{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Larry Wayne Harper","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Larry","lastname":"Harper","middlename":"Wayne","suffix":null,"token":"sFiKvQdkEc"},"token":"larry_wayne_harper"},{"candidatename":"Billy W. Dyer","chatgptsummary":"Billy W. Dyer's biography shows incumbent status as a Lewis County Commissioner for District 8 since at least 2022, indicating familiarity with local legislative processes and constituent relations. No controversies or disciplinary records appear in the provided text. Bio does not indicate experience with county budget approval, tax rate setting, or state-mandated continuing education through UT CTAS.","notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nBilly W. Dyer (listed by the county as Bill Dyer) is the incumbent Lewis County Commissioner for District 8 and appears on the county's official Board of Commissioners roster [1]. He is running for re-election as an Independent on the August 6, 2026 county general ballot, where his opponent is Republican nominee Larry Wayne Harper [2].\n\n## Office history\nDyer, identified in county records as Billy Wayne Dyer, ran uncontested for his District 8 commission seat in 2022 [3].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [County Commission - Lewis County Government](https://www.lewiscountytn.com/county-commission) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Tiller Takes Sheriff's Race; Skelton Unseats Keltner in Election Night Shakeup - Lewis County Herald](https://www.lewisherald.com/story/2026/05/07/news/tiller-takes-sheriffs-race-skelton-unseats-keltner-in-election-night-shakeup/12153.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [2022 Candidate List - Lewis County Herald](https://www.lewisherald.com/story/2022/04/21/news/2022-candidate-list/4290.html) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"Billy","lastname":"Dyer","middlename":"W.","suffix":null,"token":"ysQXiPUKjB"},"token":"billy_w_dyer"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_8","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 8"}