{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Jim Newsom","chatgptsummary":"Jim Newsom's biography shows relevant experience as a Chancery Court judge since 2015 and Special Master from 2010 to 2015, demonstrating familiarity with equity matters and judicial temperament. He holds a law degree from Vanderbilt and practiced civil litigation for decades before his appointment. Bio does not indicate prior appellate court experience or specific administrative leadership experience in managing large-scale docket reforms.","notes":"","party":"","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJim Newsom serves as Chancellor of Part 2 of the Chancery Court for the Thirtieth Judicial District in Tennessee, which covers Shelby County [2]. Governor Bill Lee appointed him to the position in July 2024 as special judge during the disability status of Chancellor Jim Kyle [3].\n\nHe is a candidate in the 2026 election for the unexpired term as Chancellor of Part 2 [1]. As of May 2026, he remains on the ballot, with the contest still pending.\n\n## Background and education\nNewsom grew up in Memphis. He earned his bachelor's degree from Rhodes College in 1976 and his Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt Law School in 1979 [4][5].\n\n## Career\nNewsom practiced at the Memphis firm Hanover, Walsh, Jalenak & Blair, PLLC from 1979 to 2004, becoming a member of the firm in 1985 [5]. He then joined the successor firm Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh, PLLC in 2005 and remained there until his appointment to the Chancery bench in 2015 [5].\n\nFrom November 2010 through January 2015 he also served as Special Master of the Chancery Court for the 30th Judicial District [5].\n\nAfter leaving Chancery Part III in 2016, then-Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery named him Special Counsel for the Memphis office of the Attorney General [6].\n\nNewsom is an elder and trustee at Riveroaks Reformed Presbyterian Church and a member of the Downtown Memphis Kiwanis Club. He is an Eagle Scout through the Boy Scouts of America [5].\n\n## Office history\nGovernor Bill Haslam appointed Newsom as Chancellor of Part III of the Chancery Court for the Thirtieth Judicial District in September 2015 [5]. He served in that role through 2016 [2].\n\nIn July 2024, Governor Bill Lee appointed him to Chancellor of Part 2 of the same court, the office he currently holds [2][3][7].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [James Newsom III - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/James_Newsom_III)\n[2] [Chancellor James R. Newsom III - Shelby County, TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/3934/Chancellor-James-R-Newsom-III)\n[3] [Gov. Lee Announces Judicial Appointments (July 9, 2024) - TN.gov](https://www.tn.gov/governor/news/2024/7/9/gov--lee-announces-judicial-appointments.html)\n[4] [James R. Newsom III '79 appointed chancellor in Tennessee's 30th Judicial District - Vanderbilt Law School](https://law.vanderbilt.edu/james-r-newsom-iii-79-appointed-chancellor-in-tennessees-30th-judicial-district/)\n[5] [Haslam Appoints Newsom Chancellor in 30th Judicial District - Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts](https://tncourts.gov/news/2015/09/03/haslam-appoints-newsom-chancellor-30th-judicial-district)\n[6] [Slatery Announces Newsom as Special Counsel for the Memphis Office - TN.gov](https://www.tn.gov/attorneygeneral/news/2016/11/16/pr16-19.html)\n[7] [Chancellors | Shelby County, TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/327/Chancellors)\n","firstname":"Jim","lastname":"Newsom","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"cuNrLSCV4r"},"token":"jim_newsom"},{"candidatename":"Kenneth Margolis","chatgptsummary":"Kenneth Margolis is a licensed Tennessee attorney with practice experience in Memphis focusing on bankruptcy and personal injury litigation. His record includes involvement in civil cases such as Leonard Lake v. Turner Holdings LLC and Daniel Davila v. Woodland Arms Apartments. The biography does not indicate prior chancery court service or specific experience managing complex equity matters like trusts, estates, or divorces.","notes":"","party":"","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nKenneth Margolis is a candidate for the unexpired term of Chancellor in Part 2 of the Chancery Court of Shelby County [1]. He has launched a campaign for this position, operating under the social media handle @votemargolisforjudge and describing himself as \"The One Who Gets Things Done\" [4]. Margolis's candidacy is part of the slate of judicial races appearing on the August 2026 ballot in the Memphis area [2].\n\n## Career\n\nKenneth Margolis is a licensed attorney in Tennessee [9]. He has practiced law in Memphis, focusing on areas such as bankruptcy and personal injury [7]. Court records indicate he was involved in litigation matters including *Leonard Lake v. Turner Holdings LLC* in 2009 [8] and *Daniel Davila v. Woodland Arms Apartments* in 2022 [6]. In January 2025, he was a party to a non-jury trial case involving Great American Financial Services [5].\n\n\n\n## Office history\n\nKenneth Margolis ran for Circuit Court Division 2 in Memphis [2]. He was a candidate in the August 2022 election for this judicial seat [3]. His campaign for this position was active on social media under the handle @votemargolisforjudge, where he self-described as \"The One Who Gets Things Done\" and promoted his website www.votemargolis.com [4].\n\nMargolis is currently a candidate for Chancellor of Shelby County in the upcoming election. This race is designated as Part 2 Unexpired [1]. The outcome of this current election has not yet been determined as it is scheduled after May 18, 2026 [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Kenneth Margolis - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Kenneth_Margolis)\n[2] [The ultimate guide to the judicial races on the August ballot](https://dailymemphian.com/article/29800/memphis-area-judicial-races-on-august-ballot)\n[3] [Election 2022: Kind of Blue - Memphis Flyer](https://www.memphisflyer.com/election-2022-kind-of-blue/)\n[4] [Kenneth Margolis (@votemargolisforjudge) - Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/votemargolisforjudge/)\n[5] [- Not an Official Document](https://circuitdata.shelbycountytn.gov/crweb/ck_public_qry_doct.cp_dktrpt_docket_report?backto=P&case_id=CT-0173-25&begin_date=&end_date=)\n[6] [- Not an Official Document](https://circuitdata.shelbycountytn.gov/crweb/ck_public_qry_doct.cp_dktrpt_docket_report?case_id=CT-3148-22&begin_date=&end_date=)\n[7] [Kenneth Michael Margolis - Memphis, TN Attorney - Lawyers.com](https://www.lawyers.com/memphis/tennessee/kenneth-m-margolis-3325967-a/)\n[8] [- Not an Official Document](https://chancerydata.shelbycountytn.gov/chweb/ck_public_qry_doct.cp_dktrpt_docket_report?backto=P&case_id=CH-09-2251&begin_date=&end_date=)\n[9] [Attorney Details for Margolis, Kenneth Michael](https://www.tbpr.org/attorneys/022906)","firstname":"Kenneth","lastname":"Margolis","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"wQe4Wx8NKA"},"token":"kenneth_margolis"},{"candidatename":"Lonnie Thompson","chatgptsummary":"Thompson holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and has served as a Shelby County General Sessions judge since 1998, providing direct experience in civil litigation and docket management. His tenure includes presiding over contract and real-property disputes, offering practical insight into procedural law. He currently serves as President of the Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference, indicating leadership in judicial administration. Thompson\u2019s background as a solo practitioner and assistant city attorney further grounds his understanding of substantive legal issues.","notes":"","party":"","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nLonnie Thompson is a nonpartisan judge serving on the Shelby County General Sessions Court for Division 6 [1]. He has held this position since 1998, with his current term scheduled to end in 2030 [1]. The Administrative Office of the Courts lists him as a judge within the General Sessions Courts system [2]. His judicial staff directory identifies him as presiding over both the Criminal Division, which handles misdemeanors and preliminary hearings, and the Civil Division, which manages civil law suits and forcible entry detainers [3].\n\nThompson is running for an unexpired term on the Shelby County Chancellory Court (Part 2) in the 2026 election. As of May 11, 2026, the outcome of this race remains unknown. Thompson has self-described his background as a musician, noting that he loves both music and law [4].\n\n## Background and education\n\nLonnie Thompson was born in 1956 [1]. He attended Memphis State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music and a Master of Music degree [4]. Thompson also received his Juris Doctor from the University of Tennessee College of Law [4].\n\n## Career\n\nLonnie Thompson has served as a judge on the Shelby County General Sessions Court for Division 6 since 1998 [1]. He is a nonpartisan officeholder whose current term is scheduled to end in 2030 [1]. In this capacity, he presides over cases within both the criminal and civil divisions of the court [3]. His judicial responsibilities include handling misdemeanors, preliminary hearings, traffic tickets, civil law suits, forcible entry detainers, and interpleaders [3].\n\nPrior to his judicial career, Thompson worked as a musician, specifically playing the piano [4]. He holds professional qualifications in both music and law, reflecting a background that spans these two distinct fields [4].\n\n## Office history\n\nLonnie Thompson has served as a judge on the Shelby County General Sessions Court, Division 6, since 1998 [1]. He is a nonpartisan officeholder whose current term is scheduled to end in 2030 [1]. As of 2026, he has held this position for 28 years [1].\n\nIn his capacity as a judge, Thompson presides over both the Criminal and Civil divisions of the court [3]. His judicial responsibilities include handling misdemeanors, preliminary hearings, traffic tickets, civil law suits, forcible entry detainers, and interpleaders [3]. He is listed on the staff directory for Division 6 and maintains a professional presence through the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts [2][3].\n\nThe provided sources do not contain information regarding other elected or appointed offices held by Thompson, nor do they detail any races he has run but lost.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Lonnie Thompson - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Lonnie_Thompson)\n[2] [Lonnie Thompson | Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts](https://tncourts.gov/courts/general-sessions-courts/judges/lonnie-thompson)\n[3] [Staff Directory \u2022 Lonnie Thompson](https://www.shelbygeneralsessions.com/directory.aspx?EID=7)\n[4] [From Piano Bench to Judicial Bench, Judge Thompson Loves Music and Law - Articles](https://tba.org/?blAction=showEntry&blogEntry=134803&pg=Articles)","firstname":"Lonnie","lastname":"Thompson","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"KVp0C31zU3"},"token":"lonnie_thompson"}],"choices":null,"description":"","district":"shelby","districtgroup":"county","districtgroupname":"County","districtname":null,"job_type":"chancellor","o.office":"chancellor_part_2","office":"chancellor_part_2","officedescription":"Chancellors are the judges of the Shelby County Chancery Court, a court of equity that hears matters including divorces, enforcement of trusts and contracts, delinquent property-tax sales, enforcement of arbitration awards, writs of mandamus, removal of public officers, and other equitable claims. Shelby County elects three chancellors, each presiding over a numbered Part. **Part 2** is one of those seats. Chancellors serve partisan eight-year terms.","officequalities":"- Hears equity matters in a Tennessee chancery court: contracts, real-property disputes, divorces (in counties without a separate domestic-relations division), trusts and estates, and other actions traditionally outside the law side of court.\n- Judicial temperament: the willingness to listen, deliberate, and apply the law dispassionately to people whose lives are deeply affected by the outcome.\n- Impartiality and ethics under the Tennessee Rules of Judicial Conduct, including disqualification when conflicts arise.\n- Working knowledge of the substantive and procedural law applied in the assigned court (cited per court below) and the published precedent that controls.\n- Docket management \u2014 moving cases efficiently while honoring due process and the time pressures that fall on litigants and witnesses.\n- Clear written and oral explanation of rulings, so the parties and the public can follow the reasoning.","officeterm":8,"officetitle":"Chancellor Part 2","partisan":0,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":"","source":null,"title":"Chancellor Part 2 (unexpired)"}