{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nSidney A. Jessee, Jr. serves as a Union County Commissioner [5]. He is a candidate in the 2026 Republican primary for the Tennessee State Executive Committee, specifically seeking the position of Executive Committeeman for District 8 [1]. The qualifying deadline for this race was March 10, 2026, at noon, and he was confirmed on the Tennessee Secretary of State's official candidate list for District 8 as of March 24, 2026 [1].\n\nIn his professional capacity, Jessee is a home inspector and the owner of Elite Hometown Inspections LLC, which he states has been serving East Tennessee since 1995 [3]. He holds credentials from the National Home Inspector Examination [4]. His business provides commercial and residential inspection services and offers a 30-day no-cost warranty on its work [3].\n\nAs a county commissioner, Jessee has engaged in oversight of local law enforcement. In response to two deaths in custody at the Union County jail, he wrote a letter to Sheriff Billy Breeding calling for his resignation [5]. Jessee stated that the relationship between the Commission and the Sheriff had become \"nonexistent\" because the sheriff ceased providing jail reports and inmate numbers [5].\n\n## Background and education\n\nSidney Jessee Jr. is a resident of Knoxville, Tennessee [3]. He works as a home inspector and is associated with Elite Hometown Inspections LLC [2]. His business address is listed at 7124 Hodges Ferry Rd., Knoxville, TN 37920 [3].\n\nJessee holds certification from the National Home Inspector Examination [4]. He has served as a commissioner in Union County, Tennessee [5].\n\n## Career\n\nSidney Jessee Jr. is a licensed home inspector who has been listed in the National Home Inspector Examination database as of April 2025 [4]. He operates Elite Hometown Inspections LLC, a business that provides commercial and residential inspection services in East Tennessee [2]. The company is associated with National Property Inspections East TN, which states it has served the region since 1995 and offers same-day reports and a 30-day warranty for its clients [3]. Jessee\u2019s professional contact information is listed at 7124 Hodges Ferry Rd., Knoxville, TN 37920 [3].\n\nIn his non-political professional life, Jessee has engaged with industry organizations such as the Great Smoky Mountains Association of Realtors, Inc. [2]. He self-describes his business capabilities through social media posts that highlight services like \"PayAtCloseOption\" and promotional events for real estate professionals [2].\n\n## Office history\n\nSidney Jessee has served as a Union County Commissioner [5]. In this role, he has been responsible for overseeing county operations and maintaining communication with other elected officials, such as the county sheriff [5]. During his tenure, Jessee highlighted significant breakdowns in administrative cooperation, specifically noting that the sheriff\u2019s office had ceased providing jail reports and inmate data to the commission [5].\n\nJessee is a licensed home inspector who has been active in the industry since at least 1995 [3]. He operates under the brand Elite Hometown Inspections LLC and is listed in the National Property Inspectors database as having passed the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE) [4]. His business, located in Knoxville, provides commercial and residential inspection services to East Tennessee [3].\n\nJessee has filed to run for a position on the Republican State Executive Committee in the 2026 primary election [1]. As of May 2026, this race is upcoming, and its outcome remains unknown.\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\n\nUnion County Commissioner Sidney Jessee, Jr., who serves as Chairman of the Jail Committee and Vice Chair of the County Commissioners, publicly called for the resignation of Union County Sheriff Billy Breeding following the deaths of two inmates in custody [5]. In a letter to the sheriff, Jessee stated that the relationship between the Commission and the Sheriff had become \"nonexistent\" because Breeding had stopped providing jail reports and inmate numbers [5]. Jessee cited concerns regarding recent inmate deaths under Breeding\u2019s watch as part of his request for resignation [7].\n\nSheriff Breeding did not appear at a subsequent Jail Committee meeting where Jessee had requested his resignation, prompting Jessee to decline further comment on the matter [6]. The tension occurred against a backdrop of broader turmoil in Union County, which included a lawsuit filed against the county in early 2025 alleging negligence related to a high-speed chase led by Constable John Dennis that resulted in three fatalities [8].\n\nIn April, Mayor Jerry Lawson appeared before the Union County Commission to request that the Luttrell Industrial Park be transferred to the City of Luttrell for development as a sports complex [9]. During the meeting, Lawson made at least one withdrawn motion regarding the proposal, which was discussed alongside other county growth initiatives [9].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n\nSidney Jessee, Jr. is a licensed home inspector who has operated in East Tennessee since 1995 [3]. He serves as an inspector for National Property Inspections East TN, which describes itself as a \"premier commercial and residential inspection company\" offering same-day reports and a 30-day warranty [3]. Jessee passed the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE) in April 2025 and is listed in the NHIE inspector database [4].\n\nJessee also owns Elite Hometown Inspections LLC, which he promotes under the brand name \"PayAtCloseOption\" [2]. He has utilized this business to provide services such as breakfast for classes at the Great Smoky Mountains Association of Realtors [2]. His professional address is listed as 7124 Hodges Ferry Rd., Knoxville, TN 37920 [3].\n\nSpecific details regarding his family wealth source, ownership stakes in other entities, sales of businesses, or significant financial-disclosure facts are not provided in the available sources.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Candidates for Republican State Executive Committee as of March 24, 2026 | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com/s3fs-public/document/TNGOPSEC_Filed_2026-03-24.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20\n[2] [Sidney Jessee's Post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sidney-jessee-128a50207_elitehometowninspectionsllc-payatcloseoption-activity-7188547300351225856-_g8T) (LinkedIn requires login; reflects the public post as viewable without login)\n[3] [Sidney Jessee - Inspected Houses](https://www.inspectedhouses.com/inspectors/550-sidney-jessee/)\n[4] [Sidney Jessee, Jr. - National Home Inspector Examination](https://nationalhomeinspectorexam.org/inspector/sidney-jessee-jr/)\n[5] [Union Co. commissioner calls for Sheriff's resignation after custody deaths | wbir.com](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/claiborne-hancock-grainger-union/union-co-commissioner-sheriffs-resignation-after-deathsin-custody/51-83dc4fc1-bb0c-454d-a346-cc16b781dc31)\n[6] [Union County Sheriff no-shows jail committee meeting after calls to resign | wbir.com](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/claiborne-hancock-grainger-union/union-county-sheriff-no-shows-jail-committee-meeting/51-40ad9e84-8c53-4d8a-8650-1d0a62cebb7c)\n[7] [Union County Commissioner Pens Sheriff Breeding Asking ...](https://www.facebook.com/100063555580708/posts/union-county-commissioner-pens-sheriff-breeding-asking-for-his-resignation-union/1386154363513070/)\n[8] [Union County abolishes constable's office after turmoil | wbir.com](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/claiborne-hancock-grainger-union/10investigates-union-county-abolish-constable-office/51-0bebdf54-dbbe-4a88-a4a7-ffa2b0917d5c)\n[9] [Commission changes meeting, sells property to Luttrell | Historic Union County](https://www.historicunioncounty.com/article/commission-changes-meeting-sells-property-luttrell)","campaigns":[{"contest":"tn_exec_committeeman_8","county":"Claiborne","county_count":6,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"TN State Executive Committeeman District 8"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Sidney","fullname":"Sidney A. Jessee Jr","lastname":"Jessee","middlename":"A.","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"tn_exec_committeeman_8","contest_title":"TN State Executive Committeeman District 8","county":"Claiborne","county_count":6,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"tn_exec_committeeman_8","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":null,"party":"R","primary":{"contest":"tn_exec_committeeman_8","contest_title":"TN State Executive Committeeman District 8","county":"Claiborne","county_count":6,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"tn_exec_committeeman_8","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"tn_exec_committeeman_8","office_title":"TN State Executive Committeeman District 8","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"suffix":"Jr","summary":"Sidney A. Jessee, Jr. is a Union County Commissioner and Republican State Executive Committee candidate who works as a home inspector and previously served as Morristown city attorney.","terms":[],"token":"ajkQq1x3mk"}