{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nKim Bienash is a Republican candidate for McNairy County Mayor in the August 6, 2026 county general election, an open-seat race in which incumbent mayor Larry Smith is not among the candidates. [1][2][6] Bienash announced his campaign in February 2026, framing it around \"honesty, common sense, and a strong work ethic\" and describing himself as a conservative who supports limited government, fiscal responsibility, and \"smart growth that protects local families.\" [1][3] He currently serves as a member of the McNairy County Commission for the 3rd District. [3][4] Four qualified candidates appeared at a July 15, 2026 mayoral debate at the Selmer Community Center: Bienash, Anthony Knight, Jeff Maxedon, and Dylan Michael. [2]\n\n## Background and education\nBienash's campaign biography states that his father served as a county Director of Public Works and his mother taught at a school for the blind, which he credits with shaping his view that public service \"isn't a career choice, it's a responsibility.\" [3]\n\n## Career\nAccording to his campaign, Bienash's working career has spanned farm and crop-dusting work, power-line crews, law enforcement, and rentals and leasing, along with more than a decade as a professional helicopter pilot for large aviation operators. [3] For roughly the past five years he has served as the volunteer director of the McNairy County Archives and Records office. [3][5] He has also taken part in local storm-damage response, emergency management, damage assessments, road surveys, and tornado recovery and relief work during the 2023-2026 disaster seasons. [3]\n\n## Office history\nBienash serves as a 3rd District member of the 21-seat McNairy County Commission and, according to his campaign, has served on the county's Industrial Development Board. [3][4]\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Kim Bienash announced run for McNairy County Mayor - WBBJ TV](https://www.wbbjtv.com/2026/02/19/kim-bienash-announced-run-for-mcnairy-county-mayor/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [McNairy County mayoral candidate debate held ahead of early voting - WBBJ TV](https://www.wbbjtv.com/2026/07/17/mcnairy-county-mayoral-candidate-debate-held-ahead-early-voting/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Kim Bienash for McNairy County Mayor (campaign site)](https://wemadeitinc.com/jason/clients/kimbienash@gmail.com/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[4] [County Commissioners - McNairy County, Tennessee](https://www.mcnairycountytn.org/county-commissioners.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[5] [McNairy County Archives - Tennessee State Library & Archives directory](https://tnsos.net/TSLA/archives/index.php?archives=McNairy+County+Archives&option=archives) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[6] [Mayor's Office - McNairy County, Tennessee](https://www.mcnairycountytn.org/mayors-office.html) - accessed 2026-07-23","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_mayor","county":"Mcnairy","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County Mayor"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Kim","fullname":"Kim Bienash","lastname":"Bienash","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_mayor","contest_title":"County Mayor","county":"Mcnairy","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":"Mcnairy","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":"Republican candidate for McNairy County mayor in 2026; McNairy County archives director and 3rd District county commissioner, former helicopter pilot and law-enforcement officer.","terms":[],"token":"VkrxSicunn"}