{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Chip Blankenship","chatgptsummary":"Chip Blankenship's biography shows he succeeded an incumbent in a single-candidate race for Blount County Commission District 9, indicating familiarity with local governance structures. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate prior experience drafting ordinances or managing county budgets.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJonathan \"Chip\" Blankenship filed a campaign treasurer form on October 27, 2025, and ran unopposed for Blount County Commission District 9, Seat B, succeeding retiring incumbent Steve Mikels [1][2]. No Democrat or independent qualified for the seat, so Blankenship is set to take office in September 2026 [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [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), The Daily Times\n[2] [Commissioners](https://www.blounttn.gov/835/Commissioners), Blount County, TN, accessed 2026-07-06","firstname":"Chip","lastname":"Blankenship","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"bOaINDUsJM"},"token":"chip_blankenship"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_9_seat_b","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":null,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"County Commission District 9, Seat B"}