{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nBob Harshbarger Jr. is a Republican Party nominee for one of three Sullivan County Commission District 6 (Kingsport) seats in the August 6, 2026 county general election [4]. He filed his petition for the May 5 Republican primary alongside Matthew Jerry Johnson and Tim L. Pullon [2][5].\n\n## Career\nHarshbarger is a former pharmacist [1][2]. In 2013 he pleaded guilty to distributing misbranded kidney dialysis drugs and to health care fraud, after substituting a cheaper, non-FDA-approved drug imported from China for an FDA-approved iron sucrose product used by dialysis patients [1][3]. He was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $425,000 in forfeitures, a $25,000 fine, and more than $848,000 in restitution [1].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\nThe 2013 felony conviction had made Harshbarger ineligible to hold public office. President Donald Trump pardoned him in November 2025, restoring his eligibility, and he announced his commission campaign afterward [2][3][1]. In 2024, Harshbarger was accused of stealing and vandalizing campaign signs belonging to Jon Lundberg, a political opponent of his son; that case was dismissed [1].\n\n## Family\nHe is the husband of U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger (TN-01) and the father of Tennessee state Senator Bobby Harshbarger [1][2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Bob Harshbarger Jr. announces run for Sullivan County Commission after Trump pardon (SuperTalk 92.9)](https://www.supertalk929.com/2026/02/20/bob-harshbarger-jr-announces-run-for-sullivan-county-commission-after-trump-pardon/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Bob Harshbarger Jr, husband of Congresswoman Harshbarger, files petition to run for Sullivan County Commission (WJHL)](https://www.wjhl.com/news/your-local-election-hq/bob-harshbarger-jr-husband-of-congresswoman-harshbarger-files-petition-to-run-for-sullivan-county-commission/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Trump pardons the husband of Rep. Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee (AOL)](https://www.aol.com/articles/trump-pardons-husband-republican-supporter-181804812.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[4] [Official Ballot for Sullivan County, August 6, 2026](https://www.wate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/2026/07/Sullivan-County-August-6-Sample-Ballot.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[5] [Bob Harshbarger Jr. files for Sullivan County Commission District 6 seat (Bristol Herald Courier)](https://heraldcourier.com/news/local/government-politics/article_15552dc6-8138-47f0-a749-e318481596eb.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_6","county":"Sullivan","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County Commission District 6"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Bob","fullname":"Bob Harshbarger Jr","lastname":"Harshbarger","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_6","contest_title":"County Commission District 6","county":"Sullivan","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_6","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission_district_6","contest_title":"County Commission District 6","county":"Sullivan","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_6","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"R","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission_district_6","office_title":"County Commission District 6","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"suffix":"Jr","summary":"Former pharmacist and 2026 Republican candidate for Sullivan County Commission District 6; husband of U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, pardoned by Trump in 2025 for a 2013 federal fraud conviction.","terms":[],"token":"eOJ95vOD0J"}