{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Tanner Jones","chatgptsummary":"Tanner Jones brings five and a half years of banking experience handling public funds and current work at the Register of Deeds to budget literacy duties. His background includes an internship with Blount County government, attendance at commission meetings since 2018, and certification as a county government administrator through UT. The biography contains no record of disciplinary action or controversy. Bio does not indicate experience in drafting ordinances or managing multi-year bond issues.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nTanner Jones is the Republican nominee for Blount County Commission District 3, Seat A, unopposed on the Aug. 6, 2026 general-election ballot [1][2]. He won a three-way Republican primary on May 5, 2026 with 767 of 1,255 votes cast, defeating incumbent Scott King and challenger Stefan Wilson [2][3]. At 25, the Daily Times reported he is potentially the youngest commissioner ever elected to the board; Jones said, \"There's several of us younger guys that won Tuesday\" [3].\n\n## Background and education\nJones describes himself as an 11th-generation Blount Countian and lifelong District 3 resident, educated in Blount County Schools [4].\n\n## Career\nJones has worked in public service throughout his career: five and a half years at Citizens Bank of Blount County, and currently at the Knox County Register of Deeds, where he handles public funds and records. He began as an intern with Blount County government and says he has attended county commission meetings since 2018. He is a certified county government administrator through the University of Tennessee, and serves with Good Neighbors of Blount County and the Blount County Historical Museum [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [August 6, 2026 Official Ballot for Blount County](https://www.blounttn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/30077/August-6-2026-Sample-Ballot-PDF) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [May 5, 2026 Official Ballot for Blount County](https://www.blounttn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/29846/May-5-2026-Sample-Ballot-PDF) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[3] [The Daily Times \u2014 County Commission gets younger after primary election](https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/county-commission-gets-younger-after-primary-election/article_11996870-3dd9-40e8-9cac-76fc68bc0ca9.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[4] [The Daily Times \u2014 Hats in the Ring: County Commission Seat 3-A](https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/blount-county-board-of-commissioners-seat-3-a/pdf_8fbb0a72-ed44-4f09-ba7d-0596fac02ba1.html) (Marcus Fitzsimmons) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06","firstname":"Tanner","lastname":"Jones","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"qcaT27ifNn"},"token":"tanner_jones"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_3","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":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-02","title":"Blount County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.blounttn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/30077/August-6-2026-Sample-Ballot-PDF"},"title":"County Commission District 3, Seat A"}