{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nKatie Perkins won the Democratic primary for the Hamilton County Schools District 8 seat on May 5, 2026, defeating Betty Duggan of Concord, 492 votes to 364 [1]. She advances to face Republican nominee Sabrina Daniel - a retired teacher and administrator who defeated Sterling DuPre in the Republican primary, 384 votes to 292 - in the August 6, 2026 general election for the seat held by outgoing incumbent Republican Larry Grohn [1][2]. Perkins previously ran for the seat in 2022, winning the Democratic primary with 63.9% of the vote before losing the general election to Grohn, 53.5% to 46.5% [3].\n\n## Background and education\nPerkins is a fourth-generation East Ridge native and has lived in East Ridge for 13 years [3][4]. She holds a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a master's degree in art education, and teaches in the art department at Dalton State College and Covenant College [1][4]. She is a mother of three [3].\n\n## Career\nPerkins is a college art instructor and community volunteer; she coaches sports through East Ridge Parks and Recreation and Camp Jordan, serves on the East Ridge Library Board, and is a member of Christ United Methodist Church in East Brainerd [3][4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Voters choose White for Hamilton County school board. Kuehn, Daniel, Perkins advance to general - Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/may/05/voters-choose-white-for-hamilton-county-school/) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [School board: Sabrina Daniel hopes to promote parental involvement, look at budget - Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/apr/08/school-board-sabrina-daniel-hopes-to-promote/) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[3] [East Ridge teacher Katie Perkins runs for District 8 seat on Hamilton County school board - Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2022/mar/15/katie-perkins/565114/) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[4] [School board: Community volunteer Katie Perkins plans to push for collaboration, outdoor learning - Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/apr/07/school-board-community-volunteer-katie-perkins/) - accessed 2026-07-06","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board_district_8","county":"Hamilton","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"County School Board District 8"}],"cf_filings":[{"county":"hamilton","displayname":"Perkins, Katie","documents":[{"datesubmitted":"04/28/26","documentid":"9599CCAA-EE5E-4252-8B76-3B556E6D5725","documentname":"Pre-Primary 2026","documentnameid":["9599CCAA-EE5E-4252-8B76-3B556E6D5725","Pre-Primary 2026"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"04/10/26","documentid":"618CA5AD-BB76-4422-86E7-4A99303D8F0F","documentname":"1st Qtr 2026","documentnameid":["618CA5AD-BB76-4422-86E7-4A99303D8F0F","1st Qtr 2026"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"02/10/26","documentid":"231240CD-DC59-41C6-BF47-BB9D3CA68ADE","documentname":"Appt of Treasurer 2026","documentnameid":["231240CD-DC59-41C6-BF47-BB9D3CA68ADE","Appt of Treasurer 2026"],"documenttype":"Appointment of Political Treasurer","electionname":null}],"filertype":"Candidate","officename":"County School Board Dist. 8","source_customer_id":"0F5A08EE-617A-4B11-AD30-E963AE98E120","source_filer_id":"822E79A1-B770-4CBF-86EB-F65A987EF42A","source_system":"easyvote","state":"TN","status":"Active"},{"county":"hamilton","displayname":"Perkins, Katie","documents":[{"datesubmitted":"10/07/22","documentid":"33F7E909-3400-4BD8-9EDE-9B7CC9DF8657","documentname":"3rd Qtr 2022","documentnameid":["33F7E909-3400-4BD8-9EDE-9B7CC9DF8657","3rd Qtr 2022"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"07/28/22","documentid":"E0CD8468-7AB2-4C94-9ADB-734E2BDB7A74","documentname":"Pre-General 2022","documentnameid":["E0CD8468-7AB2-4C94-9ADB-734E2BDB7A74","Pre-General 2022"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"07/12/22","documentid":"731806C2-33A2-44FA-BB9C-08E46EC1A6A0","documentname":"2nd Qtr 2022","documentnameid":["731806C2-33A2-44FA-BB9C-08E46EC1A6A0","2nd Qtr 2022"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"04/29/22","documentid":"9ACCB6A6-E991-4BC3-8A41-EFEAFCC8CAD0","documentname":"Appt of Treasurer 2022","documentnameid":["9ACCB6A6-E991-4BC3-8A41-EFEAFCC8CAD0","Appt of Treasurer 2022"],"documenttype":"Appointment of Political Treasurer","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"04/26/22","documentid":"B3376BBC-B629-46CA-91D5-768BCCCB7B1A","documentname":"Pre-Primary 2022","documentnameid":["B3376BBC-B629-46CA-91D5-768BCCCB7B1A","Pre-Primary 2022"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"04/11/22","documentid":"61310421-E78F-4F41-9FCE-14A407DD08E0","documentname":"1st Qtr 2022","documentnameid":["61310421-E78F-4F41-9FCE-14A407DD08E0","1st Qtr 2022"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null}],"filertype":"Candidate","officename":"County School Board Dist. 8","source_customer_id":"0F5A08EE-617A-4B11-AD30-E963AE98E120","source_filer_id":"8FB109A4-505D-45BC-8201-BBDC1E39DF81","source_system":"easyvote","state":"TN","status":"Inactive"}],"firstname":"Katie","fullname":"Katie Perkins","lastname":"Perkins","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board_district_8","contest_title":"County School Board District 8","county":"Hamilton","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"hamilton","office_key":"county_school_board_district_8","office_title":"Hamilton County Schools Board District 8","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":"hamilton","cycles":[{"general":null,"party":"D","primary":{"contest":"county_school_board_district_8","contest_title":"County School Board District 8","county":"Hamilton","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"hamilton","office_key":"county_school_board_district_8","office_title":"Hamilton County Schools Board District 8","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_school_board_district_8","office_title":"Hamilton County Schools Board District 8","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"East Ridge art educator; won the 2026 Democratic primary for Hamilton County school board District 8, facing Republican Sabrina Daniel in the August general.","terms":[],"token":"fYad3flYLE"}