{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Vicki Gandee","chatgptsummary":"Vicki Gandee's biography shows she resides in Germantown and works as a real estate agent, providing local community ties. Records indicate she filed a personal injury lawsuit against the district in 2016 that was dismissed in 2022, and she withdrew from a scheduled debate during the 2024 election cycle. Bio does not indicate prior experience serving on a school board or experience managing public budgets.","notes":"","party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nVicki Gandee is a Germantown real estate agent who has announced her candidacy for Position 4 on the Germantown Municipal School Board in the 2026 election [2]. As of May 2026, she remains on the ballot for this upcoming race.\n\nGandee\u2019s campaign has been marked by controversy regarding a pending personal injury lawsuit against the school district [1][6]. During the previous 2024 cycle, she was a candidate for Position 5 and withdrew from a scheduled debate hours before it began [3][4]. In that prior race, she and her opponent Andy Ellis held differing views on school vouchers [5][8].\n\n## Background and education\n\nVicki Gandee is a real estate agent residing in Germantown [2]. She attended Germantown High School and earned a degree from the University of Memphis [2]. Gandee has been involved in legal proceedings against the Germantown Municipal School District, with court records indicating a personal injury case filed in July 2016 involving Jackson Gandee and the district [1][6].\n\n## Career\n\nVicki Gandee works as a real estate agent in Germantown [2]. She is also involved in legal proceedings against the Germantown Municipal School District; she filed a personal injury lawsuit against the district in July 2016 following an injury to her son, seeking $5 million in damages [1][6][9]. The case was initially filed as a jury trial but was dismissed on December 6, 2022 [1].\n\n## Office history\n\nGandee served as a real estate agent in Germantown [2]. She ran for Position 5 on the Germantown School Board in 2024 but withdrew from the race prior to the election [4][7]. Prior to withdrawing, she had been scheduled to debate candidate Andy Ellis regarding issues such as school vouchers [5][8]. Gandee also withdrew from a scheduled debate approximately three hours before it was set to take place on September 26, 2024 [3][4].\n\nGandee filed a personal injury lawsuit against the Germantown Municipal School District in July 2016 [1]. The case, identified as Jackson Gandee vs. Germantown Municipal School District, was initiated as an initial filing and remained active with a dismissal calendar event scheduled for December 2022 [1].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\n\nVicki Gandee\u2019s public record includes a personal injury lawsuit filed against the Germantown Municipal School District in July 2016 [1]. She is a real estate agent who announced her candidacy for the Germantown School Board Position 4 seat [2]. During the 2024 election cycle, Gandee was a candidate for Position 5 on the Germantown school board [4].\n\nIn that 2024 race, Gandee and fellow candidate Andy Ellis held differing views on school vouchers [5][8]. Gandee withdrew from a scheduled debate with Ellis approximately three hours before the event took place on September 26, 2024 [3][4].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\n\nGandee filed a personal injury lawsuit against the Germantown Municipal School District in July 2016 [1]. The case, identified as Jackson Gandee vs. Germantown Municipal School District, was initiated on July 6, 2016, and remained active with a dismissal calendar date set for December 6, 2022 [1].\n\nDuring the 2024 school board election cycle, Gandee withdrew from a scheduled debate approximately three hours before it was to take place on September 26, 2024 [4]. The Daily Memphian reported that Gandee, then a candidate for Position 5, backed out of the event shortly before its start time [3].\n\nGandee\u2019s platform in the 2024 race included positions on school vouchers that differed from her opponent Andy Ellis [5]. Media coverage highlighted these diverging views on voucher policy between the two candidates during that election cycle [8].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n\nVicki Gandee is a real estate agent in Germantown [2]. She has been involved in legal proceedings against the Germantown Municipal School District (GMSD); court records list her as the plaintiff in a personal injury case titled \"Jackson Gandee vs. Germantown Municipal School District\" filed in July 2016 [1][6]. The case was initiated as a personal injury suit and remained active in the circuit court system through at least December 2022 [1].\n\nSpecific details regarding her business ownership stakes, sales of businesses, or the specific source of her family wealth are not provided in the available reporting materials.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Docket Entries - Circuit Court](https://circuitdata.shelbycountytn.gov/crweb/ck_public_qry_doct.cp_dktrpt_docket_report?case_id=CT-002745-16&begin_date=&end_date=)\n[2] [Germantown real estate agent to seek school board seat](https://dailymemphian.com/article/45699/germantown-real-estate-agent-seeks-school-board-seat)\n[3] [Gandee backs out of GMSD debate hours before event](https://dailymemphian.com/article/46727/vicki-gandee-withdraws-germantown-school-board-debate)\n[4] [Vicki Gandee, a candidate for Position 5 on Germantown's ...](https://www.facebook.com/DailyMemphian/posts/vicki-gandee-a-candidate-for-position-5-on-germantowns-school-board-withdrew-fro/1065628595570933/)\n[5] [Germantown school board candidates Vicki Gandee and ...](https://www.facebook.com/DailyMemphian/posts/germantown-school-board-candidates-vicki-gandee-and-andy-ellis-differ-on-school-/1038021088331684/)\n[6] [Germantown school board candidate has lawsuit against ...](https://dailymemphian.com/article/45834/vicki-gandee-gmsd-lawsuit-germantown-school-board-2024)\n[7] [Election 2024: City of Germantown Alderman & School ...](https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/politics/elections/election-2024-city-of-germantown-alderman-school-board-results/522-e9145439-619a-4ee0-9f6c-760c24a1e268)\n[8] [Germantown school board candidates differ on vouchers - Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian](https://dailymemphian.com/article/45938/germantown-school-board-andy-ellis-vicki-gandee-2024)\n[9] [Vicki Gandee, candidate for Germantown Municipal School District's ...](https://www.facebook.com/DailyMemphian/posts/vicki-gandee-candidate-for-germantown-municipal-school-districts-school-board-ha/1039495038184289/)","firstname":"Vicki","lastname":"Gandee","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"E6bSfG75xi"},"token":"vicki_gandee"}],"choices":null,"description":"","district":"germantown","districtgroup":"municipality","districtgroupname":"Municipality","districtname":"Germantown","job_type":"school_board","o.office":"germantown_school_board_position_4","office":"germantown_school_board_position_4","officedescription":"Members of the Germantown Municipal Schools school board govern the Germantown Municipal Schools municipal school district, separate from Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Five members are elected to staggered four-year terms. The board hires and evaluates the superintendent, adopts district policies, approves the budget, sets district goals, and oversees compliance with federal and state education law. Members are required to complete seven hours of training annually through the Tennessee School Boards Association School Board Academy.\n\n**Compensation:** stipend set locally; state law requires a minimum of $4/day ([T.C.A. \u00a7 49-2-202](https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-49/chapter-2/part-2/section-49-2-202/)).","officequalities":"- Policy judgment on a small suburban district within Shelby County \u2014 Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland, or Millington \u2014 typically several thousand students across a single elementary/middle/high feeder pattern.\n- Budget literacy for both operating and capital budgets, in coordination with the suburban municipality (which provides matching local funds in some configurations).\n- Ability to hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace the superintendent.\n- Constituent relations with parents, teachers, and community members across an actively engaged small district.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required seven hours of annual training through the Tennessee School Boards Association School Board Academy.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"Germantown School Board Position 4","partisan":0,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":"","source":null,"title":"Germantown School Board Position 4"}