← Back to Hardeman County, Tennessee: Election on 2026-08-06
Contest for Register Of Deeds
primary - Partisan - Register of Deeds
About this office
The register of deeds maintains the county's permanent public record of real-property instruments — deeds, mortgages, liens, and plats — and collects the state transfer and mortgage taxes on them. The record the office keeps is the legal backbone of property ownership.
Term length: 4 years.
This role calls for
- Records management of deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, and other instruments affecting title to land.
- Working knowledge of Tennessee recording statutes, the recording-tax schedule, and the increasingly-electronic submission workflow used by title companies.
- Accuracy and indexing discipline — an error in the register's records can cloud title for years.
- Public-access service: the records are open, and the office serves both professional users and individual property owners.
- Budget and technology literacy for maintaining a searchable, modern record system.
Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.
Campaigns
Democratic Primary
1 candidate
Virlene Brown's biography shows current service as chief deputy in the Hardeman County Register's Office, indicating direct familiarity with local recording workflows and public-access duties. The record contains no mention of disciplinary history or controversies. Bio does not indicate experience with Tennessee state recording statutes or budget management for modern technology systems.
Republican Primary
1 candidate
Mark Gilliam's biography shows current service as a Hardeman County Commissioner, indicating experience with local government operations and public service. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate specific experience in land records management, Tennessee recording statutes, or title company electronic workflows required for the Register of Deeds office.
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