{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"BRANDON BATES","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"BRANDON","lastname":"BATES","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"9xREgj1U2h"},"token":"brandon_bates"},{"candidatename":"PATRICK R. RAY","chatgptsummary":"Patrick R. Ray's twenty-year tenure as DeKalb County Sheriff demonstrates executive management of a major county department and crisis-response skills relevant to the mayor role. His campaign statement lists priorities including government efficiency and solid waste management. The biography documents no controversies or disciplinary records. Bio does not indicate experience with budget preparation before a county commission or familiarity with Tennessee county-government law.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nPatrick R. Ray is the Republican nominee for DeKalb County Mayor in the August 6, 2026 county general election, running against Democrat Beth Pafford and independent Brandon Bates to succeed retiring County Mayor Matt Adcock [1]. Ray was unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Republican primary [2]. Announcing his campaign in August 2025, he said that while his law-enforcement career is \"nearing the end,\" his \"desire for public service has not,\" and listed economic and workforce development, education, solid waste management, public safety, growth planning, and government efficiency among his priorities [3].\n\n## Office history\nRay was first elected DeKalb County Sheriff in 2006 and is completing his fifth and final term as sheriff, which ends August 31, 2026 [3][4]. The next county mayor takes office September 1, 2026 [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [New County Mayor and Sheriff to be Elected August 6 \u2014 WJLE Radio](https://www.wjle.com/new-county-mayor-and-sheriff-to-be-elected-august-6-early-voting-begins-friday-july-17/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Stage Set for May 5th DeKalb Republican and Democratic Primaries \u2014 WJLE Radio](https://www.wjle.com/stage-set-for-may-5th-dekalb-republican-and-democratic-primaries-with-only-one-contested-district-race/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Patrick Ray Announces Bid for DeKalb County Mayor in 2026 \u2014 WJLE Radio](https://www.wjle.com/patrick-ray-anounces-bid-for-dekalb-county-mayor-in-2026/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[4] [DeKalb County Election Commission \u2014 Elected Officials](https://www.dekalbelections.com/elected-officials/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n","firstname":"PATRICK","lastname":"RAY","middlename":"R.","suffix":null,"token":"K39k7UhPZG"},"token":"patrick_r_ray"},{"candidatename":"BETH PAFFORD","chatgptsummary":"Beth Pafford's eight-year tenure on the DeKalb County Commission demonstrates intergovernmental capacity and familiarity with local governance structures. Her background in public education suggests executive management skills, though her biography documents no prior experience preparing county budgets or managing emergency services. The record shows no disciplinary history or controversies. Bio does not indicate experience in crisis management or direct oversight of roads and finance departments.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nBeth Pafford is the Democratic nominee for DeKalb County Mayor in the August 6, 2026 general election, facing Republican Patrick Ray and independent Brandon Bates [1]. She was unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary [2]. In announcing her campaign, Pafford said she is running \"because I care about the people of DeKalb County\" and pledged leadership that \"listens, asks lots of questions, does the homework, and keeps the public informed every step of the way\" [3].\n\n## Background and education\nPafford and her husband Mark, appointed minister of the Smithville First United Methodist Church-Bright Hill charge, moved to Smithville in 2002; their four children graduated from DeKalb County High School [3]. She earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Western Kentucky University and a master's in instructional leadership from Tennessee Tech, and is pursuing an Education Doctorate at Middle Tennessee State University [3]. She was part of the Leadership DeKalb Class of 2016 [3].\n\n## Career\nPafford has worked in public schools for 20 years, 18 of them in DeKalb County, and is currently assistant principal at Northside Elementary School [3].\n\n## Office history\nPafford was first elected to the DeKalb County Commission from District 7 in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, serving eight years [3][1][4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [New County Mayor and Sheriff to be Elected August 6 \u2014 WJLE Radio](https://www.wjle.com/new-county-mayor-and-sheriff-to-be-elected-august-6-early-voting-begins-friday-july-17/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Stage Set for May 5th DeKalb Republican and Democratic Primaries \u2014 WJLE Radio](https://www.wjle.com/stage-set-for-may-5th-dekalb-republican-and-democratic-primaries-with-only-one-contested-district-race/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Beth Pafford Seeks Democratic Nomination for County Mayor \u2014 WJLE Radio](https://www.wjle.com/beth-pafford-seeks-democratic-nomination-for-county-mayor/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[4] [DeKalb County Election Commission \u2014 Elected Officials](https://www.dekalbelections.com/elected-officials/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n","firstname":"BETH","lastname":"PAFFORD","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"ztUW6SIyDp"},"token":"beth_pafford"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_mayor","o.office":null,"office":"county_mayor","officedescription":"The county mayor (county executive in some counties) is the county's chief executive and administrative officer. The mayor prepares the annual budget for the county commission, oversees the daily operation of county departments, and represents the county in intergovernmental dealings. It is an administrative office: the commission sets policy, the mayor runs the operation.","officequalities":"- Executive management of county government across departments such as roads, finance, planning, and emergency management.\n- Ability to prepare and defend an annual budget before the county commission.\n- Intergovernmental capacity: coordinating with the municipalities within the county, the State of Tennessee, and federal agencies.\n- Working familiarity with Tennessee county-government law, the county charter where one exists, and open-meetings and procurement rules.\n- Public-facing communication and, when needed, crisis-management skills.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"County Mayor","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-20","title":"dekalb County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.dekalbelections.com/uploads/files/99cd2fd2ddf6757756b2f868b48f74b0005e871d.pdf"},"title":"County Mayor"}