{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Meredith McLemore","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Meredith","lastname":"McLemore","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"Pfm8DCQpW3"},"token":"meredith_mclemore"},{"candidatename":"Brian Qualls","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Brian","lastname":"Qualls","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"l6uS04I7Zq"},"token":"brian_qualls"},{"candidatename":"Michael Fielder","chatgptsummary":"Michael Fielder's biography shows incumbent status as a Hardin County Commissioner and current service as Chief Deputy of the Sheriff's Department, demonstrating familiarity with local government operations and law enforcement contexts relevant to the role. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate experience in budget drafting, legislative committee work, or state-mandated continuing education through UT CTAS.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nMichael Fielder appears on the August 6, 2026 Hardin County general-election ballot as a Republican Party Nominee for County Commissioner, District 8, a seat that elects two commissioners (\"vote for two\") [1]. Republican nominee Brian Qualls and independent candidate Meredith McLemore also appear on the District 8 ballot [1].\n\n## Career\nMichael \"Mike\" Fielder serves as Chief Deputy of the Hardin County Sheriff's Department, listed on the department's leadership roster [3].\n\n## Office history\nFielder is an incumbent, listed as one of District 8's sitting Hardin County commissioners in the county government directory [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Hardin County General Election Sample Ballot, August 6, 2026 (PDF)](https://www.hardincoelections.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GEN-Website-Sample.pdf) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Hardin County Government Directory](https://www.hardincogov.com/directory/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Hardin County Sheriff's Department - Our Department](https://www.hardincosheriff.com/our-department/) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"Michael","lastname":"Fielder","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"tPbBVvBo3M"},"token":"michael_fielder"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_8","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":2,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-20","title":"hardin County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.hardincoelections.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GEN-Website-Sample.pdf"},"title":"County Commissioner District 8"}