{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Mike Clay","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Mike","lastname":"Clay","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"4rPFhkVK5Z"},"token":"mike_clay"},{"candidatename":"Aren Ragsdale","chatgptsummary":"Aren Ragsdale's biography shows incumbent service as a Lewis County Commissioner for District 6, demonstrating familiarity with local legislative processes and constituent relations. He holds a degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin and works as an assistant volleyball coach. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate experience in budget management or policy judgment on countywide matters.","notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nAren Ragsdale is the incumbent Lewis County Commissioner for District 6 and appears on the county's official Board of Commissioners roster [1]. He has formally announced that he is running for re-election as a District 6 commissioner on the August 6, 2026 county general ballot [2]. He is a registered Republican running as an Independent; he has said his current employment prohibits him from running as a partisan candidate, which is why he appears as an Independent [2].\n\n## Background and education\nRagsdale is a 2008 graduate of Lewis County High School and a 2016 graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin [2].\n\n## Career\nRagsdale is employed by the State of Tennessee and is an assistant volleyball coach at Creek Wood High School [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [County Commission - Lewis County Government](https://www.lewiscountytn.com/county-commission) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Commissioner Ragsdale Requests Your Vote for Re-Election - Lewis County Herald](https://www.lewisherald.com/story/2026/05/21/news/commissioner-ragsdale-requests-your-vote-for-re-election/12243.html) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"Aren","lastname":"Ragsdale","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"FTMozdZcCk"},"token":"aren_ragsdale"},{"candidatename":"Terry Wayne Barnes","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Terry","lastname":"Barnes","middlename":"Wayne","suffix":null,"token":"In7oqBi86F"},"token":"terry_wayne_barnes"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_6","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":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-21","title":"Lewis County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/43a9b6a0-68b8-4a56-8e2b-8e3f105bb3c0/downloads/4c230121-10f0-4430-9d5d-d63036aca5f2/August%206%202026%20Sample%20Ballot.pdf?ver=1784387482222"},"title":"County Commission District 6"}