{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"KATHY DUNN","chatgptsummary":"Kathy Dunn's biography shows current service as a Putnam County Commissioner representing District 11, demonstrating direct experience with county legislative processes and constituent relations. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate specific experience in budget literacy regarding multi-year bond issues or state-mandated continuing education completion.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nKathy Dunn is a Republican member of the Putnam County Commission representing District 11 and is seeking re-election in the August 6, 2026 county general election, where she and fellow Republican incumbent Darren Wilson face Democrat Trenton Strode [1][2]. She and Wilson previously won re-election to their District 11 seats in 2022 [3].\n\n## Background\nA third-party campaign supporting Dunn (paid for by the group My Home My Tennessee) describes her as a lifelong Putnam County resident who emphasizes fiscal responsibility and community advocacy [4].\n\n## Office history\nDunn currently serves as one of District 11's two county commissioners [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [County Commission \u2014 Putnam County TN](https://putnamcountytn.gov/county-commission) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[2] [Putnam County Commissioners Named For General Election \u2014 theucnow.com](https://theucnow.com/2026/05/05/putnam-county-commissioners-named-for-general-election/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[3] [Putnam sees nine new commissioners elected \u2014 Upper Cumberland Business Journal](https://www.ucbjournal.com/putnam-sees-nine-new-commissioners-elected/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[4] [Putnam Strong \u2014 My Home My Tennessee](https://putnamstrong.com/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22","firstname":"KATHY","lastname":"DUNN","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"cZwFb9MvjQ"},"token":"kathy_dunn"},{"candidatename":"DARREN WILSON","chatgptsummary":"Darren Wilson's biography shows current service as a Putnam County Commissioner and background as a real estate broker and small business owner, relevant to policy judgment and constituent relations. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate experience with multi-year bond issues or state-mandated continuing education completion.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nDarren Wilson is a Republican member of the Putnam County Commission representing District 11 and is seeking re-election in the August 6, 2026 county general election, where he and fellow Republican incumbent Kathy Dunn face Democrat Trenton Strode [1][2]. He and Dunn previously won re-election to their District 11 seats in 2022 [3].\n\n## Career\nA third-party campaign supporting Wilson (paid for by the group My Home My Tennessee) describes him as a longtime Putnam County business leader who works as a real estate broker and small business owner [4].\n\n## Office history\nWilson currently serves as one of District 11's two county commissioners [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [County Commission \u2014 Putnam County TN](https://putnamcountytn.gov/county-commission) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[2] [Putnam County Commissioners Named For General Election \u2014 theucnow.com](https://theucnow.com/2026/05/05/putnam-county-commissioners-named-for-general-election/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[3] [Putnam sees nine new commissioners elected \u2014 Upper Cumberland Business Journal](https://www.ucbjournal.com/putnam-sees-nine-new-commissioners-elected/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[4] [Putnam Strong \u2014 My Home My Tennessee](https://putnamstrong.com/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22","firstname":"DARREN","lastname":"WILSON","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"TyiAkHDCqj"},"token":"darren_wilson"},{"candidatename":"TRENTON TYLER STRODE","chatgptsummary":"Strode's background in healthcare finance and revenue cycle management demonstrates budget literacy relevant to county fiscal oversight, while his role founding a local business suggests experience with constituent relations and community economic issues. The biography contains no record of disciplinary action or controversy. Bio does not indicate experience drafting legislation or completing state-required continuing education through UT CTAS.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nTrenton Tyler Strode is the Democratic candidate for Putnam County Commission District 11 in the August 6, 2026 county general election, facing Republican incumbents Kathy Dunn and Darren Wilson [1][2]. He is simultaneously a candidate for Tennessee House of Representatives District 42 and for Cookeville City Council [1]. His District 11 priorities are roads and infrastructure accountability, protecting local schools and Cookeville High School, and securing state resources for economic development [1].\n\n## Career\nStrode is a healthcare finance professional specializing in healthcare compliance and revenue cycle management, a certified medical coder and auditor, and an Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT-Adv) [1]. He founded UCC Group, a locally owned business offering notary services, self-help estate-planning documentation support, event and entertainment production, creative services, and healthcare education [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Trenton Strode \u2014 Putnam County Democrats](https://putnamdemocrats.org/candidate/trenton-strode/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[2] [Putnam County Commissioners Named For General Election \u2014 theucnow.com](https://theucnow.com/2026/05/05/putnam-county-commissioners-named-for-general-election/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22","firstname":"TRENTON","lastname":"STRODE","middlename":"TYLER","suffix":null,"token":"uIBGf25yxv"},"token":"trenton_tyler_strode"},{"candidatename":"MARSHA KAY BOWMAN","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"MARSHA","lastname":"BOWMAN","middlename":"KAY","suffix":null,"token":"FZTQcnirSK"},"token":"marsha_kay_bowman"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_11","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":"putnam County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://putnamcountytn.gov/sites/default/files/downloadable/GEN%20ONLY%20Sample%20Ballot%208-6-2026.pdf"},"title":"County Commission District 11"}