{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"BO GILL","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"BO","lastname":"GILL","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"WRRPnPHOi2"},"token":"bo_gill"},{"candidatename":"LINDA BOMAR YOCKEY","chatgptsummary":"Linda Bomar Yockey's thirty-year teaching career and current service as a Bedford County Commissioner demonstrate relevant experience in constituent relations and legislative process through committee work on finance and planning. Her role as Planning Commission secretary indicates familiarity with land use matters. Bio does not indicate prior experience managing county budgets or authorizing bond issues.","notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nLinda Bomar Yockey is an independent candidate for the Bedford County Commission in District 5 (the county's \"5th District\") in the August 6, 2026 county general election [1]. Her platform priorities include eliminating portable classrooms in county schools, rural preservation and managed growth, economic development, public safety, tax relief for vulnerable residents, road improvements, expanded recycling, protection of the Duck River, and broadband expansion [1].\n\n## Background and education\nA native Bedford Countian from the Raus community, Yockey runs a small cow/calf farming operation [1]. She holds a Bachelor of Science in medical technology and a Master of Arts in education [1].\n\n## Career\nYockey spent more than 30 years as an educator, teaching at Cascade High School and Shelbyville Central High School [1].\n\n## Office history\nYockey currently serves as one of District 5's two county commissioners [2]. In county government she is a member of the Finance Committee and Public Records Committee and serves as secretary of the county Planning Commission [1].\n\n## Family\nShe has two adult children, Nichole and Josh Yockey, and a granddaughter, Everly [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Linda Yockey for 5th District Commissioner](https://www.lindayockeyfor5thdistrictcommissioner.com/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Bedford County Board of Commissioners](https://www.bedfordcountytn.gov/government/board_of_commissioners.php) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"LINDA","lastname":"YOCKEY","middlename":"BOMAR","suffix":null,"token":"MhgTzSmaxw"},"token":"linda_bomar_yockey"},{"candidatename":"BRENT E SMITH","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"BRENT","lastname":"SMITH","middlename":"E","suffix":null,"token":"xcpJy0JNDf"},"token":"brent_e_smith"},{"candidatename":"BRIAN K. BRUCE","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"BRIAN","lastname":"BRUCE","middlename":"K.","suffix":null,"token":"KePArbzqoq"},"token":"brian_k_bruce"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_5","officedescription":"A county commissioner is a member of the county's legislative body. The commission approves the county budget, sets the property-tax rate, authorizes borrowing, and passes county resolutions and ordinances. Commissioners are elected from districts (or at-large seats) to represent constituents on countywide policy.","officequalities":"- Policy judgment on countywide matters \u2014 budget, taxes, land use, services, and intergovernmental issues \u2014 within Tennessee county-government law.\n- Budget literacy: the commission approves the county budget, sets the property-tax rate, and authorizes multi-year bond issues.\n- Legislative process: drafting, amending, and voting on resolutions and ordinances; committee work that pre-screens items.\n- Constituent relations in the district \u2014 case-work and community issues flow through the commissioner's office.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required annual continuing education through UT CTAS.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"County Commissioner","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":2,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-20","title":"bedford County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://cms5.revize.com/revize/bedfordtn/General%20Sample%20Ballot.pdf"},"title":"County Commissioner District 5"}