{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"ALINA GORLOVA","chatgptsummary":"Alina Gorlova's biography shows two years of service on the Hawkins County Board of Education, including liaison duties to three local schools, which demonstrates constituent relations experience and familiarity with district policy judgment. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate budget literacy experience or specific superintendent evaluation experience.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nAlina Gorlova is the Republican nominee for the Hawkins County Board of Education's District 7 seat and the incumbent [3]. In the May 5, 2026 Republican primary she defeated Carl (Ketron) Bailey Jr. [1], 697 votes to 519 [6]; she is unopposed on the August 6, 2026 general-election ballot [2].\n\n## Background and education\nGorlova lives in Bulls Gap, in the western part of Hawkins County [4]. (Note: an unrelated well-known Ukrainian documentary filmmaker shares this name \u2014 a different person.)\n\n## Office history\nGorlova was elected to the Hawkins County Board of Education in August 2022, narrowly defeating incumbent Democrat Judy Woods Trent 317-298 in the newly partisan District 7 race after picking up the Republican petition earlier that year [3][4]. As the District 7 representative she is the board's liaison to Bulls Gap Elementary/Middle School, Cherokee High School, and St. Clair Elementary School [5].\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] [DeWitte, Hicks, Winegar, Gorlova win in Hawkins races (Citizen Tribune)](https://www.citizentribune.com/news/local/dewitte-hicks-winegar-gorlova-win-in-hawkins-races/article_d5cd50ac-152e-11ed-b0ac-f394f390a02b.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[4] [Two Republican challengers pick up petitions for newly partisan school board seats (Rogersville Review)](https://www.therogersvillereview.com/rogersville/article_faf8212d-0856-50a5-85b2-fd6d5641deaa.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[5] [Hawkins County Board of Education member district assignments (hck12.net)](https://hawkinscounty.schoolinsites.com/boe) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-18\n[6] [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":"ALINA","lastname":"GORLOVA","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"IAXS700MXE"},"token":"alina_gorlova"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"school_board","o.office":null,"office":"county_school_board_district_7","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 7"}