{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nTony Hullender, 65, of Signal Mountain, is a Republican candidate for the Tennessee House of Representatives, District 27, challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Michele Reneau in the August 6, 2026 primary [1][2][3]. He is a former lawyer for the Tennessee Attorney General's Office [2]. Hullender has said Hamilton County Republican Party Chair Gail Greene discouraged him from running, which he says only increased his inclination to run [3]. He has publicly rejected the \"RINO\" (Republican in name only) label while campaigning [2].\n\n## Career\n\nHullender worked as a lawyer for the Tennessee Attorney General's Office before joining BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, where he has served as general counsel since 2005 [4][2].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\n\nHullender has said Hamilton County Republican Party Chair Gail Greene discouraged him from running for the District 27 seat, a dynamic he said increased his inclination to proceed with the campaign [3]. He has publicly rejected the \"RINO\" label while speaking to Civitan Club members during his 2026 campaign [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Tony Hullender](https://ballotpedia.org/Tony_Hullender)\n[2] [Republican running for Tennessee House rejects RINO label | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/feb/20/republican-running-for-tennessee-house-rejects/)\n[3] [Republican running for Tennessee House says party chair discouraged candidacy | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/jan/28/republican-running-for-tennessee-house-says-party/)\n[4] [Local attorney for BlueCross witnesses health care hearings | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/mar/29/local-attorney-for-bluecross-witnesses-health/)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_027","county":"Hamilton","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"TN House District 27"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Tony","fullname":"Tony Hullender","lastname":"Hullender","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_027","contest_title":"TN House District 27","county":"Hamilton","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house_027","office_title":"State Representative District 27","party":"R","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":null,"party":"R","primary":{"contest":"state_house_027","contest_title":"TN House District 27","county":"Hamilton","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house_027","office_title":"State Representative District 27","party":"R","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"state_house_027","office_title":"State Representative District 27","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Tony Hullender is a Republican candidate running for Tennessee House District 27 in the August 6, 2026 primary against incumbent Michele Reneau.","terms":[],"token":"ox77KmZLV5"}