{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nLewis Wexler Jr. is the Washington County Commissioner for District 12, serving his first term [1]. He is the Republican candidate on the ballot for the seat in Washington County's August 6, 2026 county general election, opposed by Democrat Daniel Cutshall [5].\n\n## Background and education\nWexler has lived in Washington County for most of his life [1]. He earned undergraduate and MBA degrees from the University of Tennessee [4].\n\n## Career\nFollowing his father's path, Wexler worked for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. before joining Free Service Tire Company, the Johnson City-based tire retailer founded by his grandfather, Dan Wexler, in 1919 [3][4]. He returned to Free Service Tire as manager of a Knoxville store, then spent roughly a decade as vice president of the company's wholesale tire division, during which it expanded from one location to four distribution centers across three states [3][4]. In 2006 he became the company's third-generation president, succeeding in that role while his father, Lewis Wexler Sr., remained chairman and CEO [3].\n\n## Office history\nWexler serves on the Washington County Commission's Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Employee Compensation & Benefits; Health, Education & Welfare; and Public Records committees [1][2].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\nIn 2019, just shy of Free Service Tire's 100th anniversary, Wexler helped lead the sale of the company's retail, commercial, and wholesale tire operations to Monro Inc. [4]. Following the sale, the Wexler family shifted toward managing its real estate holdings rather than continuing to operate the tire business, citing increasing competition from big-box retailers and e-commerce [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Lewis Wexler | Washington County, TN](https://www.washingtoncountytn.org/220/Lewis-Wexler) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [County Commission | Washington County, TN](https://www.washingtoncountytn.org/208/County-Commission) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[3] [Third-generation Wexler takes over as president of Free Service Tire, Modern Tire Dealer, 2006-01-13](https://moderntiredealer.com/articles/27156-third-generation-wexler-takes-over-as-president-of-free-service-tire) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[4] [Free Service Tire Co.: Secrets to 99 Years of Success, Modern Tire Dealer, 2019-10-16](https://www.moderntiredealer.com/industry-news/service/article/11529539/free-service-tire-co-secrets-to-99-years-of-success-2019-10-16) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[5] [One Vote Election Project \u2014 Washington County, Tennessee Democracy Network](https://www.tndemocracynetwork.org/onevotewashington) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_12","county":"Washington","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County Commissioner District 12"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"LEWIS","fullname":"LEWIS WEXLER JR.","lastname":"JR.","middlename":"WEXLER","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_12","contest_title":"County Commissioner District 12","county":"Washington","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_12","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission_district_12","contest_title":"County Commissioner District 12","county":"Washington","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_12","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"R","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission_district_12","office_title":"County Commissioner District 12","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"First-term Washington County Commissioner (District 12) and former Free Service Tire Co. president; running for reelection as a Republican in the Aug. 6, 2026 county general election.","terms":[],"token":"lR5N6FaV9p"}