{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"John Ray Clemmons","chatgptsummary":"John Ray Clemmons's tenure as a Tennessee State Representative and House Democratic Caucus Chair demonstrates legislative craft and coalition-building experience relevant to District 55. His background as a civil litigation attorney supports understanding of statute drafting, while his focus on education and housing reflects constituency awareness. The biography contains no record of disciplinary action or controversy. Bio does not indicate prior executive management experience or direct lobbying experience.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJohn Ray Clemmons is a Democratic member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing the 55th district in West Nashville. He was first elected in 2014 by defeating incumbent Gary Odom in the Democratic primary with 54 percent of the vote. He ran unopposed in the 2016, 2018, and 2020 elections. He has also served as House Democratic Caucus Chair. In 2019 he ran for Nashville mayor, finishing fourth in a ten-candidate field.\n\nClemmons has focused on public education, affordable housing, and infrastructure. He was rated 92 percent by NORML in 2019. In January 2022 he publicly criticized McMinn County schools' decision to remove the Holocaust novel Maus from curriculum. He serves on and advocates for issues coming before multiple House committees.\n\n## Background and education\nClemmons was born on July 14, 1977, in Lebanon, Tennessee, and attended Lebanon High School, graduating with honors in 1995. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Columbia University in 1999, where he competed on the lightweight crew team. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Memphis Law School in 2006.\n\n## Career\nClemmons is a practicing civil litigation attorney in Nashville.\n\n## Family\nHe is married to Tamara Baxt and they have three children. The family lives in Nashville.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [John Ray Clemmons \u2013 Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ray_Clemmons)\n- [2] [The Too-Early Short List for Tennessee's Next Governor \u2013 Nashville Scene](https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/citylimits/tennessee-next-potential-governor/article_afc08130-ee21-11ef-848f-e3ae60c43ea2.html)\n","firstname":"John Ray","lastname":"Clemmons","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"uTTc5CoWSo"},"token":null},{"candidatename":"Jayla Thomas","chatgptsummary":"Thomas's background in business consulting and energy infrastructure development suggests an understanding of district economic needs, while her role on Nashville's Affordable Housing Trust Fund indicates engagement with constituent concerns regarding housing stability. She has no documented disciplinary record or public controversy. Bio does not indicate experience in legislative drafting or coalition-building across partisan lines.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJayla Thomas is the Republican candidate for Tennessee House of Representatives District 55 in the 2026 election, running in Nashville's Davidson County.\n\nThomas opposes uncontrolled development that displaces residents. She advocates for investment in power, water, and grid reliability before increasing residential density, and prioritizes protecting generational wealth and preventing working families from being priced out of their neighborhoods.\n\n## Background and education\nThomas was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, and later moved to Nashville. She holds a degree in Biological Sciences.\n\n## Career\nThomas's professional background spans business consulting, mergers and acquisitions, and energy infrastructure development. She serves as a commissioner on Nashville's Affordable Housing Trust Fund.\n\n## Family\nThomas is married and the mother of two children. The family resides in Nashville.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [About Jayla \u2013 Jayla Thomas for Tennessee State Representative](https://www.jaylat4tennessee.com/about-jayla)\n- [2] [Jayla Thomas Candidate for State Representative Tennessee District 55 \u2013 Heartland Journal](https://heartlandjournal.substack.com)\n","firstname":"Jayla","lastname":"Thomas","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"ecBqSizdFK"},"token":null}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":"055","districtgroup":"state_house","districtgroupname":"State House","districtname":"District 55","job_type":"state_representative","o.office":"state_house_055","office":"state_house_055","officedescription":"The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the state legislature, with 99 members elected from single-member districts to two-year terms. Representatives pass state laws, originate revenue bills, approve the state budget, and \u2014 together with the Senate \u2014 confirm gubernatorial appointments and propose constitutional amendments. Candidates must be at least 21 years old, U.S. citizens, Tennessee residents for at least three years, and district residents for at least one year.","officequalities":"- **Integrity** \u2014 Acts in the interest of constituents and the public good rather than for personal gain, and remains independent of undue influence from donors, lobbyists, and party leadership.\n- **Understanding of the constituency** \u2014 Grasps both the economic-development needs of the district and the day-to-day concerns of individual residents \u2014 safety, healthcare, education, infrastructure.\n- **Persuasion** \u2014 Engages, listens to, and persuades both fellow legislators and constituents. Can change minds and explain votes honestly.\n- **Legislative craft** \u2014 Reads, drafts, and amends statute with care. Understands how specific bill language translates to outcomes, and knows the body of law being modified.\n- **Coalition-building** \u2014 Finds common ground across partisan and factional lines, brokers compromises that hold, and forms working majorities even when consensus is hard to reach.","officeterm":2,"officetitle":"State Representative District 55","partisan":1,"pgr":"primary","quantity":null,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-06-01","title":"TN SoS \u2014 Candidates for Tennessee House of Representatives (2026)","url":"https://sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com/s3fs-public/document/TNHouse_2026.pdf"},"title":"TN House District 55"}