{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Jamita E. Swearengen","chatgptsummary":"Jamita E. Swearengen's biography shows current service as Shelby County Circuit Court Clerk since 2022 and prior elected office on Memphis City Council with committee leadership roles. These positions demonstrate experience in public administration and record-keeping relevant to the clerk's duties. The biography documents no controversies or disciplinary records. Bio does not indicate specific experience managing court financial controls or supervising high-volume clerical staff handling statutory deadlines.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n- Shelby County Circuit Court Clerk since September 1, 2022; elected August 2022. ([Shelby County TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/338/Circuit-Court-Clerk))\n\n## Background and education\n- B.A. in Natural Science from LeMoyne-Owen College. ([Shelby County TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/338/Circuit-Court-Clerk))\n- Memphis Central High School graduate. ([Shelby County TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/338/Circuit-Court-Clerk))\n\n## Career\n- Family Engagement Specialist and classroom educator in Shelby County Schools. ([Shelby County TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/338/Circuit-Court-Clerk))\n- Minister of Music at Mount Pisgah C.M.E. Church. ([Shelby County TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/338/Circuit-Court-Clerk))\n\n- Active member of the Shelby County Democratic Executive Committee. ([Shelby County TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/338/Circuit-Court-Clerk))\n- Active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. ([Shelby County TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/338/Circuit-Court-Clerk))\n- Classically trained musician who studied violin, piano, cello, and vocal music. ([Shelby County TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/338/Circuit-Court-Clerk))\n\n\n\n---\n*Compiled from publicly available web sources on 2026-04-18.*\n\n## Office history\n- Memphis City Council member, elected November 2015; resigned August 30, 2022. ([Shelby County TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/338/Circuit-Court-Clerk))\n- Chair of the Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee. ([Shelby County TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/338/Circuit-Court-Clerk))\n- Vice-Chair of the Housing and Community Development Committee. ([Shelby County TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/338/Circuit-Court-Clerk))\n- Council liaison for the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board, Crime Commission, Memphis Area Transit Authority, Memphis River Parks Partnership, and the Memphis in May board of directors. ([Shelby County TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/338/Circuit-Court-Clerk))\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n- **2025** \u2014 [Circuit Court Clerk (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=SWEARENGEN&id=67701&f=187185&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2024** \u2014 [Circuit Court Clerk (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=SWEARENGEN&id=67701&f=178149&v=1) \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- Daughter of the Honorable James E. Swearengen and retired educator Mrs. Hattie Swearengen-Tuggle. ([Shelby County TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/338/Circuit-Court-Clerk))\n- Sister: Jana E. Swearengen-Washington. ([Shelby County TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/338/Circuit-Court-Clerk))\n","firstname":"Jamita","lastname":"Swearengen","middlename":"E.","suffix":null,"token":"Lh6enVepyW"},"token":"jamita_e_swearengen"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":"shelby","districtgroup":"county","districtgroupname":"County","districtname":null,"job_type":"circuit_court_clerk","o.office":"circuit_court_clerk","office":"circuit_court_clerk","officedescription":"The Circuit Court Clerk maintains the records of the Circuit Court (civil cases above the General Sessions jurisdictional limit, appeals, and most civil trials). Duties include docketing and indexing cases, authenticating court orders and judgments, collecting court costs and fines, administering oaths to witnesses and jurors, and managing the clerk's office. The Circuit Court Clerk's office is at 140 Adams Avenue, Memphis.","officequalities":"- Maintains records of the Circuit Court (general civil-law trial court of general jurisdiction). In counties with a separate office, also typically responsible for jury management.\n- Records management for the court served by this clerk's office, in conformity with Tennessee Rules of Civil/Criminal Procedure and the orders of the assigned judges.\n- Working knowledge of the relevant court's docket, fee schedule, and pleading requirements.\n- Financial controls for collecting and disbursing court costs, fines, restitution, bonds, and trust funds \u2014 with public accountability.\n- Supervision of a clerical staff handling high case volume and frequent statutory deadlines.\n- Administrative reliability \u2014 the office's filings are legally binding and its records are evidence.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"Circuit Court Clerk","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Circuit Court Clerk"}