{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"DAVE RHEA","chatgptsummary":"Dave Rhea's biography shows he won a Republican primary for Fayette County Commissioner, demonstrating electoral success within Tennessee county-government law. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate prior experience in budget literacy or legislative drafting.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nDave Rhea is a Republican candidate for Fayette County Commissioner, District 2, Position 1, in Tennessee [1]. He won the May 5, 2026 Republican primary unopposed, receiving 96 of 97 votes cast (98.97%) [2]. He advances to the August 6, 2026 Fayette County general election, where he will face Democratic primary winner Marandy Wilkerson, who won her primary unopposed with all 64 votes cast [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [Fayette County Election Commission, 2026 Primary Election Summary Report](https://fayettetn.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/26-5-5-Primary-Totals.pdf) - accessed 2026-07-06","firstname":"Dave","lastname":"Rhea","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"l5yHiDa0gE"},"token":"dave_rhea"},{"candidatename":"MARANDY WILKERSON","chatgptsummary":"Wilkinson's biography shows direct experience challenging county redistricting policies through litigation, demonstrating engagement with land use and intergovernmental issues under Tennessee law. She filed a Voting Rights Act lawsuit against the Fayette County Commission in 2025, leading to a new electoral map adopted by the body. No disciplinary record or controversy appears in the available text. Bio does not indicate budget literacy experience or constituent case-work experience.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Background and education\n- Black registered voter and Fayette County resident who was one of five individual plaintiffs, alongside the NAACP's Fayette-Somerville Branch, in a 2025 Voting Rights Act lawsuit filed by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Donati Law challenging the Fayette County Commission's 2021 redistricting map. ([NAACP LDF press release](https://www.naacpldf.org/press-release/legal-defense-fund-files-lawsuit-challenging-racially-discriminatory-election-map-in-fayette-county-tennessee/))\n- In public comments at the time of filing, Wilkerson said: *\"The County Commission map is the latest example in our County's long, abhorrent history of racial discrimination that must be remedied.\"* ([NAACP LDF](https://www.naacpldf.org/press-release/ldf-declares-victory-in-successfully-advocating-for-the-county-commission-in-fayette-county-tennessee-to-draw-a-new-fairer-electoral-map/))\n- The county commission adopted a new map in June 2025 creating three majority-Black single-member districts; the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the suit after the new map passed. ([Tennessee Lookout](https://tennesseelookout.com/2025/07/09/naacp-dismisses-discrimination-suit-against-fayette-county-after-commission-passes-new-district-map/))\n\nCandidate for Fayette County Commission, District 2 Position 1, in the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary. No additional public biographical information (career, education) was located.\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n- **2026** \u2014 [County Commission (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=WILKERSON&id=2078&f=199316&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":"Marandy","lastname":"Wilkerson","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"UNWeR0vlCo"},"token":"marandy_wilkerson"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_2","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":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-22","title":"Fayette County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://fayettetn.us/departments/election/sample-ballots-8-6-26/"},"title":"County Commission District 2 Position 1"}