{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Matthew Lacy","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Matthew","lastname":"Lacy","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"x2HCStddub"},"token":"matthew_lacy"},{"candidatename":"Tad Ward","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Tad","lastname":"Ward","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"OSctTjD5NE"},"token":"tad_ward"},{"candidatename":"Penny Ward Lindsey","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Penny","lastname":"Lindsey","middlename":"Ward","suffix":null,"token":"Gk3GkyUO1Y"},"token":"penny_ward_lindsey"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_3","officedescription":"A county commissioner is a member of the county's legislative body. The commission approves the county budget, sets the property-tax rate, authorizes borrowing, and passes county resolutions and ordinances. Commissioners are elected from districts (or at-large seats) to represent constituents on countywide policy.","officequalities":"- Policy judgment on countywide matters \u2014 budget, taxes, land use, services, and intergovernmental issues \u2014 within Tennessee county-government law.\n- Budget literacy: the commission approves the county budget, sets the property-tax rate, and authorizes multi-year bond issues.\n- Legislative process: drafting, amending, and voting on resolutions and ordinances; committee work that pre-screens items.\n- Constituent relations in the district \u2014 case-work and community issues flow through the commissioner's office.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required annual continuing education through UT CTAS.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"County Commissioner","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":2,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-22","title":"Decatur County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://tnsos.org/elections/ballots/744.pdf"},"title":"County Commissioner District 3"}