{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"JOHNNY WALKER","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"JOHNNY","lastname":"WALKER","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"ZZoU6buwu9"},"token":"johnny_walker"},{"candidatename":"JAMIE CARDEN","chatgptsummary":"Jamie Carden's biography shows relevant experience as an incumbent Hamblen County Commissioner and former general manager of a utility district, demonstrating familiarity with county governance and budget operations. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate prior legislative drafting experience or specific continuing education completion through UT CTAS.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJamie Carden is the incumbent Hamblen County Commissioner for District 9 and is the Republican nominee for the seat on the August 6, 2026 county general-election ballot, opposed by independent candidate Johnny Walker [1][2]. Carden won the Republican primary on May 5, 2026, defeating Kimberly Coffey by 425 votes to 237 [3].\n\n## Background and education\nCarden has lived in Whitesburg since 2001 [4].\n\n## Career\nCarden worked with the City of Morristown engineering department and served as general manager of the Russellville-Whitesburg Utility District from February 2009 through January 2016, a tenure of about seven years [4]. He is part-owner of a company that employs about 180 people across Tennessee [4].\n\n## Office history\nCarden was appointed by the Hamblen County Commission to fill a vacancy in the District 9 seat, receiving nine of thirteen votes from sitting commissioners; he subsequently won the Republican primary for a full term [3][4].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\nCarden is part-owner of a company that employs roughly 180 people across Tennessee and previously held a long-term management position with the Russellville-Whitesburg Utility District [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [County Commission - Hamblen County Government](https://www.hamblencountytn.gov/county-commission/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Election 2026: Things You Need to Know - Citizen Tribune](https://www.citizentribune.com/election-2026-things-you-need-to-know/article_ba462df5-06e6-4d24-a33e-ca1793b8bbcb.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [RESULTS: Hamblen County, TN May 2026 primary election results - WATE](https://www.wate.com/news/hamblen-county-news/may-2026-hamblen-county-primary-election-results/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[4] [Carden appointed 9th district Hamblen County Commissioner - Citizen Tribune](https://www.citizentribune.com/news/local/carden-appointed-9th-district-hamblen-county-commissioner/article_4449b9b3-8b21-43b2-aef8-837ee9a730df.html) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"JAMIE","lastname":"CARDEN","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"ks7dvwPU7p"},"token":"jamie_carden"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_9","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":"2026-07-19","title":"hamblen County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.hamblencountytn.gov/wp-content/uploads/delightful-downloads/2026/06/County-General.pdf"},"title":"County Commissioner District 9"}