{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Brad W. Coutts","chatgptsummary":"Brad W. Coutts is an independent candidate for District 7 on the Maury County Commission in the August 2026 election. His biography documents public advocacy for responsible growth, business incentives, and infrastructure investment through grant utilization. The record contains no mention of controversy or disciplinary action. Bio does not indicate prior experience with county budget approval or legislative drafting within Tennessee law.","notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nBrad W. Coutts (listed as Bradley Coutts) is an independent candidate for District 7 on the Maury County Commission in the August 6, 2026 county general election [1]. At a June 30, 2026 candidate forum hosted by NAACP Chapter 5584 and the Think Tank Foundation, Coutts backed responsible growth paired with business incentives and infrastructure investment, and advocated using available grants while encouraging conversations with developers about sustainable expansion [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Aug 2026 Petitions and Party Nominations | Maury County, TN](https://www.maurycounty-tn.gov/685/Aug-2026-Petitions-and-Party-Nominations) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[2] [Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 7-16-26](https://www.frontporchradiotn.com/post/southern-middle-tn-today-news-with-tom-price-7-16-26) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22","firstname":"Brad","lastname":"Coutts","middlename":"W.","suffix":null,"token":"CQBNsykSiR"},"token":"brad_w_coutts"},{"candidatename":"Kenny Morrow","chatgptsummary":"Kenny Morrow's biography shows four years of service on the Maury County Commission, demonstrating familiarity with local legislative processes and constituent relations within Tennessee county law. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate experience in budget literacy or state-mandated continuing education through UT CTAS.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nKenny Morrow is the Republican commissioner for District 7 on the Maury County Commission and is seeking re-election on the August 6, 2026 county general ballot [1][3]. He has represented District 7 since 2022 and lives in the Hampshire community of Maury County [1].\n\n## Office history\nMorrow was nominated by the Maury County Republican Party in April 2022 to fill the District 7 ballot spot of the late Thomas E. Downey, who died March 5, 2022 [2]. In that campaign he emphasized managing the county's rapid growth while preserving residents' lifestyle, maintaining conservative values, and improving public education, saying schools should focus on academics rather than what he called \"political and social indoctrination\" [2]. He said, \"I believe in the people of this county and my community of Hampshire, and I value our lifestyle we have come to enjoy.\" [2]\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Kenny Morrow | Maury County, TN](https://www.maurycounty-tn.gov/182) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[2] [Morrow to replace Downey as GOP District 7 nominee](https://mainstreetmediatn.com/articles/mainstreetmaury/morrow-to-replace-downey-as-gop-district-7-nominee/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[3] [Aug 2026 Petitions and Party Nominations | Maury County, TN](https://www.maurycounty-tn.gov/685/Aug-2026-Petitions-and-Party-Nominations) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22","firstname":"Kenny","lastname":"Morrow","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"8qxDVb9PGC"},"token":"kenny_morrow"},{"candidatename":"Richard Baud","chatgptsummary":"Richard Baud's biography shows long-term residency in Maury County since 1998 and public commentary on growth management, economic diversification, and land use planning at a 2026 candidate forum. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate prior experience with county budget approval, legislative drafting, or constituent case work.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nRichard Baud is a Republican candidate for District 7 on the Maury County Commission in the August 6, 2026 county general election [1]. At a June 30, 2026 candidate forum hosted by NAACP Chapter 5584 and the Think Tank Foundation, Baud focused on the county's growth, noting that Maury County has added about 60,000 residents since he arrived in 1998 \u2014 more than the population of 29 Tennessee counties \u2014 and questioning whether the county has planned around that growth [2]. He proposed diversifying the local economy, including opening an air traffic control academy at the county airport and bringing in a slaughterhouse to work with local livestock farmers, and said the county should \"start being creative\" about jobs threatened by automation and AI [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Aug 2026 Petitions and Party Nominations | Maury County, TN](https://www.maurycounty-tn.gov/685/Aug-2026-Petitions-and-Party-Nominations) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[2] [Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 7-16-26](https://www.frontporchradiotn.com/post/southern-middle-tn-today-news-with-tom-price-7-16-26) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22","firstname":"Richard","lastname":"Baud","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"vJoqUKPRcd"},"token":"richard_baud"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_7","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":2,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-19","title":"maury County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.maurycounty-tn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7240/Aug2026General"},"title":"County Commissioner District 7"}