{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Phillip Marshall","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Phillip","lastname":"Marshall","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"A0gPn1eJ9p"},"token":"phillip_marshall"},{"candidatename":"Zac Thomas","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Zac","lastname":"Thomas","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"cPGWfJqyc9"},"token":"zac_thomas"},{"candidatename":"Hunter Michael Locke","chatgptsummary":"Hunter Michael Locke's biography shows incumbent experience on the Sullivan County Commission, demonstrating familiarity with legislative processes and constituent relations within Tennessee county law. He sponsored a proposal to reduce the commission size from 24 to 14 members based on population data. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate specific budget literacy or completed continuing education through UT CTAS.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nHunter Michael Locke is an incumbent Republican member of the Sullivan County Commission representing District 11 (Kingsport) and a Republican Party nominee for one of the district's three seats in the August 6, 2026 county general election [3][2].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\nLocke sponsored a proposal to reduce the size of the Sullivan County Commission from 24 members to 14, arguing that the county's population of roughly 160,000 does not require 24 commissioners [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Proposal would reduce Sullivan County Commission from 24 to 14 commissioners (WJHL)](https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/proposal-would-reduce-sullivan-county-commission-from-24-to-14-commissioners/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Sullivan County Commissioners (Sullivan County TN government)](https://sullivancountytn.gov/county-commissioner-information/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Official Ballot for Sullivan County, August 6, 2026](https://www.wate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/2026/07/Sullivan-County-August-6-Sample-Ballot.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"Hunter","lastname":"Locke","middlename":"Michael","suffix":null,"token":"H964CCed84"},"token":"hunter_michael_locke"},{"candidatename":"John Gardner","chatgptsummary":"John Gardner's biography shows relevant experience as an incumbent Sullivan County Commissioner and current commission chairman, demonstrating familiarity with legislative processes, budget oversight, and constituent relations within Tennessee county government law. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate specific experience in UT CTAS continuing education completion or multi-year bond issue authorization.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJohn Gardner is an incumbent Republican member of the Sullivan County Commission representing District 11 (Kingsport) and a Republican Party nominee for one of the district's three seats in the August 6, 2026 county general election [3][2].\n\n## Office history\nGardner serves as chairman of the 24-member Sullivan County Commission, a position to which he was elected at the commission's annual reorganization meeting in September 2024; he had previously served as chairman pro tem since 2016 [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Gardner voted in as new Sullivan County Commission Chairman (Bristol Herald Courier)](https://heraldcourier.com/news/local/government-politics/a-change-of-leadership-new-chairman-selected-new-position-created-by-sullivan-commission/article_4229908e-76f4-11ef-b1dd-03f60e9920e1.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Sullivan County Commissioners (Sullivan County TN government)](https://sullivancountytn.gov/county-commissioner-information/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Official Ballot for Sullivan County, August 6, 2026](https://www.wate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/2026/07/Sullivan-County-August-6-Sample-Ballot.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"John","lastname":"Gardner","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"RejFBZ3TD3"},"token":"john_gardner"},{"candidatename":"Joshua W. French","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Joshua","lastname":"French","middlename":"W.","suffix":null,"token":"T16cTB030M"},"token":"joshua_w_french"},{"candidatename":"Travis Sampson","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Travis","lastname":"Sampson","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"LG9A4gBup3"},"token":"travis_sampson"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_11","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":1,"pgr":"primary","quantity":3,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-19","title":"sullivan County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.scelect.org/aug2026gensampleballot.pdf"},"title":"County Commission District 11"}