices [5]. As someone who designs websites, she has criticized the county\u2019s current webpages as difficult to navigate and noted that meeting agendas often lack sufficient detail about discussion items [5]. She argues that these changes would make government more accessible in the digital age [5].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Tennessee elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_elections,_2026)\n- [2] [Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_gubernatorial_election,_2026)\n- [3] [Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2026 (August 6 Republican primary) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_gubernatorial_election,_2026_(August_6_Republican_primary))\n- [4] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n- [5] [Amanda Sovago-Royal wants a woman to sit on the ...](https://www.facebook.com/timesfreepress/posts/amanda-sovago-royal-wants-a-woman-to-sit-on-the-hamilton-county-commission-so-sh/1333535038809002/)\n- [6] [ChattState's Amanda Sovago-Royal Wins Prestigious Statewide Award | Chattanooga State Community College](https://www.chattanoogastate.edu/news-center/student-success/chattstates-amanda-sovago-royal-wins-prestigious-statewide-award)\n- [7] [Democrat newcomer running for Baker\u2019s seat on Hamilton County Commission | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/jan/26/democrat-newcomer-running-for-bakers-seat-on/)\n- [9] [Amanda Sovago-Royal, Men's Massage Therapist](https://www.fresha.com/lvp/amanda-sovago-royal-mens-massage-therapist-hixson-pike-chattanooga-wX7Axq)\n- [10] [Celebrate for Amanda Sovago-Royal & Pete Prosser - Target Wedding Registry](https://www.myregistry.com/ext/wedding-registry/amanda-sovago-royal-pete-prosser-chattanooga-tn/10453066)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_2","county":"Hamilton","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"County Commission District 2"}],"cf_filings":[{"county":"hamilton","displayname":"Sovago-Royal, Amanda","documents":[{"datesubmitted":"05/01/26","documentid":"05F9D8EE-9B47-4ACE-9014-96695CFA4CF1","documentname":"Pre-Primary 2026","documentnameid":["05F9D8EE-9B47-4ACE-9014-96695CFA4CF1","Pre-Primary 2026"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"04/27/26","documentid":"59C5F587-C1B2-4300-87E5-871F4BDA13EF","documentname":"Amended Appt of Treasurer 2026","documentnameid":["59C5F587-C1B2-4300-87E5-871F4BDA13EF","Amended Appt of Treasurer 2026"],"documenttype":"Appointment of Political Treasurer","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"04/10/26","documentid":"AE12A60C-AF4C-4EF3-9B5B-CCA203104695","documentname":"1st Qtr 2026","documentnameid":["AE12A60C-AF4C-4EF3-9B5B-CCA203104695","1st Qtr 2026"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"02/20/26","documentid":"9CA2C621-21AF-4398-B28A-C0614ADAC70F","documentname":"Appt of Treasurer 2026","documentnameid":["9CA2C621-21AF-4398-B28A-C0614ADAC70F","Appt of Treasurer 2026"],"documenttype":"Appointment of Political Treasurer","electionname":null}],"filertype":"Candidate","officename":"County Commission Dist. 2","source_customer_id":"0F5A08EE-617A-4B11-AD30-E963AE98E120","source_filer_id":"4464507E-37CE-4569-966B-8700FB0FF573","source_system":"easyvote","state":"TN","status":"Active"}],"firstname":"Amanda","fullname":"Amanda Sovago-Royal","lastname":"Sovago-Royal","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_2","contest_title":"County Commission District 2","county":"Hamilton","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"hamilton","office_key":"county_commission_district_2","office_title":"County Commission District 2","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":"hamilton","cycles":[{"general":null,"party":"D","primary":{"contest":"county_commission_district_2","contest_title":"County Commission District 2","county":"Hamilton","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"hamilton","office_key":"county_commission_district_2","office_title":"County Commission District 2","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission_district_2","office_title":"County Commission District 2","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Amanda Sovago-Royal is a Democrat running for Hamilton County Commission District 2, focusing on transparency and web accessibility.","terms":[],"token":"ObHt7BEpRo"}