{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"M. David Adkins","chatgptsummary":"M. David Adkins brings incumbent experience in Campbell County governance and a background as a shop teacher to the role of Commissioner. His biography documents his selection as permanent Sanitation Director while serving as commissioner, a move that followed a lawsuit by a former director alleging improper termination and conflicts of interest regarding transfer station access. Bio does not indicate prior legislative drafting experience or specific budget literacy beyond current service.","notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nM. David Adkins is the incumbent Campbell County Commissioner for District 1, running for re-election as an Independent in the August 6, 2026 county general election against Republicans Joshua A. Etters and David Greene, alongside fellow independent incumbent Zachary Marlow [1].\n\n## Career\nAdkins previously worked as a shop teacher at Campbell County High School [2][3]. While serving as commissioner, he became interim Campbell County Sanitation Director, and in May 2023 the county commission unanimously voted him into the permanent position \u2014 Adkins abstained from that vote \u2014 following a \"blind review\" selection process described by County Mayor Jack Lynch [3]. His pay rose from $46,902 on a ten-month teacher contract to $67,147 annually in the sanitation director role [2][3]. County Attorney Joe Coker said Adkins could legally hold the position as a sitting commissioner, after consulting the UT County Technical Assistance Service, which found no conflict [2].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\nA WBIR 10Investigates review found that of six applicants for the sanitation director job, one had eight years' experience as public works director in Norris and another had 20 years as a district manager for Waste Connections, while Adkins's prior relevant experience was as a shop teacher [2]. Adkins was serving as interim sanitation director \u2014 having, in that role, fired the previous director, William Rutherford \u2014 at the time he applied for the permanent post [2]. Rutherford has filed a lawsuit alleging he was pushed out because he refused to allow county commissioners, their constituents, friends, and relatives to use the sanitation department's transfer station and convenience centers, and because he \"complained about, and refused to participate in and/or remain silent about the illegal activities he observed during his employment,\" according to the suit; commissioners have said in response that Rutherford was fired for poor performance [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Lynch, Jeffries running for Campbell County mayor in August - Mountain Press](https://www.themountainpress.com/lafollette/news/lynch-jeffries-running-for-campbell-county-mayor-in-august/article_d5581405-b02e-505b-b2b7-cced0b03b010.html)\n[2] [10Investigates: Campbell County Government hires two county commissioners for county jobs - WBIR](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/campbell-county-hires-two-county-commissioners-for-jobs/51-ebab3746-7583-4fa2-9d4b-54d1ca8265d1) (Feb 26, 2024)\n[3] [Adkins selected as county sanitation director - WLAF](https://1450wlaf.com/adkins-selected-as-county-sanitation-director/) (May 16, 2023)\n","firstname":"M.","lastname":"Adkins","middlename":"David","suffix":null,"token":"67dWUYCsrj"},"token":"m_david_adkins"},{"candidatename":"Joshua A. Etters","chatgptsummary":"Joshua A. Etters is a Republican candidate challenging incumbents for Campbell County Commission District 1. His biography confirms his current campaign status but does not indicate prior experience in county budgeting, legislative drafting, or constituent case-work. Bio does not indicate experience with Tennessee county-government law or state-mandated continuing education through UT CTAS.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nJoshua A. Etters is a Republican candidate for Campbell County Commission District 1 in the 2026 election [1]. He is challenging two incumbent commissioners, M. David Adkins and Zachary Marlow, who are running as Independents [1]. The race for the three available seats in District 1 will be decided in the August general election, with Etters also facing Republican challenger David Greene [1].\n","firstname":"Joshua","lastname":"Etters","middlename":"A.","suffix":null,"token":"8qyhredp95"},"token":"joshua_a_etters"},{"candidatename":"David Greene","chatgptsummary":"David Greene's biography shows he is an incumbent Campbell County Commissioner seeking re-election for District 1 in August 2026 after winning a Republican primary with 714 votes. The record does not indicate prior experience managing county budgets or drafting legislation, nor does it show experience completing state-required continuing education through UT CTAS.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nDavid Greene is a Republican candidate for one of three Campbell County Commission District 1 seats on the August 6, 2026 general-election ballot, one of four candidates competing for the seats [1][2]. Incumbent commissioners M. David Adkins and Zachary Marlow are seeking re-election as Independents; Greene and fellow Republican Joshua A. Etters are challenging them [1]. Greene received 714 votes in the May 2026 Republican primary [2]. Three of the four candidates will win seats on the commission in August [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Lynch, Jeffries running for Campbell County mayor in August \u2013 The Mountain Press](https://www.themountainpress.com/lafollette/news/lynch-jeffries-running-for-campbell-county-mayor-in-august/article_d5581405-b02e-505b-b2b7-cced0b03b010.html) \u2014 Robby O'Daniel, Feb. 25, 2026, accessed 2026-07-20\n[2] [Looking ahead to the August General Election Ballot \u2013 WLAF](https://1450wlaf.com/231028-2/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20\n","firstname":"David","lastname":"Greene","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"8MeFCoLAEq"},"token":"david_greene"},{"candidatename":"Zachary Marlow","chatgptsummary":"Zachary Marlow's biography shows incumbent experience as a Campbell County Commissioner, demonstrating familiarity with legislative processes and constituent relations. However, records indicate he was hired for a county finance data-processing role while serving as commissioner, despite other applicants possessing decades of administrative or accounting background. Bio does not indicate prior budget literacy or specific continuing education experience.","notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nZachary Marlow is the incumbent Campbell County Commissioner for District 1, running for re-election as an Independent in the August 6, 2026 county general election against Republicans Joshua A. Etters and David Greene, alongside fellow independent incumbent M. David Adkins [1].\n\n## Career\nIn 2023, while serving as commissioner, Marlow was hired for a data-processing position in the Campbell County Finance Office. A WBIR 10Investigates review of the hiring found his resume listed a bachelor's degree in political science and progress toward a master's degree in public policy; roughly 50 people applied for the same position, several with decades of administrative, bookkeeping, and accounting experience [2].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\nWBIR's 10Investigates reported that Marlow and fellow commissioner David Adkins were the only two of 56 total applicants for two separate county government jobs (finance-office data processing and sanitation director) who were sitting county commissioners \u2014 and both were hired [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Lynch, Jeffries running for Campbell County mayor in August - Mountain Press](https://www.themountainpress.com/lafollette/news/lynch-jeffries-running-for-campbell-county-mayor-in-august/article_d5581405-b02e-505b-b2b7-cced0b03b010.html)\n[2] [10Investigates: Campbell County Government hires two county commissioners for county jobs - WBIR](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/campbell-county-hires-two-county-commissioners-for-jobs/51-ebab3746-7583-4fa2-9d4b-54d1ca8265d1) (Feb 26, 2024)\n","firstname":"Zachary","lastname":"Marlow","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"4EjaCnVH9P"},"token":"zachary_marlow"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_1","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":3,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-03","title":"Campbell County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.campbellelections.com/_files/ugd/953d91_eff903831c9d4315aed1730ccecaf83e.pdf"},"title":"County Commission District 1"}