{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Karen Johnson","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"Karen Johnson is a Democratic politician serving as the Davidson County Register of Deeds in Tennessee [1]. She assumed office in 2018 and her current term ends on September 1, 2026 [1]. Johnson is running for re-election in the Democratic primary for this position on May 5, 2026 [1]. She previously served as a member of the Nashville Metro Council representing District 29 from 2011 to 2018 [1]. During her time on the council, she was unanimously elected Council President Pro Tempore and helped lead major projects including Cane Ridge High School and Smith Springs Elementary [8]. She also served as a School Board Member [8].\n\nJohnson earned a bachelor's degree in business from Tennessee State University and an MBA from Trevecca Nazarene University [1]. Her professional background includes work in human resources with Mercy Health Services, the State of Tennessee, Hospital Corporation of America, and Shoney's Inc [1]. In 2019, she was designated as a certified public administrator by the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service CTAS [1]. She later became a Certified Public Manager through the same institute in 2022 [1]. Additionally, Johnson is a 2025 graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School's Senior Executives in State and Local Government program [8].\n\nAs Register of Deeds, Johnson has implemented several innovations, including one of Tennessee\u2019s first Register of Deeds mobile apps and a Property Alert system designed to protect homeowners from fraud [8]. Her office is preparing to launch Real ID and passport services for residents in early 2026 [8]. Under her leadership, the office was named a Best Place to Work by the Nashville Business Journal in 2021, 2024, and 2025 [8]. Johnson made history as the first woman and first African American elected to the Register of Deeds office [8].\n\nJohnson has received numerous awards, including recognition as a Nashville Business Journal Woman of Influence, The Tennessean 40 Under 40, and TSU Woman of Legend and Merit in Government [8]. She is a Paul Harris Fellow with the Rotary Club of Nashville and serves on the boards of Sister Cities of Nashville and Historic Fort Negley [8]. She lives in Nashville with her husband, David, and their three sons [8].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Karen Johnson (Tennessee) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Karen_Johnson_(Tennessee))\n- [2] [Karen Johnson (Washington) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Karen_Johnson_(Washington))\n- [3] [Karen Johnson - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Karen_Johnson)\n- [4] [Karen Johnson (Crystal Lake Park District Commissioner Board At-large, Illinois, candidate 2025) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Karen_Johnson_(Crystal_Lake_Park_District_Commissioner_Board_At-large,_Illinois,_candidate_2025))\n- [5] [Karen Johnson (Lockport Township Trustee Board At-large (Will County), Illinois, candidate 2025) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Karen_Johnson_(Lockport_Township_Trustee_Board_At-large_(Will_County),_Illinois,_candidate_2025))\n- [6] [Karen Johnson (Town of Alex Board of Trustees, Oklahoma, candidate 2023) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Karen_Johnson_(Town_of_Alex_Board_of_Trustees,_Oklahoma,_candidate_2023))\n- [7] [Kevin Raye - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Kevin_Raye)\n- [8] [Karen Johnson | Nashville.gov](https://www.nashville.gov/departments/register-deeds/people/karen-johnson)\n- [9] [Davidson County Register of Deeds Karen Johnson Completes Rotary Leadership Institute Program, Recognized as Paul Harris Fellow | Nashville.gov](https://www.nashville.gov/departments/register-deeds/news/davidson-county-register-deeds-karen-johnson-completes-rotary-leadership-institute-program-recognized-paul-harris-fellow)\n- [10] [Davidson County Register of Deeds | Nashville.gov](https://www.nashville.gov/departments/register-deeds)\n- [11] [Register of Deeds Karen Johnson Selected to Attend Prestigious Harvard Kennedy School Executive Program | Nashville.gov](https://www.nashville.gov/departments/register-deeds/news/register-deeds-karen-johnson-selected-attend-prestigious-harvard-kennedy-school-executive-program)\n- [12] [KAREN JOHNSON FOR CONGRESS - committee overview - FEC.gov](https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00553024/)","firstname":"Karen","lastname":"Johnson","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"A1uDFAl0dA"},"token":"karen_johnson"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":"davidson","districtgroup":"county","districtgroupname":"County","districtname":null,"job_type":"register_of_deeds","o.office":"county_register","office":"county_register","officedescription":"The register of deeds maintains the county's permanent public record of real-property instruments \u2014 deeds, mortgages, liens, and plats \u2014 and collects the state transfer and mortgage taxes on them. The record the office keeps is the legal backbone of property ownership.","officequalities":"- Records management of deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, and other instruments affecting title to land in a high-volume metropolitan county.\n- Working knowledge of Tennessee recording statutes, the recording-tax schedule, and the increasingly-electronic submission workflow used by title companies, lenders, and attorneys.\n- Accuracy and indexing discipline \u2014 an error in the register's records can cloud title for years.\n- Public-access service: the records are open, and the office serves both professional users (title, legal, financial) and individual property owners.\n- Budget and technology literacy for maintaining a searchable, modern record system.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"Davidson County Register of Deeds","partisan":1,"pgr":"primary","quantity":null,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Register of Deeds"}