{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Derek Mills","chatgptsummary":"Mills brings twenty-nine years of Shelby County Sheriff\u2019s Office experience, rising from deputy to Assistant Chief Deputy. His tenure in narcotics, patrol, and multi-agency units provides deep operational insight into public safety services. He attended the University of Tennessee\u2019s Southeastern Leadership Academy, demonstrating engagement with state training resources relevant to continuing education requirements. As a lifelong Collierville resident with two children, he maintains strong local ties within District 2. However, his background focuses exclusively on law enforcement command rather than legislative drafting or budget analysis.","notes":"","party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n- Candidate for Shelby County Commissioner, District 2 in the Republican primary on May 5, 2026; running unopposed. ([AOL](https://www.aol.com/articles/meet-candidate-shelby-county-commission-093055218.html))\n\n## Background and education\n- Graduated from Collierville High School. ([AOL](https://www.aol.com/articles/meet-candidate-shelby-county-commission-093055218.html), [Shelby County Sheriff's Office](https://www.shelby-sheriff.org/command-staff/staff+members/derek-mills))\n- Attended Shelby State Community College and the University of Memphis. ([Shelby County Sheriff's Office](https://www.shelby-sheriff.org/command-staff/staff+members/derek-mills))\n- Graduated from the Southeastern Leadership Academy (SELA) school at the University of Tennessee. ([Shelby County Sheriff's Office](https://www.shelby-sheriff.org/command-staff/staff+members/derek-mills))\n\n## Career\n- Assistant Chief Deputy for Patrol, Patrol Services, and Detective Bureau at the Shelby County Sheriff\u2019s Office. ([Shelby County Sheriff's Office](https://www.shelby-sheriff.org/command-staff/staff+members/derek-mills))\n- Law enforcement career began in 1996 as a deputy sheriff in the Narcotics Bureau; served in Uniformed Patrol, Narcotics, Patrol Field, Courts, Volunteer Services, General Investigation, and Multi-Agency Gang units. ([Shelby County Sheriff's Office](https://www.shelby-sheriff.org/command-staff/staff+members/derek-mills))\n- Promoted through ranks including sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and chief inspector before becoming Assistant Chief Deputy in 2022. ([Shelby County Sheriff's Office](https://www.shelby-sheriff.org/command-staff/staff+members/derek-mills))\n\n## Office history\n- No prior elected office listed in sources; previously served as Assistant Chief Deputy with 29 years of experience in the sheriff\u2019s department. ([AOL](https://www.aol.com/articles/meet-candidate-shelby-county-commission-093055218.html))\n\n\n\n---\n*Compiled from publicly available web sources on 2026-04-18.*\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n- **2026** \u2014 [County Commission (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=MILLS&id=102097&f=193495&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2026** \u2014 [County Commission (SS-8005 (Amended))](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=MILLS&id=102097&f=193495&v=2) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n\n*Source: [Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest Search](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/search.htm). Scraped 2026-04-25.*\n\n## Family\n- Native and lifelong resident of Collierville, Tennessee. ([AOL](https://www.aol.com/articles/meet-candidate-shelby-county-commission-093055218.html), [Shelby County Sheriff's Office](https://www.shelby-sheriff.org/command-staff/staff+members/derek-mills))\n- Wife: Alysha. ([AOL](https://www.aol.com/articles/meet-candidate-shelby-county-commission-093055218.html))\n- Two children. ([Shelby County Sheriff's Office](https://www.shelby-sheriff.org/command-staff/staff+members/derek-mills))\n","firstname":"Derek","lastname":"Mills","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"ZounkQx96b"},"token":"derek_mills"}],"choices":null,"description":"","district":"2","districtgroup":"county_commission","districtgroupname":"County Commission","districtname":"District 2","job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":"county_commission_district_2","office":"county_commission_district_2","officedescription":"Shelby County Commissioners are the 13 members of the county's legislative body. Each represents a single-member district, and together they pass resolutions and ordinances, approve the annual county budget, set the property-tax rate, and set countywide policy. They attend regular Monday commission meetings and Wednesday committee meetings and must complete at least seven hours of continuing education each year through the UT County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS).\n\n**Salary:** $34,900/year ([Action News 5, Dec 2021](https://www.actionnews5.com/2021/12/21/pay-raises-approved-elected-officials-shelby-county/)).","officequalities":"- Policy judgment on countywide matters \u2014 budget, taxes, land use, services, intergovernmental \u2014 within Tennessee county-government law and the Shelby County Charter.\n- Budget literacy: the 13-member commission approves the county budget, sets the property-tax rate, and authorizes bond issues that span decades.\n- Legislative process: drafting, amending, and voting on resolutions and ordinances; chairing or sitting on committees that pre-screen items.\n- Constituent relations in a single-member district of roughly 70,000 residents \u2014 case-work and community issues flow through the commissioner's office.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required seven hours of annual continuing education through UT CTAS.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"County Commissioner District 2","partisan":1,"pgr":"primary","quantity":1,"referendum":"","source":null,"title":"County Commissioner District 2"}