{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nTony R. Burnett is the sitting Cannon County Commissioner for District Five. UT County Technical Assistance Service's roster of commissioners elected since 2022 lists him among that cohort [1], and he is a candidate for re-election to that seat in the 2026-08-06 Tennessee county general election [2]. WBRY's roundup of qualifying candidates listed him without the \"(R)\" marker the outlet uses for Republican candidates, consistent with its convention of marking only Republicans and leaving other candidates unmarked [2].\n\n## Career\nThe Cannon Courier reported in 2009 that Burnett had led the Woodbury Police Department as Chief since January 1, 2005, and that under his leadership the department secured roughly $220,000 in grant funding over four years for patrol vehicles, in-car computers, cameras, radar units, and other safety equipment, and received national recognition from the International Association of Chiefs of Police for highway-safety coordination [3]. The Cannon Courier later reported that the Woodbury Board of Mayor and Aldermen accepted Burnett's resignation as police chief effective March 15, 2012; the notice did not state a reason for his departure [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [County Commissioners Elected Since 2022 \u2013 UT County Technical Assistance Service](https://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/county-commissioners-elected-since-2022) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-09\n[2] [2026 Election Field Continues to Grow \u2013 WBRY](https://www.wbry.com/2026-election-field-continues-to-grow/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-09\n[3] [Public Safety Is Chief Concern For Woodbury's Top Cop \u2013 Cannon Courier](https://www.cannoncourier.com/article/568/public-safety-is-chief-concern-for-woodburys-top-cop) (October 27, 2009) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-09\n[4] [Woodbury To Consider Naming Interim Police Chief \u2013 Cannon Courier](https://www.cannoncourier.com/woodbury-to-consider-naming-interim-police-chief-cms-7551) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-09","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_5","county":"Cannon","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County Commissioner District 5"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"TONY","fullname":"TONY R. BURNETT","lastname":"BURNETT","middlename":"R.","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_5","contest_title":"County Commissioner District 5","county":"Cannon","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_5","office_title":null,"party":"I","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission_district_5","contest_title":"County Commissioner District 5","county":"Cannon","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_5","office_title":null,"party":"I","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"I","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission_district_5","office_title":"County Commissioner District 5","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Independent candidate and sitting Cannon County Commissioner for District Five, elected in 2022; previously served as Woodbury Police Chief from 2005 to 2012.","terms":[],"token":"jiet6hukmw"}