{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Jesse Cline","chatgptsummary":"Jesse Cline's biography shows four years of service on the Grainger County Commission, demonstrating familiarity with local legislative processes and constituent relations required for the role. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate experience in budget literacy or state-mandated continuing education through UT CTAS.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJesse Cline is a Republican incumbent commissioner for District 5 of the Grainger County Commission, which elects three members, and is seeking re-election on the August 6, 2026 county general ballot.[1][2] He led the District 5 field in the May 2026 Republican primary with 312 votes.[1]\n\n## Office history\nCline was first elected to the commission in 2022, finishing first in District 5 voting with 236 votes, and began his term on September 1, 2022.[3]\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Grainger Road Superintendent fends off primary challenge - Citizen Tribune](https://www.citizentribune.com/news/local/grainger-road-superintendent-fends-off-primary-challenge/article_67d994fe-3821-4eb5-854b-adb7492c245a.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [County Commission - Grainger County Tennessee](https://www.graingercountytn.com/county-commission/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [August Primary & General Election results 2022 - Citizen Tribune](https://www.citizentribune.com/news/local/august-primary-general-election-results-2022/article_83698bc2-143f-11ed-9d59-6ba4d7266e4c.html) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"Jesse","lastname":"Cline","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"4IRSygjcm3"},"token":"jesse_cline"},{"candidatename":"Rickey L. Dalton","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Rickey","lastname":"Dalton","middlename":"L.","suffix":null,"token":"P8a932Ff7A"},"token":"rickey_l_dalton"},{"candidatename":"Lonnie Williams","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Lonnie","lastname":"Williams","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"NKdtf2zDHD"},"token":"lonnie_williams"},{"candidatename":"Mike Holt","chatgptsummary":"Mike Holt's biography shows relevant experience as an incumbent Grainger County Commissioner and former commission chairman, demonstrating familiarity with local legislative processes and constituent relations. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate specific budget literacy or completion of state-required continuing education through UT CTAS.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nMike Holt is an incumbent commissioner for District 5 of the Grainger County Commission, which elects three members.[1] He is on the August 6, 2026 county general ballot as the district's Democratic candidate, in a race contested against three Republican nominees for the three District 5 seats.[2] He did not appear in the May 2026 Republican primary results, consistent with running as a Democrat.[3]\n\n## Office history\nHolt has served as chairman of the Grainger County Commission, elected to that role by his fellow commissioners.[2]\n\n## Sources\n[1] [County Commission - Grainger County Tennessee](https://www.graingercountytn.com/county-commission/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Holt, Noe elected County Commission chairman and chairman pro tempore - Grainger Today](https://www.graingertoday.com/news/holt-noe-elected-county-commission-chairman-and-chairman-pro-tempore/article_c0d64ae2-51c7-11ee-a931-03e983457374.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Grainger Road Superintendent fends off primary challenge - Citizen Tribune](https://www.citizentribune.com/news/local/grainger-road-superintendent-fends-off-primary-challenge/article_67d994fe-3821-4eb5-854b-adb7492c245a.html) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"Mike","lastname":"Holt","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"i6FUHdTrVu"},"token":"mike_holt"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_5","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":3,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-20","title":"grainger County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://tnsos.org/elections/ballots/746.pdf"},"title":"County Commission District 5"}