{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"STONEY R. MATHEWS","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"STONEY","lastname":"MATHEWS","middlename":"R.","suffix":null,"token":"HrbF9QQm1R"},"token":"stoney_r_mathews"},{"candidatename":"D. GARY DAVIS","chatgptsummary":"D. Gary Davis's biography shows eight terms as Bradley County mayor, demonstrating executive management of county departments and familiarity with Tennessee local government law. He has defended his position in multiple primary elections, indicating public-facing communication skills. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate specific experience preparing annual budgets before a county commission or coordinating with federal agencies.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"> **Editorial note - same-name confusion.** A different Gary Davis, a Tennessee Democrat, was a perennial candidate for U.S. Senate and president. He is a different person from Bradley County Mayor D. Gary Davis, a Republican, who is the subject of this profile.\n\n## Current office and 2026 campaign\nD. Gary Davis is the Republican mayor of Bradley County, Tennessee, and sought re-election in 2026 [1][4]. He announced his re-election bid in early 2026, saying he was focused on continuing his work guided by conservative beliefs, planning for county growth, emphasizing public safety, and keeping the public informed [1]. In a three-candidate Republican primary field that also included Scott \"Donut\" Gilbert and Bradley Griffith [2], Davis won the May 5, 2026, primary, defeating Gilbert, then a sitting Bradley County commissioner [1][3].\n\n## Office history\nDavis serves as Bradley County mayor, with offices at 155 Broad Street in Cleveland [4]. The Cleveland Daily Banner reported his May 2026 primary victory as re-election to an eighth term [3].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [DECISION 2026: Winners in Bradley County's Primary Election - Local 3 News](https://www.local3news.com/local-news/decision/decision-2026-winners-in-bradley-county-s-primary-election/article_00a9cd38-1b5c-4c9b-976b-200c8e8b0b8c.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Bradley County's candidates for the May 5 Primary - Mix 104.1 WCLE](https://mymix1041.com/blog/2026/02/20/bradley-county-s-candidates-for-the-may-5-primary) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Davis wins county mayor's race - Cleveland Daily Banner](https://www.clevelandbanner.com/news/davis-wins-county-mayors-race/article_a4c8f238-fbe3-5f4b-941b-5e5c26119dee.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[4] [County Mayor Gary Davis - UT County Technical Assistance Service](https://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/official/gary-davis) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"D.","lastname":"DAVIS","middlename":"GARY","suffix":null,"token":"FyQHMfL3R2"},"token":"d_gary_davis"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_mayor","o.office":null,"office":"county_mayor","officedescription":"The county mayor (county executive in some counties) is the county's chief executive and administrative officer. The mayor prepares the annual budget for the county commission, oversees the daily operation of county departments, and represents the county in intergovernmental dealings. It is an administrative office: the commission sets policy, the mayor runs the operation.","officequalities":"- Executive management of county government across departments such as roads, finance, planning, and emergency management.\n- Ability to prepare and defend an annual budget before the county commission.\n- Intergovernmental capacity: coordinating with the municipalities within the county, the State of Tennessee, and federal agencies.\n- Working familiarity with Tennessee county-government law, the county charter where one exists, and open-meetings and procurement rules.\n- Public-facing communication and, when needed, crisis-management skills.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"County Mayor","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-19","title":"bradley County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://bradleyelections.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/August-2026-Sample-Ballot.pdf"},"title":"County Mayor"}