{"county":"tipton","description":null,"district":"2","districtgroup":"county_commission","id":641,"key":"county_commission_district_2_position_2","lastchangeby":null,"name":"Michael W. Naifeh","next_election":null,"notes":null,"officegroup":null,"partisan":1,"party":null,"qualities":null,"quantity":null,"source":"{\"url\": \"https://cms4files1.revize.com/tiptontn/document_center/ec_ELECTED_APPOINTED_OFFICIALS.pdf\", \"title\": \"Tipton County, TN \u2014 Elected and Appointed Officials\", \"retrieved_at\": \"2026-06-05\"}","state":"TN","term_end":"2026-09-01","term_start":"2022-09-01","term_years":4,"terms":[{"current":1,"description":null,"electiondate":null,"name":"Michael W. Naifeh","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nMichael W. Naifeh is a current Tipton County Commissioner for District 2 and is running as a Republican for reelection in the August 6, 2026 Tipton County general election. He was first elected to the seat in 2022 alongside challenger Justin Gangaware, defeating Charles Maxwell and Ryan Ripperton.[1][2]\n\n## Career\nNaifeh has worked in public safety, including as a special operations firefighter with the City of Memphis Fire Department.[3] He previously served as fire chief of the City of Covington. In March 2019, a Tipton County grand jury indicted him on charges of official misconduct and theft under $1,000 after an investigation found he had used a city-issued credit card to purchase personal items, including umpire gear, in February 2018; he said the purchases were inadvertent and reimbursed the city $600 in April 2018, before the indictment.[4][5] He was suspended with pay as fire chief following the indictment and resigned from that position in August 2019, citing \"what is best for my family, the Covington Fire Department and the City of Covington.\" Coverage at the time noted it was not immediately confirmed whether he would also resign his county commission seat; he continued to serve as a Tipton County commissioner.[5][6]\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Elected and Appointed Officials of Tipton County](https://cms4files1.revize.com/tiptontn/document_center/ec_ELECTED_APPOINTED_OFFICIALS.pdf)\n- [2] [Here are the results from Tipton County's general election and state primary \u2013 The Leader](https://covingtonleader.com/news/local-politics/election-2022/county-general-election-2022-results/)\n- [3] [Covington fire chief accused of using city money to buy personal items \u2013 Action News 5](https://www.actionnews5.com/2019/03/06/covington-fire-chief-indicted-official-misconduct/)\n- [4] [Tipton County fire chief arrested on theft charge \u2013 WREG](https://wreg.com/2019/03/05/tipton-county-fire-chief-arrested-on-theft-charge)\n- [5] [Covington Fire Chief Michael Naifeh resigns ahead of meeting to discuss suspension \u2013 The Leader](https://covingtonleader.com/sports/covington-fire-chief-michael-naifeh-resigns-ahead-of-meeting-to-discuss-suspension/)\n- [6] [Covington fire chief resigns after spending city money on umpire gear \u2013 Action News 5](https://www.actionnews5.com/2019/04/15/covington-fire-chief-resigns-after-spending-city-money-umpire-gear/)","firstname":"Michael","lastname":"Naifeh","middlename":"W.","token":"AEJYkmIsbO"},"term_end":"2026-09-01","term_start":"2022-09-01"}],"title":"County Commissioner District 2 Position 2","type":null,"url":null,"whenchanged":"2026-06-05 21:37:19"}