{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJamie Carden is the incumbent Hamblen County Commissioner for District 9 and is the Republican nominee for the seat on the August 6, 2026 county general-election ballot, opposed by independent candidate Johnny Walker [1][2]. Carden won the Republican primary on May 5, 2026, defeating Kimberly Coffey by 425 votes to 237 [3].\n\n## Background and education\nCarden has lived in Whitesburg since 2001 [4].\n\n## Career\nCarden worked with the City of Morristown engineering department and served as general manager of the Russellville-Whitesburg Utility District from February 2009 through January 2016, a tenure of about seven years [4]. He is part-owner of a company that employs about 180 people across Tennessee [4].\n\n## Office history\nCarden was appointed by the Hamblen County Commission to fill a vacancy in the District 9 seat, receiving nine of thirteen votes from sitting commissioners; he subsequently won the Republican primary for a full term [3][4].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\nCarden is part-owner of a company that employs roughly 180 people across Tennessee and previously held a long-term management position with the Russellville-Whitesburg Utility District [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [County Commission - Hamblen County Government](https://www.hamblencountytn.gov/county-commission/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Election 2026: Things You Need to Know - Citizen Tribune](https://www.citizentribune.com/election-2026-things-you-need-to-know/article_ba462df5-06e6-4d24-a33e-ca1793b8bbcb.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [RESULTS: Hamblen County, TN May 2026 primary election results - WATE](https://www.wate.com/news/hamblen-county-news/may-2026-hamblen-county-primary-election-results/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[4] [Carden appointed 9th district Hamblen County Commissioner - Citizen Tribune](https://www.citizentribune.com/news/local/carden-appointed-9th-district-hamblen-county-commissioner/article_4449b9b3-8b21-43b2-aef8-837ee9a730df.html) - accessed 2026-07-23","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_9","county":"Hamblen","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County Commissioner District 9"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"JAMIE","fullname":"JAMIE CARDEN","lastname":"CARDEN","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_9","contest_title":"County Commissioner District 9","county":"Hamblen","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_9","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission_district_9","contest_title":"County Commissioner District 9","county":"Hamblen","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_9","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"R","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission_district_9","office_title":"County Commissioner District 9","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Republican incumbent for Hamblen County Commission District 9; Whitesburg resident, former Russellville-Whitesburg Utility District general manager, and part-owner of a Tennessee employer.","terms":[],"token":"ks7dvwPU7p"}