{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"MELISSA AMONETTE","chatgptsummary":"Amonette's biography shows campaign pledges to discuss difficult topics and offer unconventional ideas for the Marshall County school board. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary history. Bio does not indicate prior experience in public policy judgment or budget literacy.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nMelissa Amonette is a candidate for the Marshall County school board, District 5, in the 2026 general election.[1][2] Campaigning on her own Facebook page, she has pledged that if elected she will \"have the hard conversations\" and bring \"out of the box suggestions\" to the board.[1]\n\n## Sources\n[1] Melissa Amonette campaign page, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61588623874854\n[2] Decision Desk HQ \u2014 2026 Tennessee Marshall County School Board 5 Republican Primary: https://votes.decisiondeskhq.com/races/2026-05-05/tennessee-marshall-county-school-board-5-republican-primary\n","firstname":"MELISSA","lastname":"AMONETTE","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"TQ1qZQLOik"},"token":"melissa_amonette"},{"candidatename":"JULIE KENY CATHEY","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"JULIE","lastname":"CATHEY","middlename":"KENY","suffix":null,"token":"hvhDaNRyFk"},"token":"julie_keny_cathey"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"school_board","o.office":null,"office":"county_school_board_district_5","officedescription":"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.","officequalities":"- Policy judgment for a public school district \u2014 setting direction while leaving day-to-day management to the superintendent.\n- Budget literacy for operating and capital budgets, in coordination with the county commission (which appropriates) and the state.\n- Ability to hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace the superintendent \u2014 the board's highest-stakes recurring decision.\n- Constituent relations with parents, teachers, principals, and community members.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required annual training through the Tennessee School Boards Association.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"School Board Member","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-19","title":"marshall County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://marshallcountytn.gov/a/uploads/138543"},"title":"School Board Member District 5"}