{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Shannon Effler","chatgptsummary":"Effler's biography shows she won a primary for Blount County Commission District 7 and will join as one of six newcomers in September 2026. The record contains no mention of controversy or disciplinary history. Bio does not indicate prior experience with county budgeting, legislative drafting, or constituent case-work.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nShannon Effler is the Republican nominee for Blount County Commission District 7, Seat A, having won a three-way GOP primary on May 5, 2026 against Quentin Caldwell (appointed in 2024 to fill the seat's remaining term) and Donald K. McConnell [1][2]. She is unopposed on the Aug. 6, 2026 general-election ballot [3] and takes office in September 2026 as one of at least six newcomers joining the reorganized commission [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Blount County Election Commission, \"May 5, 2026 Petitions\"](https://www.blounttn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/29506/May-5-2026-Petitions-PDF) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [The Daily Times, \"Blount County primary fields are set\"](https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/blount-county-primary-fields-are-set/article_c928c6a7-a486-43e4-823e-3028b38b0891.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[3] [Blount County Election Commission, \"August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot\"](https://www.blounttn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/30077/August-6-2026-Sample-Ballot-PDF) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[4] [The Daily Times, \"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","firstname":"Shannon","lastname":"Effler","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"iwQWCAtmQZ"},"token":"shannon_effler"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_7","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 7, Seat A"}