{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Sabi \"Doc\" Kumar","chatgptsummary":"Kumar's tenure since 2015 and chairing of the House Insurance Committee demonstrate legislative craft and coalition-building experience relevant to District 66. He also shows understanding of constituency needs through long-term local practice as a surgeon. In 2023, he supported expelling Democratic lawmakers following a contentious dispute involving decorum rules and accusations of racial bias. Bio does not indicate prior campaign strategy or detailed policy vision experience.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nSabi \"Doc\" Kumar is running as a Republican in the August 6, 2026 primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 66, representing Robertson County [1][2]. He has held the seat since January 2015 and was re-elected in 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024 [1]. He chairs the House Insurance Committee [1][2].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\nIn 2023, Kumar supported a resolution to expel three Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Justin Jones, from the legislature for violating decorum rules during a gun-control protest at the State Capitol; the expulsion was widely described as unprecedented [1]. Ahead of the vote, Jones said Kumar was being used to put \"a brown face to white supremacy\"; Kumar has said Jones pointed a finger in his face and told him \"they will never accept you\" [1]. Kumar ran as a pledged delegate for Nikki Haley in the 2024 Tennessee Republican presidential primary [1].\n\n## Background and education\nSarbjeet \"Sabi\" Kumar was born July 14, 1947, in Amritsar, British India [1]. He earned his medical degree from Amritsar Medical College, immigrated to the United States in 1970, and completed his residency and fellowship at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami from 1971 to 1977 [1].\n\n## Career\nKumar moved to Springfield, Tennessee, in 1977 and practiced as a general and vascular surgeon at NorthCrest Medical Center before retiring [1][2]. He holds five patents, including the \"Kumar Clamp\" and \"Kumar Catheters,\" gallbladder-surgery devices used nationally and internationally [1]. He was first elected to the Tennessee House in 2014, winning a five-candidate Republican primary with 44% of the vote and an unopposed general election, and took office in January 2015 as the first Indian American elected to the Tennessee State House [1].\n\n## Family\nKumar lives in Springfield with his wife, Linda, a registered nurse. Their daughter, Nina, is an attorney in Nashville [1]. He is a Methodist [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Sabi \"Doc\" Kumar \u2013 Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabi_%22Doc%22_Kumar) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20\n[2] [Representative Sabi 'Doc' Kumar \u2013 TN General Assembly](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/archives/110GA/members/h66.html)","firstname":"Sabi \"Doc\"","lastname":"Kumar","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"C7OQWC0Oys"},"token":null},{"candidatename":"Tamara Bavendam","chatgptsummary":"Tamara Bavendam's biography shows she resides in Springfield, Robertson County, and filed to run for Tennessee House District 66 in 2026. The record does not indicate prior legislative experience or specific experience with constituent advocacy.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nTamara Bavendam is a Democratic candidate for Tennessee House of Representatives District 66, representing Robertson County, in the August 6, 2026 primary [1]. She is listed as a Springfield resident and met the March 10, 2026 candidate filing deadline [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Candidates for Tennessee House of Representatives as of March 24, 2026](https://sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com/s3fs-public/document/TNHouse_2026.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20 (District 66 listing)","firstname":"Tamara","lastname":"Bavendam","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"yWlj9LS3yy"},"token":"tamara_bavendam"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":"066","districtgroup":"state_house","districtgroupname":"State House","districtname":"District 66","job_type":"state_representative","o.office":"state_house_066","office":"state_house_066","officedescription":"The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the state legislature, with 99 members elected from single-member districts to two-year terms. Representatives pass state laws, originate revenue bills, approve the state budget, and \u2014 together with the Senate \u2014 confirm gubernatorial appointments and propose constitutional amendments. Candidates must be at least 21 years old, U.S. citizens, Tennessee residents for at least three years, and district residents for at least one year.","officequalities":"- **Integrity** \u2014 Acts in the interest of constituents and the public good rather than for personal gain, and remains independent of undue influence from donors, lobbyists, and party leadership.\n- **Understanding of the constituency** \u2014 Grasps both the economic-development needs of the district and the day-to-day concerns of individual residents \u2014 safety, healthcare, education, infrastructure.\n- **Persuasion** \u2014 Engages, listens to, and persuades both fellow legislators and constituents. Can change minds and explain votes honestly.\n- **Legislative craft** \u2014 Reads, drafts, and amends statute with care. Understands how specific bill language translates to outcomes, and knows the body of law being modified.\n- **Coalition-building** \u2014 Finds common ground across partisan and factional lines, brokers compromises that hold, and forms working majorities even when consensus is hard to reach.","officeterm":2,"officetitle":"State Representative District 66","partisan":1,"pgr":"primary","quantity":null,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-06-01","title":"TN SoS \u2014 Candidates for Tennessee House of Representatives (2026)","url":"https://sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com/s3fs-public/document/TNHouse_2026.pdf"},"title":"TN House District 66"}