{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Dylan Michael","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Dylan","lastname":"Michael","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"PnkbKOn69v"},"token":"dylan_michael"},{"candidatename":"Kim Bienash","chatgptsummary":"Kim Bienash currently serves on the McNairy County Commission and has participated in local emergency management and disaster recovery efforts since 2023. His background includes law enforcement work and a decade as a helicopter pilot, alongside volunteer leadership of county archives. The biography documents no controversies or disciplinary records. Bio does not indicate experience managing an annual budget or familiarity with Tennessee county-government law.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nKim Bienash is a Republican candidate for McNairy County Mayor in the August 6, 2026 county general election, an open-seat race in which incumbent mayor Larry Smith is not among the candidates. [1][2][6] Bienash announced his campaign in February 2026, framing it around \"honesty, common sense, and a strong work ethic\" and describing himself as a conservative who supports limited government, fiscal responsibility, and \"smart growth that protects local families.\" [1][3] He currently serves as a member of the McNairy County Commission for the 3rd District. [3][4] Four qualified candidates appeared at a July 15, 2026 mayoral debate at the Selmer Community Center: Bienash, Anthony Knight, Jeff Maxedon, and Dylan Michael. [2]\n\n## Background and education\nBienash's campaign biography states that his father served as a county Director of Public Works and his mother taught at a school for the blind, which he credits with shaping his view that public service \"isn't a career choice, it's a responsibility.\" [3]\n\n## Career\nAccording to his campaign, Bienash's working career has spanned farm and crop-dusting work, power-line crews, law enforcement, and rentals and leasing, along with more than a decade as a professional helicopter pilot for large aviation operators. [3] For roughly the past five years he has served as the volunteer director of the McNairy County Archives and Records office. [3][5] He has also taken part in local storm-damage response, emergency management, damage assessments, road surveys, and tornado recovery and relief work during the 2023-2026 disaster seasons. [3]\n\n## Office history\nBienash serves as a 3rd District member of the 21-seat McNairy County Commission and, according to his campaign, has served on the county's Industrial Development Board. [3][4]\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Kim Bienash announced run for McNairy County Mayor - WBBJ TV](https://www.wbbjtv.com/2026/02/19/kim-bienash-announced-run-for-mcnairy-county-mayor/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [McNairy County mayoral candidate debate held ahead of early voting - WBBJ TV](https://www.wbbjtv.com/2026/07/17/mcnairy-county-mayoral-candidate-debate-held-ahead-early-voting/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Kim Bienash for McNairy County Mayor (campaign site)](https://wemadeitinc.com/jason/clients/kimbienash@gmail.com/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[4] [County Commissioners - McNairy County, Tennessee](https://www.mcnairycountytn.org/county-commissioners.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[5] [McNairy County Archives - Tennessee State Library & Archives directory](https://tnsos.net/TSLA/archives/index.php?archives=McNairy+County+Archives&option=archives) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[6] [Mayor's Office - McNairy County, Tennessee](https://www.mcnairycountytn.org/mayors-office.html) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"Kim","lastname":"Bienash","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"VkrxSicunn"},"token":"kim_bienash"},{"candidatename":"Anthony E. Knight","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Anthony","lastname":"Knight","middlename":"E.","suffix":null,"token":"qN1tXsGtrb"},"token":"anthony_e_knight"},{"candidatename":"Jeffery Bodean Maxedon","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Jeffery","lastname":"Maxedon","middlename":"Bodean","suffix":null,"token":"8LXlxzjll4"},"token":"jeffery_bodean_maxedon"}],"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":"mcnairy County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://tnsos.org/elections/ballots/761.pdf"},"title":"County Mayor"}