{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nPhil Yager is an independent Anderson County Commissioner representing District 8, running for reelection in the county general election on August 6, 2026 [1][2]. His campaign emphasizes fiscal responsibility, government efficiency, and taxpayer protection; he says \"my focus has always been on making county government work better for the people we serve\" [2].\n\n## Background and education\nYager is retired; he previously worked as director of mediation and arbitration services for the Better Business Bureau, following roughly 30 years in investment work including stock trading, portfolio management, and corporate and municipal financial analysis [2].\n\n## Office history\nYager won a special election for the District 8 seat in August 2016 [3] and represents the Emory Valley, Hendrix Creek, and Woodland precincts [2]. He chairs the commission's Finance Committee, under which the county has maintained its highest-ever fund balance and an AA bond rating from Standard & Poor's [2]. He also serves on the county's Adult Oriented Establishment Board and Employee Insurance Board of Trustees as of the 2025-2026 committee year [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] Anderson County government, County Commission page, accessed 2026-07 \u2014 https://andersoncountytn.gov/county-commission/\n[2] The Courier News, \"Yager seeks District 8 commission seat re-election,\" Mar. 2026 \u2014 https://mycouriernews.com/articles/2026/03/10871/yager-seeks-district-8-commission-seat-re-election\n[3] Oak Ridge Today, \"With all precincts counted, Yager leads in Anderson County Commission District 8,\" Aug. 4, 2016 \u2014 https://oakridgetoday.com/2016/08/04/with-all-precincts-counted-yager-leads-in-anderson-county-commission-district-8/\n[4] Anderson County government, \"Boards, Committees and Commissions 2025-2026\" (Rev. 9/15/2025) \u2014 https://andersoncountytn.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Boards-Revised-09.15.25-pdf.pdf","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_8","county":"Anderson","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County Commission District 8"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Phil","fullname":"Phil Yager","lastname":"Yager","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_8","contest_title":"County Commission District 8","county":"Anderson","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_8","office_title":null,"party":"I","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission_district_8","contest_title":"County Commission District 8","county":"Anderson","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_district_8","office_title":null,"party":"I","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"I","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission_district_8","office_title":"County Commission District 8","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Independent Anderson County Commissioner for District 8 since 2016, running for reelection Aug. 6, 2026; chairs the Finance Committee and emphasizes fiscal responsibility.","terms":[],"token":"zq0vPV2sw3"}