{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nEmily F. Abbott is the Republican candidate seeking election to retain the Criminal Court Judge, Division I seat for Knox County (6th Judicial District, unexpired term), with the general election on August 6, 2026 [1]. Governor Bill Lee appointed her to the seat on August 15, 2025, and she was sworn in three days later, becoming only the second woman to serve on the Knox County Criminal Court [1].\n\n## Background and education\nAbbott earned a Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University in 2003, where she was editor of the student newspaper, and a law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law [1][2]. She is a native of Sumner County and has long lived in Knoxville's Bearden community [1].\n\n## Career\nAbbott spent nearly two decades as a prosecutor before her judicial appointment. She began prosecuting in Tennessee's Fourth Judicial District in 2007 and transferred to the Seventh Judicial District in 2009, handling cases ranging from traffic offenses to homicide [2]. She was a finalist for a Knox County judgeship in 2022, when Judge Hixson was instead appointed to the Court of Criminal Appeals, before Governor Lee appointed her to the Criminal Court in 2025 [2].\n\n## Office history\nAbbott was appointed Criminal Court Judge, Division I, by Governor Bill Lee on August 15, 2025, and is now seeking election to retain the seat in the Republican primary (May 5, 2026) and general election (August 6, 2026) [1][2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts, \"Judge Abbott gets to work on Knox County Criminal Court bench,\" https://www.tncourts.gov/news/2025/09/10/judge-abbott-gets-work-knox-county-criminal-court-bench\n[2] Elect Judge Abbott campaign website, \"About,\" https://www.electjudgeabbott.com/about","campaigns":[{"contest":"criminal_court_div_1_district_6_unexpired","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"Criminal Court Judge Division I District 6 (Unexpired Term)"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Emily","fullname":"Emily F. Abbott","lastname":"Abbott","middlename":"F.","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"criminal_court_div_1_district_6_unexpired","contest_title":"Criminal Court Judge Division I District 6 (Unexpired Term)","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"criminal_court_div_1_district_6","office_title":"Criminal Court Division 1","party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"criminal_court_div_1_district_6_unexpired","contest_title":"Criminal Court Judge Division I District 6 (Unexpired Term)","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"criminal_court_div_1_district_6","office_title":"Criminal Court Division 1","party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"R","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"criminal_court_div_1_district_6","office_title":"Criminal Court Division 1","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"terms":[],"token":"n8j0CCuVvz"}