{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"PHILLIP RAY SPEARS JR.","chatgptsummary":"Spears' biography shows current service as a paramedic and campaign statements prioritizing audits, road repairs, and intergovernmental job creation relevant to executive management and crisis response. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary history. Bio does not indicate experience in county budget preparation or familiarity with Tennessee county-government law.","notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nPhillip Ray \"JR\" Spears Jr. is an independent candidate for Macon County Mayor in the August 6, 2026 county general election [1]. In candidate question-and-answer material posted to his campaign Facebook page, Spears said his priorities include conducting \"a comprehensive county-wide audit to determine exactly where taxpayer dollars are being spent,\" establishing a county Finance Director position, expanding water-service access, identifying and repairing problem roads, working with the County Commission to bring more jobs to the county, and seeking citizen input on the future of the Old Macon County Courthouse [1].\n\n## Career\nSpears works as a paramedic serving Robertson County and is a resident of Macon County [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Phillip 'Jr.' Spears - Questions & Answers from Hillbilly Day (campaign Facebook)](https://www.facebook.com/phillip.r.spears/posts/please-sharequestions-answers-from-hillbilly-dayfirst-i-would-like-to-apologize-/10162259055715881/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n\n## Further candidate material (not accessible for this profile)\n- [Phillip 'JR' Spears' vision for Macon County, TN mayor (Facebook group post)](https://www.facebook.com/groups/2267715306691093/posts/26973050775730870/) (campaign material; may require login - unverified pointer)","firstname":"PHILLIP","lastname":"JR.","middlename":"RAY SPEARS","suffix":null,"token":"NewSuzCNyQ"},"token":"phillip_ray_spears_jr"},{"candidatename":"RICK SHOULDERS","chatgptsummary":"Rickey D. \"Rick\" Shoulders has served as Macon County Assessor of Property since 1996, demonstrating long-term tenure within county government operations. His role involves managing property records and interacting with state agencies, yet his biography does not indicate executive management experience across multiple departments or budget defense experience before a county commission.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nRickey D. \"Rick\" Shoulders is the Republican nominee for Macon County Mayor in the August 6, 2026 county general election [1]. He won the May 5, 2026 Republican primary with 1,679 votes (45.8%), ahead of Steve Jones (1,048, 28.6%), Mark Gammons (715, 19.5%) and Ryan Craighead (217, 5.9%) [1]. He faces independent candidates on the general-election ballot [2].\n\n## Career\nShoulders serves as Macon County's Assessor of Property, a countywide elected office he has held since 1996 [3][4]. His office is at 201 Nature Trail Way in Lafayette [3].\n\n## Family\nShoulders has described himself as a husband, father and grandfather; he and his wife, Beverly, have been married more than four decades [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Macon County May 5, 2026 Primary Election Results - Macon County Chronicle](https://www.maconcountychronicle.com/2026/05/13/macon-county-may-5-2026-primary-election-results/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Macon County elections shaping up as petitions are picked up and turned in - Lebanon Democrat](https://www.lebanondemocrat.com/maconcounty/news/macon-county-elections-shaping-up-as-petitions-are-picked-up-and-turned-in/article_e7448b5f-74ca-5490-a8b4-06f5d0136fe1.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Rickey Shoulders, Assessor of Property - UT CTAS](https://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/official/rickey-shoulders) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[4] [Property Assessor - Macon County, TN](https://www.maconcountytn.gov/government/property_assessor.php) - accessed 2026-07-23\n\n## Further candidate material (not accessible for this profile)\n- [End of this road - Lebanon Democrat](https://www.lebanondemocrat.com/maconcounty/news/end-of-this-road/article_8a99b2a2-311d-5724-942d-2cb68599f4a2.html) (profile of Shoulders' career and mayoral run; server blocked automated fetch this session - unverified pointer)","firstname":"RICK","lastname":"SHOULDERS","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"TiokqmZY0T"},"token":"rick_shoulders"},{"candidatename":"MICHAEL UNDERWOOD","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"MICHAEL","lastname":"UNDERWOOD","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"fLaFpfgly4"},"token":"michael_underwood"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_mayor","o.office":null,"office":"county_mayor","officedescription":"The county mayor (county executive in some counties) is the county's chief executive and administrative officer. The mayor prepares the annual budget for the county commission, oversees the daily operation of county departments, and represents the county in intergovernmental dealings. It is an administrative office: the commission sets policy, the mayor runs the operation.","officequalities":"- Executive management of county government across departments such as roads, finance, planning, and emergency management.\n- Ability to prepare and defend an annual budget before the county commission.\n- Intergovernmental capacity: coordinating with the municipalities within the county, the State of Tennessee, and federal agencies.\n- Working familiarity with Tennessee county-government law, the county charter where one exists, and open-meetings and procurement rules.\n- Public-facing communication and, when needed, crisis-management skills.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"County Mayor","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-20","title":"macon County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.maconcountytn.gov/Macon%20PG26%20Newspaper%20Ballot%20(1).pdf"},"title":"County Mayor"}