JEROME K FITZGERALD

Current office and 2026 campaign

Jerome K. Fitzgerald is the Republican incumbent seeking reelection to Washington County Commission District 3 in the August 6, 2026 county general election; he is currently serving his second term on the commission ¹².

Career

Before joining the county commission, Fitzgerald served as a Jonesborough alderman, first elected in 1996 ³. He resigned from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen in February to run for the county commission seat; his successor, Adam Dickson, was appointed to complete the remainder of that alderman term, which ran through 2020 ⁴.

Office history

Fitzgerald won his county commission seat in a general election, defeating independent candidate Isaac Moore 1,087 votes to 472, according to Johnson City Press ⁵. He currently serves on the commission's Ethics Committee (as Secretary), Public Safety Committee, Public Works Committee (as Vice Chair), and the Water Task Force ¹.

Legislative record and accomplishments

In March 2026, Fitzgerald was one of five commissioners who voted against a rezoning request from BWX Technologies (BWXT) for its 55-acre Jonesborough property, which supported the company's roughly $1.5 billion federal contract to process high-purity depleted uranium. Because the county planning commission had recommended denial in January, the measure required a supermajority; it passed 10-5, with Fitzgerald, Josh Edens, Greg Matherly, Jodi Jones, and Ben Carder voting no ⁶⁷.

Documented disputes and controversies

During his tenure as Jonesborough alderman, a Herald & Tribune op-ed reported that Fitzgerald had been absent from more than one-third of Board of Mayor and Aldermen meetings in 2006, had no record of committee service beyond an initial recreation committee assignment shortly after his 1996 election, and resigned a sewer task force appointment after attending only one meeting; the piece also reported he declined a cultural arts center liaison committee assignment, citing existing commitments ³.

Sources