Ballot Project

← Back to Madison County, Tennessee: Election on 2026-08-06

Contest for School Board District 4, Position 1

general - Partisan - School Board Member

About this office

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.

Term length: 4 years.

This role calls for

  • Policy judgment for a public school district — setting direction while leaving day-to-day management to the superintendent.
  • Budget literacy for operating and capital budgets, in coordination with the county commission (which appropriates) and the state.
  • Ability to hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace the superintendent — the board's highest-stakes recurring decision.
  • Constituent relations with parents, teachers, principals, and community members.
  • Willingness to complete the state-required annual training through the Tennessee School Boards Association.

Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.

Campaigns

Claire Spotts

Claire Spotts

Democrat
👍 👎 🤡 😡 🤷
Spotts's background as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and former Child Protective Services investigator demonstrates relevant experience in constituent relations with families and community members. Her career includes roles in healthcare and social services but does not indicate prior experience in public school district budgeting or policy judgment for setting educational direction. Bio does not indicate experience in hiring and evaluating a superintendent or completing state-required annual training through the Tennessee School Boards Association.
Harvey Walden

Harvey Walden

Republican
👍 👎 🤡 😡 🤷
Harvey Walden's biography shows relevant experience as a current School Board member and chairman, demonstrating familiarity with district policy judgment and constituent relations. His thirty-five years of self-employment in commercial roofing suggest budget literacy for operating and capital budgets. He also has extensive background mentoring youth through scouting and church groups. Bio does not indicate prior experience in hiring or evaluating superintendents or completing state-required annual training.
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