{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nDavid C. Stout is the Republican incumbent representing Washington County Commission's 9th District, seeking his first full term on August 6, 2026 against Democrat Sarah Laposky [1][2].\n\n## Background and education\nStout is a graduate of Carson-Newman University and of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma [3]. He has lived in District 9 with his wife for more than 30 years [3].\n\n## Career\nStout is a retired major in the U.S. Army Reserve, where he served 22 years [4]. He is retired from United Telephone/Sprint, where he was a division manager, and spent 15 years as Director of Corporate Health Services for Mountain States Health Alliance [3][4].\n\n## Office history\nStout was appointed to the District 9 seat on September 23, 2024, to fill the vacancy left by the death of longtime Commissioner Suzy Williams, and was sworn in ahead of the commission's November session; he was subsequently elected to the seat in a November 2024 special election [4][5][6].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\nStout's September 2024 interim appointment, made ahead of the election to fill the seat, drew criticism from Washington County Democrats, who said the appointment interfered with the upcoming election [5].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [David Stout](https://www.washingtoncountytn.org/217/David-Stout) \u2014 Washington County, TN, accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [One Vote Election Project Washington County](https://www.tndemocracynetwork.org/onevotewashington) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[3] [Meet the candidates running for Washington County, Tennessee commission](https://wcyb.com/news/local/meet-the-candidates-running-for-washington-county-tennessee-commission) \u2014 WCYB, accessed 2026-07-06\n[4] [Stout sworn in as Washington County, TN commissioner](https://www.wjhl.com/news/your-local-election-hq/stout-sworn-in-as-washington-county-tn-commissioner/) \u2014 WJHL, accessed 2026-07-06\n[5] [Washington County, Tenn. Commission fills vacant District 9 seat with pushback](https://www.wjhl.com/news/your-local-election-hq/washington-county-tenn-commission-fills-vacant-district-9-seat-with-pushback/) \u2014 WJHL, accessed 2026-07-06\n[6] [Washington County, Tenn. Commissioner Suzy Williams passes away](https://wcyb.com/news/local/washington-county-tennessee-commissioner-suzy-williams-passes-away-district-9-johnson-city) \u2014 WCYB, accessed 2026-07-06","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_9","county":"Washington","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County Commissioner District 9"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"DAVID","fullname":"DAVID C. STOUT","lastname":"STOUT","middlename":"C.","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_9","contest_title":"County Commissioner District 9","county":"Washington","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_9","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission_district_9","contest_title":"County Commissioner District 9","county":"Washington","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_9","office_title":null,"party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"R","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission_district_9","office_title":"County Commissioner District 9","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Republican incumbent, Washington County Commission District 9, seeking his first full term in the Aug. 6, 2026 general; retired U.S. Army Reserve major appointed to the seat in 2024 after Suzy Williams' death.","terms":[],"token":"xZU8w6xUr4"}