{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Janna Garton","chatgptsummary":"Janna Garton's biography shows relevant intra-party governance experience as a Republican State Executive Committee member for the 18th Primary District and municipal service as an elected Alderman in Hendersonville. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate prior experience coordinating with county-level party committees or specific knowledge of state ballot-access requirements.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nJanna Garton serves as an Alderman for Ward 5 in Hendersonville, Tennessee [5]. She was sworn into office following the November 2024 general election, joining four other new aldermen and an incumbent on the Board of Mayor and Aldermen [3]. Her current residence is listed at 113 Hickory Way in Hendersonville [4].\n\nGarton has filed as a candidate for the Republican nomination for Tennessee State Executive Committee, Ward 18 Primary, in the upcoming 2026 election cycle [1]. The qualifying deadline for this race was March 10, 2026 [1]. As of May 2026, the outcome of the primary remains unknown.\n\n## Background and education\n\nJanna Garton was born in 1980 [4]. She resides at 113 Hickory Wy in Hendersonville, Tennessee, located in Sumner County [4]. Her current address is also listed as 102 Braxton Ln W in Hendersonville [6].\n\nSpecific details regarding her upbringing, religious affiliation, and formal education are not provided in the available sources.\n\n## Career\n\nGarton is the owner of Garcom Technologies, a business registered at her Hendersonville residence[4]. She has also been associated with Apex Financial Planning in a professional capacity[2].\n\nIn local government service prior to her state-level candidacy, Garton was sworn in as an Alderman for Ward 5 on the Hendersonville Board of Mayor and Aldermen following the November 2023 general election[3]. She assumed office alongside four other new aldermen and an interim city attorney at a ceremony led by Sumner County Chancery Court Judge Louis Oliver, III[3]. As of 2026, she continues to serve in this role, with her contact information listed on the City of Hendersonville\u2019s official staff directory[5].\n\n## Office history\n\nJanna Garton was elected as an Alderman for Ward 5 of Hendersonville, Tennessee, in the general election held on November 8, 2022 [3]. She was sworn into office alongside four other new aldermen and an incumbent during a ceremony at Hendersonville City Hall led by Sumner County Chancery Court Judge Louis Oliver, III [3]. In this role, she serves as a member of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, with her official staff directory listing her title as Alderman and providing contact information for constituent services [5].\n\nGarton has also held leadership positions within the Republican Party. She was elected to serve as the Tn Exec Committeewoman for the 18th Republican Primary District on the Republican State Executive Committee [1]. As a candidate for this position, she qualified by meeting the filing deadline of March 10, 2026, at noon, appearing on the official candidate lists released by the Tennessee Secretary of State [1].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\n\nJanna Garton serves as an Alderman for Ward 5 on the Hendersonville Board of Mayor and Aldermen, a position to which she was sworn in following the November 8 general election [3]. In this legislative capacity, she is listed in the city's staff directory with the title of Alderman and can be contacted at 615-509-9425 [5].\n\nSpecific details regarding her sponsored bills, voting record on municipal ordinances, or committee assignments within the Hendersonville government are not provided in the available sources. Her professional background includes ownership of Garcom Technologies [4]. Garton is also listed as a candidate for the Republican State Executive Committee, having met the qualifying deadline of March 10, 2026, at noon [1].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n\nJanna Garton is associated with Garcom Technologies, a company registered at her Hendersonville residence[4]. She has also been linked to Ice! Apex Financial Planning through social media posts regarding professional engagements[2].\n\nGarton serves as an Alderman for Ward 5 in Hendersonville, having been sworn into office following the November 8 general election[3]. Her official city staff directory lists her contact information and title within the Board of Mayor & Aldermen[5].\n\n## Family\n\nJanna Garton is married to Craig Garton [2]. The couple has a daughter named Layah Garton [2]. Family members attended her swearing-in ceremony as an Alderman for Ward 5 in Hendersonville [3].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n[2] [Janna Garton - Thank you Darrell and Brittany for a fun...](https://www.facebook.com/janna.garton/posts/thank-you-darrell-and-brittany-for-a-fun-night-at-ice-apex-financial-planning/10161964316562906/)\n[3] [5 new aldermen, interim city attorney take office - Main Street Media of Tennessee](https://mainstreetmediatn.com/articles/hendersonvillestandard/5-new-aldermen-interim-city-attorney-take-office/)\n[4] [Janna Garton \u2014 OfficialUSA.com Records](https://www.officialusa.com/names/Janna-Garton/)\n[5] [Staff Directory \u2022 Janna Garton](https://www.hvilletn.org/directory.aspx?EID=83)\n[6] [Janna Garton, (615) 537-1040, Hendersonville, TN \u2014 Public Records Instantly](https://clustrmaps.com/person/Garton-ba5qf9)","firstname":"Janna","lastname":"Garton","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"43D7RhOPNa"},"token":"janna_garton"},{"candidatename":"Megan Lange","chatgptsummary":"Megan Lange's biography shows experience in event planning, marketing, and small business management relevant to intra-party coordination. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate experience with party rules, conventions, or ballot-access requirements.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nMegan Lange is a designer and creative professional based in Gallatin, Tennessee, where she resides with her husband and pets [4]. She operates ML Consulting, a marketing and design firm that emphasizes brand identity and digital storytelling [2]. Lange\u2019s background includes technical writing and business editing studies at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, followed by roles in marketing, event planning, and small business management [4].\n\nLange is running for the Democratic State Executive Committee in District 18 during the 2026 election cycle [1]. She qualified for the ballot following the March 10, 2026, deadline established by the Tennessee Secretary of State [1]. As a candidate for the Democratic Party, she seeks to join the committee members who serve alongside regional leadership and other district representatives across the state [3].\n\n## Background and education\n\nMegan Lange grew up just outside of Knoxville, Tennessee [4]. She attended the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, where she studied Technical Writing and Business Editing [4].\n\n## Career\n\nMegan Lange is a designer and creative based in Gallatin, Tennessee [4]. She owns and operates ML Consulting, a marketing and design firm located in Gallatin that emphasizes brand identity development and digital storytelling [2]. The firm specializes in creating websites and other materials to help clients tell their stories effectively [2].\n\nLange\u2019s professional background includes roles such as marketing director for a small technology startup [4]. She has also worked in event planning, including organizing sold-out concerts at downtown venues and launching a coffee shop in a Knoxville suburb [4].\n\nShe attended the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, where she studied Technical Writing & Business Editing [4].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n\nMegan Lange operates ML Consulting, a marketing and design firm based in Gallatin, Tennessee [2]. She describes herself as a designer and creative who emphasizes developing genuine brand identities for clients through her company's services, which include website development and storytelling strategies [2]. Prior to founding her own firm, Lange worked in various roles including as a marketing director for a small tech startup and in event planning for venues and coffee shops [4].\n\nSpecific details regarding family wealth sources, personal ownership stakes in other entities, or the sales of businesses are not provided in available public records or self-reported biographical materials [1][2][4]. While Lange is listed as a candidate for the Tennessee Democratic State Executive Committee, her financial disclosure statements do not contain detailed breakdowns of income sources beyond her professional activities [1].\n\n## Family\n\nMegan Lange resides in Gallatin, Tennessee, with her husband Nick [4]. She also shares her home with four cats named Olive, Asparagus, Honeysuckle, and Arugula, as well as a dog named Fish [4]. There is no publicly notable information regarding children or other family members in politics available in the provided sources.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n[2] [Megan Lange](https://meganlange.co/)\n[3] [Executive Committee - Tennessee Democrats](https://www.tndp.org/executive-committee/)\n[4] [About Megan \u2014 ML Consulting](https://meganlange.co/about-megan)","firstname":"Megan","lastname":"Lange","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"tYpJNNHJld"},"token":"megan_lange"},{"candidatename":"Shannon Burgdorf","chatgptsummary":"Burgdorf's biography shows experience in Sumner County governance and committee leadership, including chairing the Education Committee and overseeing school budgets. Records indicate she was appointed to this role following a 4-3 vote that removed the previous chairman. Bio does not indicate experience with state party rules or intra-party election law administration.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nShannon Burgdorf serves as a Sumner County Commissioner representing District 19 [1]. In the 2026 election cycle, she is seeking re-election to the county commission seat in the Republican primary for District 19 [4]. Her candidacy was confirmed on the official candidate lists published by the Tennessee Secretary of State following the March 10, 2026 qualifying deadline [2].\n\nBurgdorf has characterized her campaign as a response to the rapid suburban growth of Sumner County. She states that she and her husband have lived in Hendersonville since 1997 and raised four sons there, witnessing the area transform from a \"sleepy little town\" into an \"overcrowded, and over-taxed suburb of Nashville\" [7]. She argues that the current county commission has engaged in mismanagement by rezoning property for high-density residential development, which she claims overburdens emergency services, streets, schools, and parks while resulting in higher taxes [4].\n\nPrior to her 2026 campaign, Burgdorf held a leadership role within local government structures. In June 2026, the Sumner County Education Committee appointed her as its chairman following the removal of District 17 Commissioner Robert Brown by a 4-3 vote [6]. This appointment occurred just two months before Brown's term ended and ahead of a vote on the schools' $400 million fiscal year budget [6]. Burgdorf is registered as an Undecided voter in Hendersonville, Tennessee [3].\n\n## Background and education\n\nShannon P. Burgdorf is 48 years old and resides in Hendersonville, Tennessee [3]. She has lived in the community with her husband for 29 years, having raised their four sons there since 1997 [4]. Public voter registration records indicate that she is registered as an Undecided voter [3].\n\nSpecific details regarding her birthplace, year of birth, religious affiliation, and formal educational background are not provided in the available sources.\n\n## Career\n\nShannon Burgdorf has lived in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with her husband since 1997, where they raised their four sons [4]. She is a registered voter in the city and self-describes as an undecided voter in official records [3].\n\nAs a Sumner County Commissioner representing District 19, Burgdorf serves on the county\u2019s Education Committee [6]. In June 2026, she was appointed chairman of this committee following the removal of the previous chair, Robert Brown, by a 4-3 vote [6]. Her role involves participating in the oversight of Sumner County Schools\u2019 budget and operations [6].\n\nBurgdorf is listed as an official county employee through the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service\u2019s County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS) [5]. She has utilized Change.org to host petitions related to her service on the Sumner County Commission, allowing constituents to submit issues for her influence [8].\n\n## Office history\n\nShannon Burgdorf served as a member of the Sumner County Education Committee, where she was appointed chairman in June 2026 following the removal of District 17 Commissioner Robert Brown [6]. As a commissioner, she represented District 19 on the Sumner County Commission [8]. In this capacity, she held responsibilities related to county governance and budget oversight, including participation in votes for the Sumner County Schools\u2019 fiscal year budget [6].\n\nBurgdorf has sought elected office in Sumner County. She ran in the Republican primary for county commissioner in District 19, citing concerns over high-density rezoning and its impact on emergency services, streets, schools, and parks [4]. She also filed to run for the Republican State Executive Committee, with a qualifying deadline of March 10, 2026 [2].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\n\nShannon Burgdorf serves as a commissioner for Sumner County, Tennessee, representing District 19 [1]. In this role, she is a member of the county's Education Committee, which oversees significant fiscal matters including the approval of the Sumner County Schools budget [6].\n\nBurgdorf\u2019s legislative and policy focus centers on opposing high-density residential zoning, which she argues overburdens emergency services, streets, schools, and parks while leading to higher taxes [4]. She has characterized the county's current management as mismanagement that has transformed Hendersonville from a quiet community into an overcrowded suburb of Nashville [7].\n\nIn June 2026, Burgdorf was appointed chairman of the Sumner County Education Committee by a vote of the committee members, succeeding District 17 Commissioner Robert Brown who was ousted from the chairmanship [6]. This appointment occurred shortly before the committee voted to approve the schools' fiscal year budget [6].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\n\nIn June 2024, District 17 Commissioner Robert Brown was removed as chairman of the Sumner County Education Committee by a 4-3 vote, with District 18 Commissioner Don Schmit raising concerns about the committee during that meeting [6]. Following this removal, District 19 Commissioner Shannon Burgdorf was appointed to chair the committee [6].\n\nBurgdorf has publicly criticized the current Sumner County Commission for rezoning property to high-density residential development, stating that this practice overburdens emergency services, streets, schools, and parks while resulting in higher taxes [4][7]. She describes the area as having transformed from a \"sleepy little town\" into an \"overcrowded, and over-taxed suburb of Nashville\" [4][7].\n\nBurgdorf maintains a petition page on Change.org associated with her role on the Sumner County Commission for District 19, allowing constituents to submit issues she can influence [8].\n\n## Family\n\nBurgdorf states that she has been married to her husband for 29 years and that they have lived in Hendersonville since 1997 [4]. The couple has raised four sons in the community [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Shannon Burgdorf - Sumner County, Tennessee Government](https://sumnercountytn.gov/shannon-burgdorf/)\n[2] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n[3] [Shannon Burgdorf from Hendersonville, Tennessee | VoterDirectory.com](https://voterdirectory.com/tn/shannon-burgdorf/)\n[4] [Shannon Burgdorf seeks county commission seat - Main Street Media of Tennessee](https://mainstreetmediatn.com/articles/hendersonvillestandard/shannon-burgdorf-seeks-county-commission-seat/)\n[5] [County Commissioner | UT County Technical Assistance Service](https://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/official/shannon-burgdorf)\n[6] [County\u2019s education chair replaced ahead of schools\u2019 budget vote - Main Street Media of Tennessee](https://mainstreetmediatn.com/articles/gallatinnews/countys-education-chair-replaced-ahead-of-schools-budget-vote/)\n[7] [Shannon Burgdorf seeks county commission seat - Main Street Media of Tennessee](https://www.hendersonvillestandard.com/news/shannon-burgdorf-seeks-county-commission-seat/article_5f1c72b6-b120-11ec-befb-8b393149e2b2.html)\n[8] [Shannon Burgdorf - Petitions & Information - Change.org \u00b7 Change.org](https://www.change.org/decision-makers/shannon-burgdorf-sumner-county-commission-district-19)","firstname":"Shannon","lastname":"Burgdorf","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"7IoQdpFafT"},"token":"shannon_burgdorf"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"party_exec_committee","o.office":null,"office":"tn_exec_committeewoman_18","officedescription":"The State Executive Committee is the elected governing body of a Tennessee political party (Democratic or Republican). It is a party-organization office, not a government office \u2014 its members set party rules and organization, and are chosen by voters in that party's primary.","officequalities":"- Intra-party governance: the State Executive Committee is the elected governing body of a Tennessee political party, not a public office that legislates or administers government.\n- Working knowledge of party rules, conventions, ballot-access requirements, and how the party interacts with state election law.\n- Coordination with the party chair and county-level party committees.\n- This is a partisan party-organization role; voters in the party's primary choose the committee members. The qualities here describe party-organization fit, not government competency.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"State Executive Committee","partisan":1,"pgr":"primary","quantity":null,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"TN State Executive Committeewoman District 18"}