{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Stephen Hood","chatgptsummary":"Stephen Hood's biography shows over thirty years of public service and a stated focus on fiscal responsibility and rule adherence for the Knox County Trustee role. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary history. Bio does not indicate specific experience in Tennessee property-tax law or direct investment management of county funds.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"Stephen Hood is a Democratic candidate running for Knox County Trustee in Tennessee [7]. He resides in West Hills and was born and raised in Appalachia, identifying himself as the son of a Vietnam War veteran [10]. Hood has over 30 years of public service experience at the federal, state, and county levels [10].\n\nHood is competing against incumbent Republican Justin Biggs, as well as Republicans Nick McBride and Barry Hawkins, in the May 5, 2026 primary election [7][8][12]. He is the sole Democratic candidate in this race [9]. The Knox County Trustee is responsible for collecting residential, commercial, and personal property taxes, accounting for and disbursing county funds, and investing money to earn interest [7].\n\nHood\u2019s campaign focuses on restoring public trust in the office, citing problematic behavior by previous holders of the position as his motivation for running [8]. He describes managing taxpayer dollars as a \"sacred duty\" and emphasizes a strong respect for rules and regulations [8]. His platform centers on fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability [10]. Specifically, Hood has stated he would review recent probes of the office and carry out auditors' recommendations [12].\n\nFinancially, Hood\u2019s campaign reported taking in $5,900 and spending $1,556 during a reporting period ending in early 2026, leaving him with approximately $4,445 on hand [9]. He relies on grassroots supporter funds rather than large donations [10].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_gubernatorial_election,_2026)\n- [2] [Tennessee elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_elections,_2026)\n- [3] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n- [4] [2026 Election United States House - Tennessee - District 05 - FEC.gov](https://www.fec.gov/data/elections/house/TN/05/2026/)\n- [5] [2026 Tennessee gubernatorial election - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Tennessee_gubernatorial_election)\n- [6] [2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Tennessee)\n- [7] [Knox County trustee primary election voter's guide: Meet the candidates](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/knox-county-trustee-primary-election-091225099.html)\n- [8] [Meet the candidates for Knox County Trustee - Knox TN Today](https://www.knoxtntoday.com/meet-the-candidates-for-knox-county-trustee/)\n- [9] [Election 2026: More than $600K spent in Knox Co. mayor's race so far | wbir.com](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/knoxville/election-2026-more-than-600k-spent-in-knox-co-mayors-race-so-far/51-cc4abaf1-7f0e-4f3b-8c49-68b009490788)\n- [10] [Stephen Hood for Knox County Trustee | Build Trust, Support Community](https://www.truststephen.com/)\n- [12] [Knox County Trustee Race Heats Up Ahead Of May Primary](https://hoodline.com/2026/04/trucks-tax-dollars-and-turf-wars-knox-county-trustee-clash-hits-may-ballot/)","firstname":"Stephen","lastname":"Hood","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"6ueTxbq9rH"},"token":"stephen_hood"},{"candidatename":"Nick McBride","chatgptsummary":"Nick McBride's twenty-six-year tenure as Knox County Register of Deeds demonstrates administrative discipline and experience managing county operations, including a transition to electronic systems that enabled remote work during the pandemic. His leadership roles in the Tennessee Register's Association highlight professional recognition within local government administration. The biography notes no controversies or disciplinary records regarding his conduct. Bio does not indicate specific experience with Tennessee property-tax law or investment management of county funds.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nNick McBride has served as Knox County Register of Deeds since being elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022 [1]. He won the Republican nomination for Knox County Trustee in the May 5, 2026 primary, defeating incumbent Justin Biggs and challenger Barry Hawkins [2]. McBride received 48% of the vote (19,790 votes) to Biggs's 35% (14,228 votes) and Hawkins's 17% (7,056 votes), out of 41,074 votes cast [2][3]. He advances to the August 6, 2026 general election [2].\n\nMcBride's trustee campaign centered on restoring \"transparency and accountability\" to the Trustee's office, which collects property taxes and manages county funds, after incumbent Justin Biggs faced a state investigation into \"questionable spending regarding vehicle leases and travel expenses\" [2][6].\n\n## Background and education\nA Knoxville native, McBride attended Cedar Bluff and Farragut schools and holds two associate degrees from Roane State Community College and a Bachelor of Science from Tusculum University [4].\n\n## Career\nMcBride began working in the Register of Deeds office as a high school intern and joined full-time in December 1990 [4]. He served as chief deputy under Register Sherry Witt and as interim register for about six months in 2008 before his own election to the office in 2018 [4]. During his tenure he directed the office's move to electronic recording and an internal software upgrade that - per the Register of Deeds office's own account - allowed staff to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic [4][5]. He has served as president of the Tennessee Register's Association (2021-2022) and was named the association's Outstanding Register of Deeds in 2020 and 2022 [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Nick McBride - Knox County Register of Deeds](https://rod.knoxcounty.org/event/nick-mcbride/) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [Knox County primary results set stage for key August races - WBIR](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/politics/elections/knox-county-primary-results-set-stage-for-key-august-races/51-81320ff4-00be-46a0-b1c6-4cbb37db3756) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[3] [Cumulative Results Report, Knox County Election Commission, May 5, 2026](https://elections.knoxcounty.org/assets/data/cumulative.pdf) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[4] [Nick McBride: Part II but not all the story - Knox TN Today](https://www.knoxtntoday.com/nick-mcbride-part-ii-but-not-all-the-story/) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[5] [Re-Elect Nick McBride for Register of Deeds - campaign website](https://www.electnickmcbride.com/) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[6] [Primary 2026: Trustee - Compass Knoxville](https://compassknox.com/2026/04/22/primary-2026-trustee/) - accessed 2026-07-06\n","firstname":"Nick","lastname":"McBride","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"zh3GIsLbjG"},"token":"nick_mcbride"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"trustee","o.office":null,"office":"trustee","officedescription":"The trustee is the county's banker \u2014 collecting county property taxes, keeping and investing county funds, and disbursing money on the county's authority. It handles large sums of public money and is a fiduciary role.","officequalities":"- Financial trustworthiness: the trustee is the county's banker and custodian of tax revenue, handling the county's property-tax collections.\n- Working knowledge of Tennessee property-tax law, including tax-relief programs for seniors, disabled residents, and veterans.\n- Investment and cash-management competence for county funds under state-law constraints.\n- Monthly settlement and reporting discipline.\n- Accessible customer service for taxpayers paying bills, disputing assessments, or seeking relief, and the ability to administer a partly-online operation.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"County Trustee","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-19","title":"knox County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.knoxcounty.org/election/pdfs/General%20Sample%20Ballot_08.06.26.pdf"},"title":"County Trustee"}