{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Republican","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Republican","lastname":"","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"CEdnGvjnRQ"},"token":"republican"},{"candidatename":"Republican","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Republican","lastname":"","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"tjRthO7S3V"},"token":"republican"},{"candidatename":"JILL FERNELIUS","chatgptsummary":"Fernelius's commercial lending background suggests budget literacy for district finances and policy judgment regarding prudent practices. Her role as a mother of two children may inform constituent relations with families. The biography contains no record of controversy or disciplinary action. Bio does not indicate experience in public school governance, superintendent evaluation, or state-mandated training completion.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJill Fernelius is the Democratic Party nominee for Sumner County Board of Education District 1, facing Republican Scotty Bush on the August 6, 2026 ballot [1]. Her stated priorities are data-based decision-making, principled leadership, transparent governance, and \"serving all students\"; she describes herself as \"a voice of reason for the Sumner County Board of Education\" [2].\n\n## Career\nFernelius works in commercial lending, describing her role as ensuring \"prudent commercial lending practices\" [2].\n\n## Family\nShe is the mother of two children [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Federal and State Primary, State Judicial and Sumner County General Elections Sample Ballot](https://www.votesumnertn.org/uploads/files/884379eec0cf6e5fb6f5678acff70a3783bde79d.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[2] [Vote Fernelius \u2014 campaign site](https://votefernelius.com) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22","firstname":"JILL","lastname":"FERNELIUS","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"zvBhcscRos"},"token":"jill_fernelius"},{"candidatename":"SCOTTY BUSH","chatgptsummary":"Scotty Bush's biography shows extensive leadership experience managing a large fire department workforce and a $15 million budget, relevant to district oversight and fiscal literacy. He has no documented controversies or disciplinary records. Bio does not indicate prior school board governance experience or specific education policy training.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nScotty Bush is the Republican Party nominee for Sumner County School Board District 1, facing Democrat Jill Fernelius on the August 6, 2026 ballot [1]. His stated priorities are school safety and emergency preparedness, supporting and empowering educators, open communication with parents and community, and efficient budget management; he has called for expanding career and technical education (CTE) options to include pathways for first responders [2][3].\n\n## Background and education\nBush is a 59-year lifelong Hendersonville resident who attended Walton Ferry, Lakeside, and Gene Brown elementary schools, Hawkins Junior High, and Hendersonville High School (graduating in 1985), and attended Volunteer State Community College [2].\n\n## Career\nHe spent nearly 40 years with the Hendersonville Fire Department, retiring in 2025 as Fire Chief after 10.5 years in that role; as chief he led 120 employees and oversaw a $15 million budget [2][3].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Federal and State Primary, State Judicial and Sumner County General Elections Sample Ballot](https://www.votesumnertn.org/uploads/files/884379eec0cf6e5fb6f5678acff70a3783bde79d.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[2] [Scotty Bush for School Board District 1 \u2014 campaign site](https://voteforscotty.com/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22\n[3] [King, Lancaster and Lacy elected to school board / Sumner school-board coverage \u2014 Main Street Media of Tennessee](https://mainstreetmediatn.com/articles/hendersonvillestandard/campaign-announcement-scotty-bush-for-school-board-district-1/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-22","firstname":"SCOTTY","lastname":"BUSH","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"unxm2werLw"},"token":"scotty_bush"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"school_board","o.office":null,"office":"county_school_board_district_1","officedescription":"A school board member serves on the elected body that governs a public school district. The board sets district policy and budget priorities and hires and evaluates the superintendent, while leaving day-to-day management to the administration.","officequalities":"- Policy judgment for a public school district \u2014 setting direction while leaving day-to-day management to the superintendent.\n- Budget literacy for operating and capital budgets, in coordination with the county commission (which appropriates) and the state.\n- Ability to hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace the superintendent \u2014 the board's highest-stakes recurring decision.\n- Constituent relations with parents, teachers, principals, and community members.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required annual training through the Tennessee School Boards Association.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"School Board Member","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-19","title":"sumner County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.votesumnertn.org/uploads/files/b131fe1092a6465a92a366ccaf28782e09dcabe8.pdf"},"title":"School Board Member District 1"}