{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nChanitta Nealy is the Democratic Party nominee for Sumner County School Board District 3, facing Republican incumbent Allen Lancaster on the August 6, 2026 ballot [1]. Her platform emphasizes \"Inclusivity, Unity, Safety, and Humanity,\" including maintaining diverse school libraries, upgrading playgrounds, strengthening teacher-parent collaboration, increasing mental-health resources, and ensuring students' basic needs are met [2].\n\n## Background and education\nA North Carolina native, Nealy has lived in Tennessee for about 10 years [2]. She holds a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice, a Master of Social Work, and a Master of Public Administration, and is a PhD student in public policy and administration [2].\n\n## Career\nShe has more than 20 years of experience in child welfare, including juvenile justice, family preservation, foster care, and child protective services across North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee [2].\n\n## Family\nNealy is married to Kenneth, who enlisted in the Army in 2011; both currently work in Tennessee state government [2]. They have two daughters, Madisyn and Malani [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Federal and State Primary, State Judicial and Sumner County General Elections Sample Ballot](https://www.votesumnertn.org/uploads/files/884379eec0cf6e5fb6f5678acff70a3783bde79d.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[2] [Chanitta Nealy \u2014 campaign site](https://chanittanealy.com) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board_district_3","county":"Sumner","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"School Board Member District 3"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"CHANITTA","fullname":"CHANITTA S. NEALY","lastname":"NEALY","middlename":"S.","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board_district_3","contest_title":"School Board Member District 3","county":"Sumner","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_school_board_district_3","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_school_board_district_3","contest_title":"School Board Member District 3","county":"Sumner","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_school_board_district_3","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"D","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_school_board_district_3","office_title":"School Board Member District 3","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Democratic nominee for School Board District 3; child-welfare professional with 20+ years' experience, running on inclusivity, safety, and mental-health resources.","terms":[],"token":"vQEjIh8mLS"}