{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Aaliyah K. Hakeem","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"Aaliyah Hakeem is a Democratic candidate running for Hamilton County Criminal Court Clerk in Tennessee's 2026 election cycle [9]. She previously worked within the Criminal Court Clerk's office before launching her campaign [9]. Her father is state Representative Yusuf Hakeem [9]. In March 2025, Hakeem ran for chair of the Hamilton County Democratic Party but lost to Nikwonn Robinson-Cooke in a three-way race, receiving 10 votes compared to Robinson-Cooke's 153 and Kathy Lennon's 109 [12]. \n\nHakeem is challenging incumbent Republican Vince Dean, who has held the position for 12 years [7]. The winner of the Democratic primary will face the winner of the Republican primary in the general election on August 6, 2026 [7]. Dean faces a primary challenge from Archie Currence [8]. The Criminal Court Clerk serves as the chief record keeper for three departments and oversees 58 employees who handle paperwork and collect fines and costs [7].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Tennessee elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_elections,_2026)\n- [2] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n- [4] [Candidate Information | Williamson County, TN - Official Site](https://www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/1743/Candidate-Information)\n- [5] [2026 Election United States House - Tennessee - District 05 - FEC.gov](https://www.fec.gov/data/elections/house/TN/05/2026/)\n- [6] [2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Tennessee)\n- [7] [Vince Dean seeks fourth term as Hamilton County Criminal Court clerk | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/apr/14/vince-dean-seeks-fourth-term-as-hamilton-county/)\n- [8] [Archie Currence wants to revive automated court costs in bid for clerk\u2019s position | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/apr/14/archie-currence-wants-to-revive-automated-court/)\n- [9] [Crowded County Election Slate Set After Qualifying Deadline Passes - Chattanoogan.com](https://www.chattanoogan.com/2026/2/19/514867/Crowded-County-Election-Slate-Set-After.aspx)\n- [11] [Aaliyah Hakeem (Profile): Age, Phone, Locations, Background](https://www.instantcheckmate.com/people/aaliyah-hakeem/)\n- [12] [Local Democrats Elect First Black Woman to Chair Hamilton County Party - Chattanooga News Chronicle](https://www.chattnewschronicle.com/local/local-democrats-elect-first-black-woman-to-chair-hamilton-county-party/)","firstname":"Aaliyah","lastname":"Hakeem","middlename":"K.","suffix":null,"token":"YkZeLgSyeG"},"token":"aaliyah_k_hakeem"},{"candidatename":"Archie Scott Currence","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"Archie Scott Currence is a Republican candidate seeking the nomination for Hamilton County Criminal Court Clerk in Tennessee's May 5, 2026, primary election [1]. He is challenging incumbent Vince Dean for the party's nomination, with the winner set to face Democrat Aaliyah Hakeem in the general election on August 6 [3]. Currence is listed on the official sample ballot and confirmed as a candidate by the Tennessee Secretary of State [1], [2].\n\nCurrence, age 56, describes himself as a court professional with approximately 20 years of experience in Hamilton County courts [3]. He holds an accounting degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga [3]. His career began in 1993 when he started working in the Hamilton County Criminal Court to secure employment; he later helped automate the department's court cost calculations, a process that took him ten months to study and implement [3]. He worked in various county and federal courts until budget cuts in 2013 resulted in the loss of his position at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court [3].\n\nFollowing his departure from the bankruptcy court, Currence worked for five years at a farmers market, performing tasks ranging from selling produce to delivering firewood and mulch [3]. In 2020, he took time off to care for his parents before taking a roughly year-long stint at Chattanooga City Court and working briefly at the Criminal Court again [3]. He has stated that he intentionally attends a small church in Georgia to avoid political pressure from congregants [3].\n\nCurrence characterizes himself as a traditional conservative who is not involved in political clubs or networks, stating, \"I don't have any authority... The law is the authority\" [3]. He has not married but sees value in family and working across the aisle [3]. His campaign finance disclosure indicates he raised $1,100, with $100 contributed by a committee named Friends of Archie Scott Currence and the remainder from his own funds [3].\n\nDuring the qualifying period, Currence was placed on the Tennessee Republican Party's \"non bona fide\" list due to voting record requirements, which mandated that candidates vote in at least three of the four most recent statewide Republican primaries [11], [12]. He had a deadline to clear his name or face running as an independent, though he remained on the Republican primary ballot [11], [12].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [sample ballot](https://elect.hamiltontn.gov/Portals/12/HTML/RepSample.html)\n- [2] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n- [3] [Archie Currence wants to revive automated court costs in bid for clerk\u2019s position | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/apr/14/archie-currence-wants-to-revive-automated-court/)\n- [4] [Vince Dean seeks fourth term as Hamilton County Criminal Court clerk | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/apr/14/vince-dean-seeks-fourth-term-as-hamilton-county/)\n- [5] [Early voting for Hamilton County primaries down to final two days. Here's what to know | Chattanooga Times Free Press](http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/apr/28/early-voting-in-hamilton-county-down-to-final-two/)\n- [6] [2026 Chattanooga area elections news | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026elections/)\n- [7] [Many Incumbents To Face Challengers In Upcoming County Election, Including County Mayor - Chattanoogan.com](https://www.chattanoogan.com/2026/1/14/513455/Many-Incumbents-To-Face-Challengers.aspx)\n- [8] [Crowded County Election Slate Set After Qualifying Deadline Passes - Chattanoogan.com](https://www.chattanoogan.com/2026/2/19/514867/Crowded-County-Election-Slate-Set-After.aspx)\n- [9] [Archie Neal Currence (1909-1999) - Find a Grave Memorial](https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44867726/archie-neal-currence)\n- [10] [UPDATE: Hamilton County sees record turnout for first day of early voting | What's Trending | local3news.com](https://www.local3news.com/local-news/whats-trending/update-hamilton-county-sees-record-turnout-for-first-day-of-early-voting/article_2f69d8b5-e11c-59c3-b62b-4b2af9d11230.html)\n- [11] [Here are the candidates on the Republican non bona fide list in our area - WDEF](https://www.wdef.com/here-who-is-on-the-republican-non-bona-fide-list-in-our-area/)\n- [12] [Here who is on the Republican non bona fide list in our area | WGOW-FM](https://www.wgow.com/2026/03/03/here-who-is-on-the-republican-non-bona-fide-list-in-our-area/)","firstname":"Archie","lastname":"Currence","middlename":"Scott","suffix":null,"token":"tFTfuwgDbU"},"token":"archie_scott_currence"},{"candidatename":"Vince Dean","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"Vince Dean (born January 7, 1959) is a Republican politician from Chattanooga, Tennessee, who served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from April 6, 2006, to August 31, 2014 [1]. He represented District 30 and previously held the position of State House Majority Floor Leader [1]. Dean was first elected during a special election in April 2006 and was re-elected in 2008, 2010, and 2012 [1]. During his legislative tenure, he served on several committees, including Transportation, where he chaired the committee in 2013-2014 and served as vice chair in previous sessions [1]. He also served on the Calendar and Rules, Local Government, Ethics, State & Local Government, Health & Human Resources, and TACIR committees [1]. Dean resigned from the state House in August 2014 after being elected Hamilton County Criminal Court Clerk [1]. He was succeeded in the state legislature by Marc Gravitt [1].\n\nBefore his election to the state House, Dean served as a retired police officer for the Chattanooga Police Department starting in 1979 and as the mayor of East Ridge, Tennessee [10]. He also served three terms on the East Ridge City Council [4]. His educational background includes graduation from Baylor High School and attendance at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Cleveland State University [1]. Dean is a Baptist and was adopted by a Baptist minister at age three [10].\n\nDean has held the office of Hamilton County Criminal Court Clerk since 2014, when he defeated incumbent Gwen Tidwell [10]. The clerk serves as the keeper of records for Hamilton County's Criminal Courts, overseeing three divisions: General Sessions Courts, Delinquent Collections, and Criminal Courts [2]. The office employs 58 deputy clerks and manages a budget that Dean states generates approximately $6 million annually in collected fines and costs against a $5 million operating budget [10]. During his tenure, Dean has established one-stop payment and expungement centers and released a mobile app for the office [10]. He is currently seeking a fourth term as clerk in the 2026 Republican primary, facing challenger Archie Currence [10].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Vince Dean - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Vince_Dean)\n- [2] [Vince Dean, Criminal Court Clerk, Hamilton County Government](https://www.hamiltontn.gov/CriminalCourtClerk.aspx)\n- [4] [Rep. Vince Dean - Tennessee General Assembly](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/archives/106GA/members/h30.html)\n- [5] [sample ballot](https://elect.hamiltontn.gov/Portals/12/HTML/RepSample.html)\n- [6] [Rep. Vince Dean - Representatives - TN General Assembly](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/archives/107GA/members/h30.html)\n- [7] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n- [8] [Vince Dean - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Dean)\n- [9] [Vince Dean - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Dean)\n- [10] [Vince Dean seeks fourth term as Hamilton County Criminal Court clerk | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/apr/14/vince-dean-seeks-fourth-term-as-hamilton-county/)\n- [11] [Free Press Opinion: Reelect Vince Dean as Criminal Court clerk | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/apr/13/free-press-opinion-reelect-vince-dean-as-criminal/)\n- [12] [Dean seeks new term as Hamilton County Criminal Court clerk | Chattanooga Times Free Press](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2025/dec/11/dean-seeks-new-term-as-hamilton-county-criminal/)","firstname":"Vince","lastname":"Dean","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"8DPwmSkYOI"},"token":"vince_dean"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":"hamilton","districtgroup":"county","districtgroupname":"County","districtname":null,"job_type":"criminal_court_clerk","o.office":"criminal_court_clerk","office":"criminal_court_clerk","officedescription":"The criminal court clerk keeps the records of the criminal court \u2014 case files, judgments, bond paperwork, and jury orders \u2014 and collects court costs and fines under the court's deadlines.","officequalities":"- Maintains records of the Criminal Court (felony trial court). Manages the criminal docket, bond paperwork, and jury orders for criminal trials.\n- Records management for the court served by this clerk's office, in conformity with Tennessee Rules of Civil/Criminal Procedure and the orders of the assigned judges.\n- Working knowledge of the relevant court's docket, fee schedule, and pleading requirements.\n- Financial controls for collecting and disbursing court costs, fines, restitution, bonds, and trust funds \u2014 with public accountability.\n- Supervision of a clerical staff handling high case volume and frequent statutory deadlines.\n- Administrative reliability \u2014 the office's filings are legally binding and its records are evidence.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"Criminal Court Clerk","partisan":1,"pgr":"primary","quantity":null,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Criminal Court Clerk"}