{"age":34,"biography":"Elea Anita Wright is a Democratic candidate for Hamilton County Commission District 4 in Tennessee, challenging incumbent Warren Mackey in the primary election scheduled for May 5, 2026 [5]. A 34-year-old lifelong resident of Chattanooga, Wright currently serves as the chief of operations at Elea Blake Cosmetics, a family business founded by her mother [5]. She holds a bachelor's degree in graphic design from the University of Tennessee and resides in the Ridgedale neighborhood, where she has lived for nine years [5]. \n\nWright entered the race to oppose Mackey, who has held the District 4 seat for two decades and is seeking a sixth term [5]. She stated that she decided to run because \"nobody else would do it\" against an incumbent with such extensive experience [6]. Wright explicitly announced that her campaign will not accept monetary donations, urging supporters instead to contribute directly to local nonprofits [10]. \n\nIn response to a questionnaire from the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Wright identified poverty as the largest challenge facing District 4, noting its impact on housing, education, and health [5]. Her stated priorities include ensuring that Orchard Knob Middle School is a place where students feel proud, fostering collaboration between government and the community, and addressing the cost of living for longtime residents to create \"cyclical communities\" [5]. She advocates for viewing all agenda items through the lens of whether they help break cycles of poverty or exacerbate them [5]. \n\nDistrict 4 encompasses Chattanooga's downtown area and dense neighborhoods including Fort Wood, Orchard Knob, Highland Park, Ridgedale, and Avondale [5]. Wright describes her platform as prioritizing existing communities, ensuring community-minded growth, and supporting equitable education [10].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Tennessee elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_elections,_2026)\n- [2] [United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Tennessee,_2026)\n- [3] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n- [4] [2026 Election United States House - Tennessee - District 05 - FEC.gov](https://www.fec.gov/data/elections/house/TN/05/2026/)\n- [5] [Hamilton County Commission: Challenger Elea Wright says poverty is Chattanooga\u2019s biggest problem | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/apr/09/hamilton-county-commission-challenger-elea-wright/)\n- [6] [Businesswoman Elea Wright to run against five-term incumbent Warren Mackey in Democratic primary | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/feb/19/businesswoman-elea-wright-to-run-against-five/)\n- [8] [Businesswoman Elea Wright is challenging incumbent ...](https://www.facebook.com/timesfreepress/posts/businesswoman-elea-wright-is-challenging-incumbent-hamilton-county-commissioner-/1395352262627279/)\n- [9] [Hamilton County Commission: Incumbent Warren Mackey says district is experiencing \u2018real and meaningful growth\u2019 | Chattanooga Times Free Press](http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/apr/09/hamilton-county-commission-incumbent-warren/)\n- [10] [Elea Wright for District 4 County Commissioner](https://www.facebook.com/61588540147171/posts/my-name-is-elea-wright-a-lifelong-chattanoogan-and-small-business-owner-and-i-wa/122098475103284671/)\n- [12] [Times Free Press en X: \"Businesswoman Elea Wright is challenging incumbent Hamilton County Commissioner Warren Mackey, D-Bluff View, in the upcoming Democratic primary Check out a Q&A with the candidate in the story below. https://t.co/mmfP609ubC\" / X](https://x.com/TimesFreePress/status/2042641341306257829)","birthdate":"Sun, 24 Nov 1991 00:00:00 GMT","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_4","county":"Hamilton","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"County Commission District 4"}],"cf_filings":[{"county":"hamilton","displayname":"Wright, Elea","documents":[{"datesubmitted":"04/28/26","documentid":"4B42FCA9-D323-49B0-A3C6-AED05C4B5FEB","documentname":"Pre-Primary 2026","documentnameid":["4B42FCA9-D323-49B0-A3C6-AED05C4B5FEB","Pre-Primary 2026"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"04/09/26","documentid":"E16D9636-DF6B-4439-B2AB-45636C0C7375","documentname":"1st Qtr 2026","documentnameid":["E16D9636-DF6B-4439-B2AB-45636C0C7375","1st Qtr 2026"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"02/20/26","documentid":"9198BC58-7C9C-4C19-99A6-95F032090212","documentname":"Appt of Treasurer 2026","documentnameid":["9198BC58-7C9C-4C19-99A6-95F032090212","Appt of Treasurer 2026"],"documenttype":"Appointment of Political Treasurer","electionname":null}],"filertype":"Candidate","officename":"County Commission Dist. 4","source_customer_id":"0F5A08EE-617A-4B11-AD30-E963AE98E120","source_filer_id":"A9443944-552D-4B3C-BF19-FB75FE9C19AF","source_system":"easyvote","state":"TN","status":"Active"}],"firstname":"Elea","fullname":"Elea Anita Wright","lastname":"Wright","middlename":"Anita","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_4","contest_title":"County Commission District 4","county":"Hamilton","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"hamilton","office_key":"county_commission_district_4","office_title":"County Commission District 4","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":"hamilton","cycles":[{"general":null,"party":"D","primary":{"contest":"county_commission_district_4","contest_title":"County Commission District 4","county":"Hamilton","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"hamilton","office_key":"county_commission_district_4","office_title":"County Commission District 4","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission_district_4","office_title":"County Commission District 4","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Elea Anita Wright is a Democratic candidate for Hamilton County Commission District 4 in Tennessee, challenging incumbent Warren Mackey in the May 2026 primary.","terms":[],"token":"UKHFOOJNyd"}