{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Chad H. Partin","chatgptsummary":"Chad H. Partin's thirty-year background as a corrections officer, deputy sheriff, and investigator demonstrates relevant law-enforcement experience for Coffee County Sheriff duties. His tenure includes jail management oversight and leadership on the state Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. No disciplinary record or controversy appears in this biography. Bio does not indicate prior experience developing an operating budget or coordinating with neighboring-county agencies.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nChad H. Partin is the incumbent Coffee County Sheriff and the Republican nominee for sheriff in the August 6, 2026 county general election, appearing unopposed on the ballot [3]. He won the May 2026 Republican primary, defeating challengers Danny Ferrell and Kelly Smith [2].\n\n## Office history\nPartin was first elected sheriff in 2018 [1]. Before becoming sheriff he spent about 30 years in public service, working as a corrections officer, deputy sheriff, patrol supervisor, investigator, and drug and violent crime investigator at the District Attorney's office, and serving as Coffee County's Emergency Management and Homeland Security Director [1].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\nShortly after his 2018 election, Partin was appointed to the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission, serving as vice chairman and then chairman [1]. In December 2021 he was named the recipient of the POST Commission's Dr. Jay P. Sellick award for outstanding service to the law enforcement profession in Tennessee [5]. He has cited placing school resource officers in all rural county schools and applying a business-model approach to jail management as priorities of his tenure [1].\n\n## Family\nPartin is married to Leann and has two children, Maggie and Will [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Partin officially announces bid for re-election as Coffee County Sheriff \u2014 Thunder Radio](https://thunder1320.com/partin-officially-announces-bid-for-re-election-as-coffee-county-sheriff/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[2] [Primary election settles several election bids, others carry over to August race \u2014 Manchester Times](https://www.manchestertimes.com/news/2026/05/13/primary-election-settles-several-election-bids-others-carry-over-to-august-race/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[3] [Coffee County Official Sample Ballot, August 6, 2026](https://coffeecountytn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6811/August-6-2026-Republican-Ballot) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[4] [Chad Partin \u2014 UT County Technical Assistance Service](https://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/official/chad-partin) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[5] [Coffee County Sheriff Chad Partin receives state award \u2014 Thunder Radio](https://thunder1320.com/coffee-county-sheriff-chad-partin-receives-state-award/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22","firstname":"Chad","lastname":"Partin","middlename":"H.","suffix":null,"token":"uTXWjMBHtJ"},"token":"chad_h_partin"},{"candidatename":"Chad H. Pal","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Chad","lastname":"Pal","middlename":"H.","suffix":null,"token":"zhwRne9fVG"},"token":"chad_h_pal"}],"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":"2026-07-19","title":"coffee County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.coffeecountytn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6967/August-6-2026-General-Ballot"},"title":"Sheriff"}