{"biography":"Mark Herndon is a Democratic candidate running for Hamilton County Mayor in the 2026 election [11]. He resides in Sale Creek, Tennessee, with his wife, Meghan, and their two daughters [8]. Herndon describes himself as a builder and contractor who moved to Chattanooga in 2001 [8]. His early life included time spent in South America, where his parents served as missionaries for over 30 years [8]. He later attended Tennessee Temple University [19].\n\nHerndon entered the race to challenge incumbent Mayor Weston Wamp [11]. He announced his candidacy in January 2026, stating that Hamilton County government needed to serve residents rather than \"insiders\" [8]. Herndon\u2019s campaign platform focuses on expanding affordable housing, supporting pathways to better-paying jobs, and advocating for a living minimum wage [8]. He also emphasizes strengthening public schools, particularly by expanding mental health resources for students [8].\n\nA significant motivator for Herndon\u2019s political involvement was the suicide of his 14-year-old son, Silas, in 2025 [11]. Following this loss, Herndon became an advocate for mental health services within Hamilton County Schools [19]. He successfully campaigned to restore the district's agreement with Centerstone, a nonprofit providing in-school counseling, after the school board had voted to end the partnership [19]. This advocacy involved attending school board meetings and working with other parents to reinstate the services [20].\n\nHerndon also opposes Mayor Wamp\u2019s previously canceled deed restriction swap proposal for Enterprise South Nature Park, citing a need for responsible growth that preserves green spaces [19]. He has criticized the current administration as \"inflated, wasteful, disingenuous and under qualified\" [19]. Herndon identifies as a \"redneck\" with a \"blue collar\" background, aiming to engage young people who cannot yet vote in the political process [19].\n\nIt is important to distinguish this candidate from other individuals named Mark Herndon. One Mark Herndon was the former drummer for the country band Alabama and authored a book titled *The High Road: Memories from a Long Trip* [9]. Another Mark Herndon, born in 1961, passed away in December 2025 after a career in the poultry industry [12]. These individuals are not the candidate for Hamilton County Mayor.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Tennessee elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_elections,_2026)\n- [2] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n- [3] [Elections Calendar | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/calendar)\n- [4] [2026 Election United States Senate - Tennessee - FEC.gov](https://www.fec.gov/data/elections/senate/TN/2026/)\n- [6] [Alabama (band) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_(band))\n- [7] [2026 Tennessee gubernatorial election - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Tennessee_gubernatorial_election)\n- [8] [Mark Herndon - For Hamilton County Mayor](https://www.votemarkformayor.com/)\n- [9] [Mark Herndon: Drummer? What Drummer? | [DFO] Drum Forum](https://www.drumforum.org/threads/mark-herndon-drummer-what-drummer.126716/)\n- [11] [Sale Creek resident says he\u2019ll challenge Wamp for county mayor | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/jan/13/sale-creek-resident-says-hell-challenge-wamp-for/)\n- [12] [Mark Herndon Obituary | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://obituaries.timesfreepress.com/obituary/mark-herndon-1093393423)\n- [13] [IN THE RUNNING: Sale Creek resident Mark Herndon is ...](https://www.facebook.com/Local3News/posts/in-the-running-sale-creek-resident-mark-herndon-is-challenging-hamilton-county-m/1335761691927951/)\n- [16] [Alabama reunited with drummer Mark Herndon for the first ...](https://www.facebook.com/CountryNow/posts/alabama-reunited-with-drummer-mark-herndon-for-the-first-time-in-over-two-decade/1195550712591893/)\n- [17] [Mark Herndon stepping back behind the drums ...](https://www.facebook.com/Countrymusiclovers.page/posts/-when-legends-unite-for-love-and-legacy-mark-herndon-returns-to-alabamathe-world/751264061239440/)\n- [18] [At 70, former Alabama drummer Mark Herndon is finally ...](https://www.facebook.com/61573012884477/posts/breaking-just-in-from-alabama-at-70-former-alabama-drummer-mark-herndon-is-final/122148266258767096/)\n- [19] [Mark Herndon's Candidacy for Hamilton County Mayor | Local News | local3news.com](https://www.local3news.com/local-news/challenger-to-wamp-enters-hamilton-co-mayors-race/article_c4ea15ce-dc7a-4e91-95b3-baf2344f3ce7.html)\n- [20] [Hamilton County father pushes for mental health resources after losing son to suicide](https://newschannel9.com/news/local/hamilton-county-father-pushes-for-mental-health-resources-after-losing-son-to-suicide)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_mayor","county":"Hamilton","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"County Mayor"}],"cf_filings":[{"county":"hamilton","displayname":"Herndon, Mark","documents":[{"datesubmitted":"04/28/26","documentid":"A7D71D78-53AF-4809-B108-687527C1F83E","documentname":"Pre-Primary 2026","documentnameid":["A7D71D78-53AF-4809-B108-687527C1F83E","Pre-Primary 2026"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"04/17/26","documentid":"097D141A-9AF3-4124-9015-5F997883E141","documentname":"Amended 1st Qtr 2026","documentnameid":["097D141A-9AF3-4124-9015-5F997883E141","Amended 1st Qtr 2026"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"04/03/26","documentid":"B2A69A7A-BB87-4DDE-ADE5-CD1B033F2363","documentname":"1st Qtr 2026","documentnameid":["B2A69A7A-BB87-4DDE-ADE5-CD1B033F2363","1st Qtr 2026"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"02/25/26","documentid":"97CC2121-6AFA-4923-A845-667344E02941","documentname":"Amended 2025 Year-End Supplemental","documentnameid":["97CC2121-6AFA-4923-A845-667344E02941","Amended 2025 Year-End Supplemental"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"01/23/26","documentid":"70B9914B-575A-416A-8CD9-52AD49084378","documentname":"2025 Year-End Supplemental","documentnameid":["70B9914B-575A-416A-8CD9-52AD49084378","2025 Year-End Supplemental"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"01/12/26","documentid":"90AE2D84-32C1-41FD-B30A-903619E1E06E","documentname":"Appt of Treasurer 2026","documentnameid":["90AE2D84-32C1-41FD-B30A-903619E1E06E","Appt of Treasurer 2026"],"documenttype":"Appointment of Political Treasurer","electionname":null}],"filertype":"Candidate","officename":"County Mayor","source_customer_id":"0F5A08EE-617A-4B11-AD30-E963AE98E120","source_filer_id":"4F1D2D25-EDB8-495B-8B99-6F5B6FE771BD","source_system":"easyvote","state":"TN","status":"Active"}],"firstname":"Mark","fullname":"Mark Herndon","lastname":"Herndon","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_mayor","contest_title":"County Mayor","county":"Hamilton","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"hamilton","office_key":"county_mayor","office_title":"Hamilton County Mayor","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":"hamilton","cycles":[{"general":null,"party":"D","primary":{"contest":"county_mayor","contest_title":"County Mayor","county":"Hamilton","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"hamilton","office_key":"county_mayor","office_title":"Hamilton County Mayor","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_mayor","office_title":"Hamilton County Mayor","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Mark Herndon is a Democratic challenger to incumbent Weston Wamp for Hamilton County Mayor, focusing on mental health advocacy and fiscal responsibility.","terms":[],"token":"Ru2Ly43f1M"}