{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Eddie Wayne Barton II","chatgptsummary":"Barton's biography shows incumbent leadership of Campbell County's sheriff's office since 2022, including jail program restoration and securing over $13.8 million in grants. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate prior organizational budget oversight experience or specific knowledge of Tennessee criminal law experience.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nEddie Wayne Barton II \u2014 known publicly as Sheriff Wayne Barton \u2014 is the incumbent Campbell County, Tennessee Sheriff, first elected in 2022 [1]. He filed a Republican petition to run for re-election on Feb. 12, 2026, and won the May 2026 Republican primary over challenger Darryl Chapman in the county's first primary election in 30 years [2][3]. No Democratic candidate qualified for the sheriff's race, positioning Barton to win the Aug. 6, 2026 general election [3].\n\n## Career\nSince taking office in 2022, Barton has restored inmate programs including jail ministry and GED classes, and says his office has secured more than $13.8 million in state and federal grants, initiatives and contracts [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Sheriff, Campbell County, Tennessee government](https://campbellcountytn.gov/elected-officials/sheriff/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [Barton officially running for re-election as county sheriff, The Mountain Press](https://www.themountainpress.com/lafollette/news/barton-officially-running-for-re-election-as-county-sheriff/article_a23e5748-c434-5b81-927e-7e691e8640f4.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[3] [Barton, Honeycutt, Partin win in May primary, see full results below, WLAF](https://1450wlaf.com/campbell-county-will-elect-its-next-sheriff-today-polls-open-at-9am/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n","firstname":"Eddie","lastname":"Barton","middlename":"Wayne","suffix":"II","token":"iOoc8sAlkI"},"token":"eddie_wayne_barton_ii"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"sheriff","o.office":null,"office":"sheriff","officedescription":"The sheriff is the county's chief law-enforcement officer. The office operates the county jail, provides court security, serves civil process and executes warrants, and provides patrol and investigation \u2014 a large operational command with a substantial budget.","officequalities":"- Organizational leadership of a sheriff's office spanning patrol, investigations, court services, and the county jail.\n- Oversight of the county jail, including intake, inmate health, and release procedures.\n- Working knowledge of Tennessee criminal law, court process, and constitutional search-and-seizure standards.\n- Ability to develop and oversee the office's operating budget with public accountability.\n- Coordination with municipal police departments and neighboring-county and state agencies.\n- A documented law-enforcement or public-safety background.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"Sheriff","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"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":"Sheriff"}