{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"DEBBIE GLADSON SHEDDEN","chatgptsummary":"Debbie Gladson Shedden's fourteen-year tenure on the Hawkins County Board of Education and leadership as a former TSBA president demonstrate relevant policy judgment and constituent relations experience. Her record includes overseeing district construction projects and addressing legal compliance during internal disputes. Bio does not indicate budget literacy or direct superintendent hiring experience.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nDebbie Gladson Shedden is the Republican nominee for the Hawkins County Board of Education's District 6 seat and the incumbent; she currently serves as vice-chair of the board [4]. In the May 5, 2026 Republican primary she defeated challenger Travis Charles [1], 579 votes to 504 [10]; she is unopposed on the August 6, 2026 general-election ballot [2].\n\n## Career\nShedden serves as executive director of the Tennessee School Plant Management Association and is a past president and current board member of the Hawkins County Imagination Library [3].\n\n## Office history\nShedden had served on the Hawkins County Board of Education for fourteen years as of her 2022 campaign statement, meaning she was first elected in the mid-to-late 2000s [3]. On the board she has held roles including vice-chairman, chairman pro tem, and the board's representative to the Tennessee Legislative Advocacy Network [3]. In the May 2022 Republican primary she turned back a challenge from Travis Charles, winning 526-474 to advance to the general election [1].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\nShedden was named the 2011 Tennessee School Board Member of the Year and received the C. Hal Henard Distinguished Service Award, an honor recognized in Tennessee House Joint Resolution 74 [5]. She served as president of the Tennessee School Boards Association in 2016 [6][7]. She founded the Hawkins County student Board of Education representative program roughly a decade ago and continues to oversee it [8]. During her tenure the district built two freshman academies, a new school at Clinch, Church Hill Intermediate School, and completed numerous other renovations [3].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\nIn December 2018, when fellow board member Rev. Tecky Hicks publicly said he would place his religious convictions above his oath to uphold state and federal law on an LGBTQ-related policy question, Shedden publicly emphasized that she had sworn to support the constitutions of Tennessee and the United States, warning the board that ignoring binding law could expose the district to litigation costs that would come out of the money available to students and teachers [9].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [May and August primary races appear all set (Rogersville Review)](https://www.therogersvillereview.com/news/article_8547d5f1-b98e-4143-b546-0f101d6c342a.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20\n[2] [Hawkins County sample ballot, August 6, 2026](https://hawkinscountytn.gov/pdfs/elections/sample_ballot.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20\n[3] [Debbie Shedden for District 6 School Board member (Rogersville Review)](https://www.therogersvillereview.com/rogersville/article_06ee231c-3d87-5c5b-91c7-e96ac018ed04.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[4] [Hawkins County BOE winds down school year (Rogersville Review)](https://www.therogersvillereview.com/news/article_d9d84d93-1246-4d98-9cc7-d8f6d94153bc.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20\n[5] [Tennessee House Joint Resolution 74 (110th General Assembly)](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/110/resolutions/hjr0074.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[6] [Tennessee School Boards Association names new leader (Times Free Press)](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2015/nov/18/tennessee-school-boards-association-names-new-leader/336224/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[7] [Who Is The 2016 TSBA President (Tennessee Journal, Winter 2016)](http://digital.graphcompubs.com/publication/?i=287326&article_id=2368957&view=articleBrowser) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[8] [Meet the Hawkins County Board of Education's student representatives (Times News)](https://www.timesnews.net/living/features/meet-the-hawkins-county-board-of-educations-student-representatives/article_c5c94cb2-207d-11eb-b22f-47fcda1577c8.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[9] [A conflict of faith and oath of office in Hawkins County (Times News editorial)](https://www.timesnews.net/opinion/editorials/a-conflict-of-faith-and-oath-of-office-in-hawkins-county/article_89ad3b08-9bea-5e49-8708-d15ba8122b11.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[10] [No excuses: Stewart wins primary, Linkous unseats DeWitte (Rogersville Review)](https://www.therogersvillereview.com/news/article_f3f7b9f3-e7c6-4839-9584-7f87024cae4a.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20","firstname":"DEBBIE","lastname":"SHEDDEN","middlename":"GLADSON","suffix":null,"token":"4lxsi5JSvN"},"token":"debbie_gladson_shedden"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"school_board","o.office":null,"office":"county_school_board_district_6","officedescription":"A school board member serves on the elected body that governs a public school district. The board sets district policy and budget priorities and hires and evaluates the superintendent, while leaving day-to-day management to the administration.","officequalities":"- Policy judgment for a public school district \u2014 setting direction while leaving day-to-day management to the superintendent.\n- Budget literacy for operating and capital budgets, in coordination with the county commission (which appropriates) and the state.\n- Ability to hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace the superintendent \u2014 the board's highest-stakes recurring decision.\n- Constituent relations with parents, teachers, principals, and community members.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required annual training through the Tennessee School Boards Association.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"School Board Member","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"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":"School Board Member District 6"}