{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Chris Cox","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Chris","lastname":"Cox","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"sEDhba4dLO"},"token":"chris_cox"},{"candidatename":"Todd Pulse","chatgptsummary":"Todd Pulse's biography shows direct executive experience as Hardeman County Mayor since September 2022, involving departmental management and intergovernmental coordination within Tennessee. His prior career includes over twenty-eight years in private business and investment property management, alongside service on local advisory boards. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate specific experience preparing county budgets before a commission or familiarity with state procurement rules.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nTodd Pulse is the incumbent Mayor of Hardeman County and the Democratic Party nominee for County Mayor in the August 6, 2026 county general election [1]. He faces Republican nominee Brad Grantham and independent candidate Chris Cox [1].\n\n## Office history\nPulse was elected Hardeman County Mayor in the August 2022 county general election and was sworn in at the Hardeman County Courthouse in Bolivar on September 1, 2022 [2]. He holds the office at 100 Main Street, Bolivar [3].\n\n## Career\nBefore taking office, Pulse worked for more than 28 years in private business and managed investment properties [4]. He has been active in local organizations including the Carl Perkins Center advisory board, the Build a Better Bolivar program, the Hardeman County Chamber of Commerce, and the Hardeman County Arts Council [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Hardeman County Election Commission \u2014 August 6, 2026 Official Sample Ballot](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AhunmX4xEaSVTC0sXKimbLDC-E1NLTxH/view) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[2] [Todd Pulse Sworn in as Mayor of Hardeman County (Hatchie Press)](https://hatchiepress.com/todd-pulse-sworn-in-as-mayor-of-hardeman-county/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[3] [Todd Pulse \u2014 County Mayor (UT CTAS)](https://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/official/todd-pulse) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[4] [Hardeman County candidates share their platform (WBBJ)](https://www.wbbjtv.com/2022/07/07/hardeman-county-candidates-share-their-platform/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22","firstname":"Todd","lastname":"Pulse","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"pADgo3GfuX"},"token":"todd_pulse"},{"candidatename":"Brad Grantham","chatgptsummary":"Grantham's biography shows current service as a Hardeman County Commissioner since 2022, demonstrating familiarity with county governance and intergovernmental coordination. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate executive management experience across multiple departments or prior budget defense experience before the county commission.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nBrad Grantham is the Republican Party nominee for Hardeman County Mayor in the August 6, 2026 county general election, running against Democratic incumbent Todd Pulse and independent candidate Chris Cox [1][2].\n\n## Office history\nGrantham currently serves as Hardeman County Commissioner for District 1, Position 1, a seat he has held since the 2022 election [3]. He gave up that commission seat to run for county mayor in 2026 [3][1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Hardeman County Election Commission \u2014 August 6, 2026 Official Sample Ballot](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AhunmX4xEaSVTC0sXKimbLDC-E1NLTxH/view) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[2] [Local Election Update: Who Has Pulled a Petition (Hatchie Press)](https://hatchiepress.com/local-election-update-pulled-petitions-how-to-become-candidate-2026/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[3] [Hardeman County Election Commission \u2014 Your Elected Officials](https://www.hardemanvotes.com/p/your-elected-officials.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22","firstname":"Brad","lastname":"Grantham","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"nVugK27N7o"},"token":"brad_grantham"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_mayor","o.office":null,"office":"county_mayor","officedescription":"The county mayor (county executive in some counties) is the county's chief executive and administrative officer. The mayor prepares the annual budget for the county commission, oversees the daily operation of county departments, and represents the county in intergovernmental dealings. It is an administrative office: the commission sets policy, the mayor runs the operation.","officequalities":"- Executive management of county government across departments such as roads, finance, planning, and emergency management.\n- Ability to prepare and defend an annual budget before the county commission.\n- Intergovernmental capacity: coordinating with the municipalities within the county, the State of Tennessee, and federal agencies.\n- Working familiarity with Tennessee county-government law, the county charter where one exists, and open-meetings and procurement rules.\n- Public-facing communication and, when needed, crisis-management skills.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"County Mayor","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-20","title":"hardeman County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1AhunmX4xEaSVTC0sXKimbLDC-E1NLTxH"},"title":"County Mayor"}