{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Warner E. Speakman","chatgptsummary":"Chairman of the Fayette County Schools Board of Education representing District 3; affiliated with FCPS since 2011. Military veteran; journeyman electrician (IBEW Local 58, Detroit) with an Electrical and Electronic Engineering degree; later worked with TVA Engineering Design in electronics and communications. Long-time contractor and 30-year design-firm partner. Has filed School Board Statement of Interest forms for 2024, 2025, and 2026. In October 2025 was named a defendant in a federal lawsuit filed by four Black FCPS employees alleging racial discrimination and retaliation; 2025 community demonstrators called for his resignation alongside then-interim superintendent Eddie Keel.","notes":"","party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n- **Chairman**, Fayette County Schools Board of Education, representing District 3. Affiliated with FCPS since 2011. ([FCPS LinkedIn post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/fayette-county-public-schools-tn-88747a11a_school-board-member-warner-speakman-represents-activity-6920435232949059584-RQ1I))\n\n## Career\n- Military veteran.\n- Completed an IBEW Local 58 apprenticeship in Detroit and graduated as a journeyman electrician.\n- Earned an Electrical and Electronic Engineering degree via night school in Southfield, Michigan.\n- Worked with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Engineering Design group specializing in electronics and communications.\n- Long-time contractor; 30-year design-firm partner. Has expressed interest in expanding CTE programs. ([FCPS Board Members](https://www.fcsk12.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=309473&type=d&pREC_ID=2134196))\n\n- Named defendant in an October 2025 lawsuit filed by four Black Fayette County Schools employees alleging racial discrimination and retaliation; community demonstrators in 2025 called for his resignation alongside then-interim superintendent Eddie Keel. ([Action News 5, Oct 2025](https://www.actionnews5.com/2025/10/24/four-black-staff-members-sue-fayette-co-school-board-over-discrimination/), [Tennessee Lookout, Aug 2025](https://tennesseelookout.com/2025/08/21/fayette-co-organizers-call-for-spending-boycott-demand-transparency-from-county-school-board/))\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n- **2026** \u2014 [School Board (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=SPEAKMAN&id=93192&f=196795&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Fayette County official/candidate\n- **2025** \u2014 [School Board (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=SPEAKMAN&id=93192&f=185396&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Fayette County official/candidate\n- **2024** \u2014 [School Board (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=SPEAKMAN&id=93192&f=172213&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Fayette County official/candidate\n\n*Source: [Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest Search](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/search.htm). Scraped 2026-04-23.*\n","firstname":"Warner","lastname":"Speakman","middlename":"E.","suffix":null,"token":"0V0bAfhkol"},"token":"warner_e_speakman"},{"candidatename":"Joe Chiarella","chatgptsummary":"No substantive public biographical information was located in local news, Ballotpedia, or the FCPS board directory. Current District 3 seats are held by Melanie McGuire, Hal Rounds, and Warner Speakman \u2014 he appears to be a first-time challenger. Bio does not indicate prior school-governance experience, education-sector career, school-district budget literacy, or formal education. He has not filed a Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest.","notes":"","party":"R","person":{"biography":"Candidate for Republican nomination, Fayette County Schools Board District 3, in the May 5, 2026 primary.\n\nNo substantive public biographical information was located in local news, Ballotpedia, or the FCPS board directory. Current District 3 seats are held by Melanie McGuire, Hal Rounds, and Warner Speakman. ([FCPS Board Members](https://www.fcsk12.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=309473&type=d&pREC_ID=2134196)) Chiarella appears to be a non-incumbent challenger. No campaign website was found.","firstname":"Joe","lastname":"Chiarella","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"U1ixPNTlkS"},"token":"joe_chiarella"}],"choices":null,"description":"","district":"3","districtgroup":"county_school_board","districtgroupname":"County School Board","districtname":"District 3","job_type":"school_board","o.office":"school_board_district_3","office":"school_board_district_3","officedescription":"Members of the Fayette County Schools Board of Education govern the Fayette County public school district. Fayette has three school board districts. Board members hire and evaluate the superintendent, adopt district policies, approve the school budget, set district goals, and oversee compliance with federal and state education law. Members are required to complete seven hours of annual training through the Tennessee School Boards Association School Board Academy.\n\n**Compensation:** stipend set by the county commission; state law requires a minimum of $4/day under [T.C.A. \u00a7 49-2-202](https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-49/chapter-2/part-2/section-49-2-202/).","officequalities":"- Policy judgment on district-wide matters \u2014 curriculum direction, personnel policy, facilities, and student services \u2014 within Tennessee education law.\n- Budget literacy for the Fayette County Schools operating and capital budgets.\n- Ability to hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace the superintendent.\n- Constituent relations with parents, teachers, and community members across the district.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required seven hours of annual training through the TSBA Board Academy.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"School Board District 3","partisan":0,"pgr":"general","quantity":2,"referendum":"","source":null,"title":"School Board District 3"}