{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"William Slater","chatgptsummary":"William Slater's biography shows twenty-one years as a headmaster and current service as Dean of Adult and Online Studies, demonstrating legislative craft in education administration and understanding of constituent educational needs. He currently chairs the Education Administration Subcommittee, indicating experience in committee work and persuasion within the legislature. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate experience in coalition-building across partisan lines or drafting non-education statute.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nWilliam Slater is a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing District 35 [1]. He assumed office on November 8, 2022, following his election to succeed Jerry Sexton [3]. His current term concludes on November 3, 2026 [1].\n\nSlater is seeking re-election to the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 35 in the 2026 cycle [1]. He is listed as a candidate on the ballot for the Republican primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1]. As of May 2026, the outcome of this upcoming election remains unknown [1].\n\n## Background and education\n\nWilliam Slater was born on October 13, 1961 [3]. He and his wife, Danielle, have been married since 1980 and moved to Sumner County with their four children in 1996 [4][5][7][8]. Slater self-describes as a member of the Republican Party [1][3].\n\nSlater earned a Bachelor of Science in education from Hyles-Anderson College and a Master of Education in educational leadership from the University of South Florida, which he obtained while working as a teacher [1][3][5][7][8]. He later received a Juris Doctor from the Nashville School of Law during his tenure in school administration [1][5][8].\n\n## Career\n\nWilliam Slater and his wife, Danielle, moved to Sumner County with their four children in 1996 [4][7]. Both hold bachelor\u2019s degrees in education [7][8]. Slater earned a master\u2019s degree in educational leadership from the University of South Florida while working as a teacher [5][7]. His career in school administration eventually led him to Tennessee, where he served as a headmaster for twenty-one years [5][7][8]. During this period, he also earned his law degree from the Nashville School of Law [5][8].\n\nIn 2017, Slater transitioned to Welch College, where he serves as the Dean of Adult and Online Studies and teaches graduate students [5][8]. His professional background in education spans three decades, including leadership roles in K-12 and higher education sectors [4].\n\n## Office history\n\nWilliam Slater was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 35 in November 2022 and assumed office on January 10, 2023, succeeding Jerry Sexton [1][3]. He serves two-year terms with no term limits [2]. His current term is scheduled to end on November 3, 2026 [1]. As a member of the Tennessee House Republican Caucus, Slater serves as the Chairman of the Education Administration Subcommittee [7].\n\nSlater is currently running for re-election to represent District 35 in the Republican primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1]. The outcome of this upcoming election is unknown.\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\n\nWilliam Slater serves as the Chairman of the Education Administration Subcommittee in the Tennessee House of Representatives [7]. His legislative focus is heavily informed by his professional background, which includes twenty-one years of service as a headmaster and his current role as Dean of Adult and Online Studies at Welch College [5][8].\n\nSpecific bill numbers sponsored or voted on are not detailed in the available source materials. Slater\u2019s policy positions are generally characterized by his self-described commitment to serving constituents without special interest influence, though specific legislative votes or authored bills are not enumerated in the provided texts [6].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n\nWilliam Slater\u2019s professional background is rooted in education and administration rather than private industry wealth or business ownership. He self-describes a career spanning three decades that includes leadership roles in K-12 and higher education sectors [4]. For twenty-one years, he served as a headmaster in school administration before transitioning to Welch College in 2017, where he serves as the Dean of Adult and Online Studies and teaches graduate students [5][8].\n\nSlater\u2019s financial disclosures do not indicate significant business ownership stakes or sales that would constitute a primary source of wealth. Instead, his public profile emphasizes his long tenure in educational leadership and his role as an instructor at Welch College [8]. He and his wife, Danielle, moved to Sumner County in 1996, where Danielle continues to work in family businesses, though specific details regarding the nature or value of these enterprises are not provided in available biographical records [4][5]. Slater\u2019s own professional income is derived from his academic and administrative positions within the education sector [8].\n\n## Family\n\nWilliam Slater has been married to his wife, Danielle, since 1980 [4]. The couple moved to Sumner County with their four children in 1996 [5]. Both Slater and his wife hold bachelor\u2019s degrees in education [7]. Danielle continues to work in the family businesses [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [William Slater - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/William_Slater)\n[2] [Tennessee House of Representatives District 35 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_House_of_Representatives_District_35)\n[3] [William Slater (Tennessee politician) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Slater_(Tennessee_politician))\n[4] [William Slater](https://slaterforhouse.com/)\n[5] [Bio - Slaterforhouse35 - William Slater](https://slaterforhouse.com/slater-for-tn-house-district-35/bio)\n[6] [Vote-USA | William H. Slater | Currently Elected State Representative District 35, Tennessee](http://stage.vote-usa.org/Intro.aspx?State=TN&Id=TNSlaterWilliam)\n[7] [Representative William Slater \u2014 Tennessee House Republican Caucus](https://tnhousegop.org/members/representative-william-slater/)\n[8] [Mr. William Slater | Welch College](https://welch.edu/academics/faculty-staff-listing/william-slater/)","firstname":"William","lastname":"Slater","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"66KSDGadbW"},"token":"william_slater"},{"candidatename":"Phil Barnes","chatgptsummary":"Phil Barnes is a Democratic candidate for Tennessee House of Representatives District 35 who filed all required signatures by March 10, 2026, and appears on the official ballot alongside incumbent William Slater and challenger Lance C. Loftis. The biography documents no controversies or disciplinary records. Bio does not indicate experience in legislative craft, coalition-building, or persuasion within a state legislature.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nPhil Barnes, of Hendersonville, is a Democratic candidate for Tennessee House of Representatives District 35, which covers all of Trousdale County and part of Sumner County [1]. He filed the required signatures (2 of 2) by the March 10, 2026 qualifying deadline, and the Tennessee Secretary of State's office listed his signatures as approved in the March 24, 2026 candidate list [1]. The incumbent, Republican William Slater of Gallatin, and fellow Democrat Lance C. Loftis of Gallatin are also on the ballot for this seat [1]. The Democratic primary is scheduled for August 6, 2026, with the general election on November 3, 2026 [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Candidates for Tennessee House of Representatives](https://sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com/s3fs-public/document/TNHouse_2026.pdf) \u2014 District 35, p.9, accessed 2026-07-20","firstname":"Phil","lastname":"Barnes","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"6LLXKzr7dk"},"token":"phil_barnes"},{"candidatename":"Lance C Loftis","chatgptsummary":"Lance C Loftis is a Democratic candidate for Tennessee House District 35, representing Gallatin and seeking to serve Trousdale and Sumner Counties. His biography confirms his current campaign status and primary opponent but does not indicate prior legislative experience or specific experience in coalition-building. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary history regarding his conduct as a candidate.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nLance C Loftis, of Gallatin, is a Democratic candidate for Tennessee House of Representatives District 35, which covers Trousdale County and part of Sumner County. His petition was on file and approved as of March 12, 2026; he faces Phil Barnes of Hendersonville in the Democratic primary on August 6, 2026. [1] Republican incumbent William Slater is also on the ballot for the seat. [1]\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Petitions Filed for Tennessee House of Representatives as of March 12, 2026 \u2013 Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com/s3fs-public/document/TNHouse_Filed_2026-03-12.pdf)","firstname":"Lance C","lastname":"Loftis","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"LCA5qLJC7a"},"token":null}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":"035","districtgroup":"state_house","districtgroupname":"State House","districtname":"District 35","job_type":"state_representative","o.office":"state_house_035","office":"state_house_035","officedescription":"The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the state legislature, with 99 members elected from single-member districts to two-year terms. Representatives pass state laws, originate revenue bills, approve the state budget, and \u2014 together with the Senate \u2014 confirm gubernatorial appointments and propose constitutional amendments. Candidates must be at least 21 years old, U.S. citizens, Tennessee residents for at least three years, and district residents for at least one year.","officequalities":"- **Integrity** \u2014 Acts in the interest of constituents and the public good rather than for personal gain, and remains independent of undue influence from donors, lobbyists, and party leadership.\n- **Understanding of the constituency** \u2014 Grasps both the economic-development needs of the district and the day-to-day concerns of individual residents \u2014 safety, healthcare, education, infrastructure.\n- **Persuasion** \u2014 Engages, listens to, and persuades both fellow legislators and constituents. Can change minds and explain votes honestly.\n- **Legislative craft** \u2014 Reads, drafts, and amends statute with care. Understands how specific bill language translates to outcomes, and knows the body of law being modified.\n- **Coalition-building** \u2014 Finds common ground across partisan and factional lines, brokers compromises that hold, and forms working majorities even when consensus is hard to reach.","officeterm":2,"officetitle":"State Representative District 35","partisan":1,"pgr":"primary","quantity":null,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-06-01","title":"TN SoS \u2014 Candidates for Tennessee House of Representatives (2026)","url":"https://sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com/s3fs-public/document/TNHouse_2026.pdf"},"title":"TN House District 35"}