{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJim Shanks is the incumbent Hawkins County Trustee and the Republican nominee for Trustee on the August 6, 2026 ballot, running unopposed after clearing the May 2026 GOP primary with 7,240 votes (about 99.6% of votes cast) [1][2][3].\n\n## Background and education\nShanks grew up in Hawkins County and graduated from Cherokee High School. He earned an Associate of Applied Science in Criminology and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from East Tennessee State University [2].\n\n## Career\nBefore taking office, Shanks spent more than twenty years in law enforcement [2].\n\n## Office history\nShanks was first elected Hawkins County Trustee in 2014 [2]. As trustee, he has expanded online tax-payment options for residents, including e-check and card payments through hawkinscountytn.gov/trustee.html [4].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\nShanks received the Trustee of the Year award for the Eastern District of Tennessee in 2020 [2]. He holds membership in the Tennessee Trustee's Association, the East Tennessee Trustee's Association, and the County Officials Association of Tennessee, and has served as president and vice-president of the East Tennessee Trustee's Association and represented trustees statewide on the County Officials Association board [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [No excuses: Stewart wins primary, Linkous unseats DeWitte (Rogersville Review)](https://www.therogersvillereview.com/news/article_f3f7b9f3-e7c6-4839-9584-7f87024cae4a.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[2] [Hawkins County Trustee \u2014 Jim Shanks (official county site)](https://www.hawkinscountytn.gov/trustee.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[3] [Official ballot, Hawkins County, August 6, 2026](https://hawkinscountytn.gov/pdfs/elections/sample_ballot.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[4] [Trustee offering online tax payment for those concerned about being exposed to COVID (Rogersville Review)](https://www.therogersvillereview.com/rogersville/article_f146bf7e-ffcc-5962-a73b-32f69db701da.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18","campaigns":[{"contest":"trustee","county":"Hawkins","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County Trustee"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"JIM","fullname":"JIM SHANKS","lastname":"SHANKS","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"trustee","contest_title":"County Trustee","county":"Hawkins","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"trustee","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"trustee","contest_title":"County Trustee","county":"Hawkins","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"trustee","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"R","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"trustee","office_title":"County Trustee","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Incumbent Hawkins County Trustee first elected in 2014 and named 2020 Trustee of the Year for the Eastern District of Tennessee; running unopposed for another term.","terms":[],"token":"vyW52nUw67"}