{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Stanley Hodges","chatgptsummary":"Stanley Hodges's biography shows over thirty-five years of law enforcement experience and a doctorate in education, which may inform policy judgment and constituent relations for Sullivan County Commissioner. The record does not document prior service on the county commission, direct budget approval authority, or legislative drafting work. Bio does not indicate experience with county budgeting or land use legislation.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nStanley K. Hodges is a Republican Party nominee for one of two Sullivan County Commission District 8 (Kingsport) seats in the August 6, 2026 county general election [2].\n\n## Background and education\nAccording to his campaign, Hodges holds a doctorate of education (Ed.D.) and multiple degrees from East Tennessee State University [1].\n\n## Career\nHis campaign states that he has more than 35 years of law enforcement experience [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Elect Stanley K. Hodges for District 8 Commissioner (campaign site)](https://stanleyhodges.com/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [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":"Stanley","lastname":"Hodges","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"MywCwzhLNd"},"token":"stanley_hodges"},{"candidatename":"Larry Mullenix","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Larry","lastname":"Mullenix","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"MULC79aNtM"},"token":"larry_mullenix"},{"candidatename":"Mark Ireson","chatgptsummary":"Mark Ireson's biography shows four years of service on the Sullivan County Commission and prior tenure on the Board of Education, demonstrating familiarity with local legislative processes and constituent relations. In 2023, a lawsuit alleged he could not legally hold both seats simultaneously; he resigned from the school board in January 2024 to resolve the dispute. Bio does not indicate experience with county budgeting or state-mandated continuing education.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nMark Ireson is an incumbent Republican member of the Sullivan County Commission representing District 8 (Kingsport) and a Republican Party nominee for one of the district's two seats in the August 6, 2026 county general election [2][1].\n\n## Office history\nIreson took office as District 8 commissioner on September 1, 2022 [1]. He also held a seat on the Sullivan County Board of Education [3][4].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\nIn 2023, Sullivan County District Attorney General Barry Staubus filed a lawsuit in Chancery Court seeking to remove Ireson from the county Board of Education, alleging he could not legally hold both the school board seat and a county commission seat at the same time [3]. Ireson subsequently resigned his Board of Education seat; the resignation was reported to the county commission in January 2024 [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Sullivan County Commissioners (Sullivan County TN government)](https://sullivancountytn.gov/county-commissioner-information/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [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\n[3] [Lawsuit seeks to oust County Commissioner Ireson from Sullivan County school board (Kingsport Times News)](https://www.timesnews.net/news/local-news/lawsuit-seeks-to-oust-county-commissioner-ireson-from-sullivan-county-school-board/article_b880c5e2-7db0-11ee-aa6e-87567043e081.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23\n[4] [Mark Ireson resigns Sullivan County school board seat (Kingsport Times News)](https://www.timesnews.net/news/education/last-update-mark-ireson-resigns-sullivan-county-school-board-seat/article_3232c7b0-b942-11ee-bbaa-c70d959ed201.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"Mark","lastname":"Ireson","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"Og1z0bIOhu"},"token":"mark_ireson"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_8","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":"general","quantity":2,"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 8"}