Ballot Project

← Back to Davidson County, Tennessee: Election on 2026-08-06

Contest for Register Of Deeds

general - Partisan - Register of Deeds

About this office

The register of deeds maintains the county's permanent public record of real-property instruments — deeds, mortgages, liens, and plats — and collects the state transfer and mortgage taxes on them. The record the office keeps is the legal backbone of property ownership.

Term length: 4 years.

This role calls for

  • Records management of deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, and other instruments affecting title to land.
  • Working knowledge of Tennessee recording statutes, the recording-tax schedule, and the increasingly-electronic submission workflow used by title companies.
  • Accuracy and indexing discipline — an error in the register's records can cloud title for years.
  • Public-access service: the records are open, and the office serves both professional users and individual property owners.
  • Budget and technology literacy for maintaining a searchable, modern record system.

Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.

Campaigns

KAREN JOHNSON

KAREN JOHNSON

Democrat
👍 👎 🤡 😡 🤷
Karen Johnson's biography shows direct experience as Davidson County Register of Deeds since 2018, including implementing mobile apps and fraud protection systems. Her background includes an MBA, certified public manager status, and leadership roles on the Metro Council and school board. The record contains no controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate prior specific experience with Tennessee recording statutes or detailed land title indexing workflows.
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