{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Kenny Cody","chatgptsummary":"Kenny Cody's biography shows thirty years of residence in District 11 and leadership as a former county Republican Party chairman, demonstrating local ties and persuasion skills relevant to coalition-building. He holds advanced degrees in education and works as an opinion editor, suggesting familiarity with constituent concerns and legislative craft through writing. The record contains no controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate experience drafting statute or managing public budgets.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nKenny Cody is a Republican candidate running for election to the Tennessee House of Representatives to represent District 11 [1]. He is on the ballot in the Republican primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1]. Cody has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey for this race [1].\n\nCody serves as the Opinion Editor for Human Events and has written for various conservative outlets including The Washington Examiner, The Daily Wire, Townhall, Newsmax, and Newsweek [3]. He is also a columnist for The Libertarian Republic [6]. Cody previously served as the Chairman of the Cocke County (TN) Republican Party, where he was elected unanimously alongside other leadership roles in 2025 [5]. During his tenure, he organized events such as a candlelight vigil for Charlie Kirk in September 2025 [4].\n\n## Background and education\n\nKenny Cody is a native of East Tennessee who was born and raised in the small town of Cosby [2]. He has called House District 11 his home for the past 30 years [2]. Cody self-describes as having been raised with Christian, conservative, mountain values [2]. He is a member of Bethel Baptist Church of Parrottsville, Tennessee [2].\n\nCody graduated from Cosby High School [1]. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2018 [1]. He subsequently received a master's degree from Tusculum University in 2020 and an educational specialist degree from Lincoln Memorial University in 2022 [1].\n\n## Career\n\nKenny Cody is an educator and writer from Northeastern Tennessee [6]. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2018, a master's degree from Tusculum University in 2020, and an educational specialist degree from Lincoln Memorial University in 2022 [1].\n\nProfessionally, Cody serves as the Opinion Editor for Human Events and has written for various conservative outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Wire, Townhall, Newsmax, and Newsweek [3]. He also served as a columnist for The Libertarian Republic starting in January 2020 [6]. Additionally, he is the former Chairman of the Cocke County (TN) Republican Party, a position to which he was unanimously elected by party members [5].\n\n## Office history\n\nKenny Cody served as Chairman of the Cocke County Republican Party for six years [3]. He was unanimously elected to this position by party members at a meeting where he also led the organization's largest turnout in its history for an event honoring Charlie Kirk [4][5].\n\nCody is running for election to the Tennessee House of Representatives to represent District 11 as a Republican candidate [1]. He is on the ballot for the Republican primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1].\n\n## Family\n\nKenny Cody self-describes as a native East Tennessean born and raised in Cosby [2]. He is engaged to marry Katilyn Webb of Parrottsville, Tennessee [2]. The couple are members of Bethel Baptist Church in Parrottsville [2]. Cody states that his family has resided in House District 11 for the past 30 years [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Kenny Cody](https://ballotpedia.org/Kenny_Cody)\n[2] [Kenny Cody](https://votekennycody.com/)\n[3] [Kenny Cody | Human Events | humanevents.com](https://humanevents.com/author/kenny-cody)\n[4] [KENNY CODY: Tennessee\u2019s Cocke County shows up for Charlie Kirk | Human Events | humanevents.com](https://humanevents.com/2025/10/04/kenny-cody-tennessees-cocke-county-shows-up-for-charlie-kirk)\n[5] [Cocke County GOP elects new leadership | News | newportplaintalk.com](https://www.newportplaintalk.com/news/article_30043b5d-2742-551f-914a-d8b4f646925d.html)\n[6] [Kenny Cody](https://www.dailywire.com/author/kenny-cody)","firstname":"Kenny","lastname":"Cody","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"8NWhGXjS8A"},"token":"kenny_cody"},{"candidatename":"Jeff Fancher","chatgptsummary":"The biography confirms Jeff Fancher is a Republican candidate for Tennessee House District 11 in the 2026 election but reveals no prior elected office or legislative service. It documents no controversies or disciplinary records. Bio does not indicate experience in drafting legislation, building cross-partisan coalitions, or persuading fellow legislators to pass laws.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nJeff Fancher is a candidate in the 2026 Tennessee House of Representatives election for District 11 [1]. He is running as a member of the Republican Party [1]. Fancher appears on the ballot for the Republican primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1]. The general election for this seat is set to take place on November 3, 2026 [1]. Independent candidate Larry Brown has also been identified as a contender in the general election [1].\n\n## Office history\n\nJeff Fancher is a Republican candidate running for election to the Tennessee House of Representatives to represent District 11 [1]. He appears on the ballot for the Republican primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1]. The general election for this seat is set for November 3, 2026, with Larry Brown (Independent) also listed as a candidate in the general election [1].\n\nThe provided sources do not contain information regarding any previous elected or appointed offices held by Jeff Fancher, nor do they detail any prior races he has run and lost. Consequently, no historical office history can be detailed from the available data.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Jeff Fancher](https://ballotpedia.org/Jeff_Fancher)","firstname":"Jeff","lastname":"Fancher","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"ssxbDrpmxj"},"token":"jeff_fancher"},{"candidatename":"Sheila Grooms McMahan","chatgptsummary":"McMahan's biography shows deep local roots in Cocke County and active constituent engagement through town halls, addressing the need for understanding the district and persuasion. No controversies or disciplinary records appear in the provided text. Bio does not indicate legislative craft experience or coalition-building experience.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nSheila Grooms McMahan is running as a Democrat in the August 6, 2026 primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 11, which covers Cocke County and portions of Hamblen and Jefferson Counties. The district includes the cities of Newport and Cosby. McMahan held a town hall at the Stokely Memorial Library in Newport on January 31, 2026.\n\nHer campaign centers on strengthening public education, expanding healthcare access, and supporting working families across East Tennessee.\n\n## Background and education\nMcMahan was born and raised in Cocke County, Tennessee. She is from Cosby.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Sheila Grooms McMahan \u2013 Campaign Website](https://www.sheila4tn.com/)\n- [2] [Town Hall: Sheila Grooms McMahan Candidate for TN House District 11 at Stokely Memorial Library \u2013 Happening Next](https://happeningnext.com/event/town-hall-sheila-grooms-mcmahan-candidate-for-tn-house-district-11-eid1ef0krmngata)\n","firstname":"Sheila Grooms","lastname":"McMahan","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"2FGXbRx3IE"},"token":null},{"candidatename":"Larry Jeremiah Brown","chatgptsummary":"Larry Jeremiah Brown's biography shows he filed as an Independent candidate for Tennessee House District 11 in March 2026, indicating potential independence from party leadership. The record does not mention prior legislative service, committee work, or specific policy advocacy regarding district infrastructure or healthcare needs. Bio does not indicate experience drafting statute or building cross-partisan coalitions.","notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nLarry Jeremiah Brown, of Cosby, filed as an Independent candidate for Tennessee House of Representatives District 11, which covers Cocke County and parts of Hamblen and Jefferson counties. His petition was on file and approved as of March 12, 2026, for the 2026 general election. [1] The seat is open after Republican Jeremy Faison, who has held it since 2010, announced he would not seek reelection; Republicans Kenny Cody, Jeff Fancher and Charles R. Southerland, and Democrat Sheila Grooms McMahan are also on the ballot. [1][2]\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Petitions Filed for Tennessee House of Representatives as of March 12, 2026 \u2013 Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com/s3fs-public/document/TNHouse_Filed_2026-03-12.pdf)\n- [2] [East Tennessee state representative will not run for re-election \u2013 WVLT](https://www.wvlt.tv/2026/01/15/east-tennessee-state-representative-will-not-run-re-election/)","firstname":"Larry Jeremiah","lastname":"Brown","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"ZiYynocjP5"},"token":null}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":"011","districtgroup":"state_house","districtgroupname":"State House","districtname":"District 11","job_type":"state_representative","o.office":"state_house_011","office":"state_house_011","officedescription":"The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the state legislature, with 99 members elected from single-member districts to two-year terms. Representatives pass state laws, originate revenue bills, approve the state budget, and \u2014 together with the Senate \u2014 confirm gubernatorial appointments and propose constitutional amendments. Candidates must be at least 21 years old, U.S. citizens, Tennessee residents for at least three years, and district residents for at least one year.","officequalities":"- **Integrity** \u2014 Acts in the interest of constituents and the public good rather than for personal gain, and remains independent of undue influence from donors, lobbyists, and party leadership.\n- **Understanding of the constituency** \u2014 Grasps both the economic-development needs of the district and the day-to-day concerns of individual residents \u2014 safety, healthcare, education, infrastructure.\n- **Persuasion** \u2014 Engages, listens to, and persuades both fellow legislators and constituents. Can change minds and explain votes honestly.\n- **Legislative craft** \u2014 Reads, drafts, and amends statute with care. Understands how specific bill language translates to outcomes, and knows the body of law being modified.\n- **Coalition-building** \u2014 Finds common ground across partisan and factional lines, brokers compromises that hold, and forms working majorities even when consensus is hard to reach.","officeterm":2,"officetitle":"State Representative District 11","partisan":1,"pgr":"primary","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"TN State House District 11"}