{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"WARREN C. BISHOP","chatgptsummary":"Warren C. Bishop's biography shows relevant experience as a Surgoinsville alderman, including participation in municipal legislative processes and constituent relations through community events. He has demonstrated budget literacy by voting on employee compensation adjustments. The record contains no controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate countywide policy judgment or state-required continuing education experience.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nWarren C. Bishop is a Republican candidate for Hawkins County Commission District 4 on the August 6, 2026 general-election ballot, running alongside incumbent Republican Josh Gilliam for the district's two seats [1]. When he filed, local coverage described him as a challenger who currently serves as a Surgoinsville alderman [2].\n\n## Office history\nBishop serves as an alderman for the Town of Surgoinsville [3]. In the November 2024 municipal election he was re-elected to one of three aldermen seats, running unopposed and receiving 520 votes [4]. He was sworn in for the new term on December 9, 2024, alongside Vice Mayor Bobby Jarnagin and Alderman Randy Collier [5].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\nAs a Surgoinsville alderman, Bishop made the motion to raise Town Recorder Megan Gentry's hourly pay by $3.50 after she earned her Certified Municipal Finance Officer credential [6]. He also participates in community events under the town's banner, appearing as Santa on a Surgoinsville fire truck at the town's Christmas parade on December 12, 2025 [7].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Official Ballot, Hawkins County, August 6, 2026](https://hawkinscountytn.gov/pdfs/elections/sample_ballot.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[2] [Hawkins voters have plenty of options](https://www.therogersvillereview.com/news/article_a72b5833-32a6-408c-84a9-21f45511c5f5.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[3] [Surgoinsville Mayor & Aldermen](https://www.surgoinsvilletn.gov/mayor_aldermen.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[4] [Municipal elections held in 204 cities](https://ttc.tml1.org/2024/11/08/municipal-elections-held-204-cities) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[5] [Newly reelected Surgoinsville vice mayor, aldermen sworn in](https://www.therogersvillereview.com/multimedia/videos/article_9cc701ba-c880-11ef-b99b-ff722856f767.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[6] [No takeback on raise for Surgoinsville employee](https://www.therogersvillereview.com/news/article_51ad902c-a4f4-4b92-829b-de732f247c1a.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[7] [Santa \u2014 or, Alderman Warren Bishop \u2014 waves from a fire truck at the Surgoinsville Christmas Parade on Dec. 12, 2025](https://timesnews.net/photo-single/417854/?mode=team) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18","firstname":"WARREN","lastname":"BISHOP","middlename":"C.","suffix":null,"token":"RGbbhKxuCb"},"token":"warren_c_bishop"},{"candidatename":"JOSH GILLIAM","chatgptsummary":"Josh Gilliam's biography shows relevant experience as an incumbent Hawkins County Commissioner and vice chair of the Budget Committee, demonstrating legislative process knowledge through budget debates and constituent relations via public explanations of tax rates during re-appraisals. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate prior experience in intergovernmental negotiations or state-required continuing education completion.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJosh Gilliam is the incumbent Hawkins County Commissioner for District 4, listed as Joshua Gilliam of Rogersville among the two District 4 seatholders alongside Chad Britton [1]. He is the Republican Party nominee on the August 6, 2026 general-election ballot, running alongside fellow Republican Warren C. Bishop for the district's two seats [2]. He filed his petition to seek another term in January 2026 [3].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\nGilliam serves as vice chair of the Hawkins County Budget Committee [4]. In April 2026, as the county began its state-required property re-appraisal, he publicly explained that rising assessed values do not automatically raise tax bills \u2014 that the state provides a certified tax rate designed to generate the same revenue as the prior year \u2014 and urged residents not to conflate the two [4]. In earlier budget debates he pushed back against the framing that supporting a larger sheriff's department budget was incompatible with opposing tax increases [5].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Hawkins County Commission](https://www.hawkinscountytn.gov/county_commission.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[2] [Official Ballot, Hawkins County, August 6, 2026](https://hawkinscountytn.gov/pdfs/elections/sample_ballot.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[3] [Hawkins voters have plenty of options](https://www.therogersvillereview.com/news/article_a72b5833-32a6-408c-84a9-21f45511c5f5.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[4] [Hawkins County begins state required property re-appraisal](https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/hawkins-county-begins-state-required-property-re-appraisal/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[5] [After deadlocked votes, Hawkins County Commission passes final version of budget](https://www.timesnews.net/after-deadlocked-votes-hawkins-county-commission-passes-final-version-of-budget/article_ca28f828-488f-11ef-9bc8-1b352fdd34d7.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18","firstname":"JOSH","lastname":"GILLIAM","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"j1XjTSA064"},"token":"josh_gilliam"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_4","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":"2026-07-18","title":"Hawkins County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.hawkinscountytn.gov/pdfs/elections/sample_ballot.pdf"},"title":"County Commissioner District 4"}