{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"CHRISTOPHER \"CHRIS\" LAYNE","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"CHRISTOPHER","lastname":"LAYNE","middlename":"\"CHRIS\"","suffix":null,"token":"HuHOegTU3C"},"token":"christopher_chris_layne"},{"candidatename":"HEATH GUNTER","chatgptsummary":"Heath Gunter's biography shows four years of leadership as Grundy County Sheriff, including oversight of patrol, investigations, and the county jail. However, audits revealed violations involving uncertified deputies and false reports, leading to a 2025 settlement where he admitted two violations, forfeited pay, and completed training. Bio does not indicate experience in developing operating budgets or coordinating with neighboring-county agencies.","notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nHeath G. Gunter is the incumbent sheriff of Grundy County, Tennessee, and is running for re-election as an independent candidate on the August 6, 2026 county general election ballot [1]. He faces Republican nominee David Strieby and three other independent candidates [1].\n\n## Office history\nGunter was elected sheriff in the August 2022 county general election, defeating Republican nominee and then-incumbent Clint Shrum by a margin of 1,618 to 1,455 [2][5]. He began his four-year term on September 1, 2022 [2].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\nBeginning in 2023, the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission audited the Grundy County Sheriff's Office and identified violations including uncertified deputies working alone as school resource officers, false reports, and failure to update certification documentation [3]. Appearing before the commission on August 18, 2023, Gunter said, \"I'm embarrassed,\" and acknowledged that his priority to protect students did not justify deploying uncertified officers; he said all schools then had certified officers assigned and announced that three office members would review all filed paperwork [3]. A subsequent audit revealed additional violations; a sergeant later resigned, and the chief deputy was reinstated after the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation determined he had not committed the violations initially alleged [3].\n\nOn January 16, 2025, the POST Commission voted to approve a settlement allowing Gunter to retain his certification [4]. Under the agreement, Gunter admitted to two violations, agreed to forfeit state pay for two years, and agreed to complete additional training; the audit had found that he had provided false information about deputies' POST certifications since his 2022 election [4]. Commission member Lacy Wilbur, who voted against the settlement, said, \"We decertify on past behavior, not promises of future good behavior\" [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Official Ballot, Grundy County, Tennessee, August 6, 2026](https://www.grundycountytn.net/officials/pdfs/sample_ballot.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Newly elected sheriff is ready to get down to business, Grundy County Herald](https://www.grundycountyherald.com/news/local/newly-elected-sheriff-is-ready-to-get-down-to-business/article_b9a725e8-29fa-11ed-9ac3-cb7c5795ac33.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [State commission reinstates Grundy County deputy after controversy, Fox Chattanooga](https://foxchattanooga.com/news/local/state-commission-reinstates-grundy-county-deputy-after-controversy) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[4] [UPDATE: POST Commission approves deal allowing Grundy Co. Sheriff to keep certification, Local 3 News](https://www.local3news.com/local-news/update-post-commission-approves-deal-allowing-grundy-co-sheriff-to-keep-certification/article_c7e57014-7468-11ef-a97a-0709770b3d44.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[5] [Tennessee election results: County mayor, sheriff, WKRN](https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-politics/tennessee-election-results-county-mayor-sheriff/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"HEATH","lastname":"GUNTER","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"i8WZdNu8GL"},"token":"heath_gunter"},{"candidatename":"JAMES GARRETT WHITMAN","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"JAMES","lastname":"WHITMAN","middlename":"GARRETT","suffix":null,"token":"rQ6SGjN2ep"},"token":"james_garrett_whitman"},{"candidatename":"DAVID STRIEBY","chatgptsummary":"David Strieby's biography shows prior candidacy for Grundy County sheriff but lacks a documented law-enforcement or public-safety background. The record does not indicate experience in organizational leadership of a sheriff's office, oversight of county jail operations, or development and management of an operating budget.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nDavid Strieby is the Republican Party nominee for Grundy County sheriff on the August 6, 2026 county general election ballot [1]. He faces four independent candidates, including incumbent sheriff Heath Gunter [1].\n\n## Background and education\nStrieby is a resident of Altamont, Tennessee; he was 38 years old at the time of his 2022 campaign [2].\n\n## Office history\nStrieby previously ran for Grundy County sheriff in the May 2022 Republican primary, losing to Clint Shrum by four votes, 801 to 797 [2]. He described the outcome as \"a close race with a low voter turnout\" [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Official Ballot, Grundy County, Tennessee, August 6, 2026](https://www.grundycountytn.net/officials/pdfs/sample_ballot.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Sequatchie's incumbent sheriff loses Republican primary, Grundy's survives with four-vote margin, Chattanooga Times Free Press, May 4, 2022](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2022/may/04/sequatchies-incumbent-sheriff-loses-republicp/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"DAVID","lastname":"STRIEBY","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"aHltKTd4GI"},"token":"david_strieby"},{"candidatename":"VIRGIL MCNEECE","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"VIRGIL","lastname":"MCNEECE","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"31nfbqlQqh"},"token":"virgil_mcneece"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"sheriff","o.office":null,"office":"sheriff","officedescription":"The sheriff is the county's chief law-enforcement officer. The office operates the county jail, provides court security, serves civil process and executes warrants, and provides patrol and investigation \u2014 a large operational command with a substantial budget.","officequalities":"- Organizational leadership of a sheriff's office spanning patrol, investigations, court services, and the county jail.\n- Oversight of the county jail, including intake, inmate health, and release procedures.\n- Working knowledge of Tennessee criminal law, court process, and constitutional search-and-seizure standards.\n- Ability to develop and oversee the office's operating budget with public accountability.\n- Coordination with municipal police departments and neighboring-county and state agencies.\n- A documented law-enforcement or public-safety background.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"Sheriff","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-21","title":"Grundy County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.grundycountytn.net/officials/pdfs/sample_ballot.pdf"},"title":"Sheriff"}