{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Don McGill","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Don","lastname":"McGill","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"ZocwH8OZU7"},"token":"don_mcgill"},{"candidatename":"Gage Schmid","chatgptsummary":"Gage Schmid's biography identifies him as a Sevier County native and small-business owner, offering local roots and business perspective relevant to constituent relations and policy judgment. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary history. Bio does not indicate prior experience in legislative drafting, budget approval, or state-mandated continuing education through UT CTAS.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nGage Schmid is the Democratic nominee for Sevier County Commission, District 2, Seat B, and faces incumbent Republican Don McGill in the August 6, 2026 general election [2][3]. He was unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary, receiving 48 votes [3].\n\n## Background and career\nSchmid describes himself as a Sevier County native, small-business owner, and political strategist [3]. His campaign emphasizes \"putting locals first\" and \"fighting for the soul of the Smokies,\" strengthening public schools, making the county affordable for working families, and planning for future generations, with what he calls \"a thoughtful, transparent, and practical approach to the Sevier County Commission\" [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Gage Schmid for Sevier County Commission (campaign site)](https://www.schmidforsevier.com/) - accessed 2026-07-22\n[2] [Sevier County May 5, 2026 Sample Ballot (Democratic Primary)](https://www.wate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/2026/04/Sevier-May-2026-Sample-Ballot.pdf) - accessed 2026-07-22\n[3] [Three new faces coming to county commission - The Mountain Press](https://www.themountainpress.com/news/three-new-faces-coming-to-county-commission/article_af4bad31-de4b-527c-8916-acba31d00c77.html) - accessed 2026-07-22","firstname":"Gage","lastname":"Schmid","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"XLUhVwMUeD"},"token":"gage_schmid"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_2_seat_b","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":null,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-19","title":"sevier County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.seviercountytn.gov/August%202026%20Gen.pdf"},"title":"County Commissioner District 2, Seat B"}