{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"TIM LINGERFELT","chatgptsummary":"Tim Lingerfelt's biography shows current service as a sitting Unicoi County Commissioner for the 1st District, demonstrating direct experience with county budget approval, legislative processes, and constituent relations within Tennessee law. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate prior experience in multi-year bond issuance or state-required continuing education through UT CTAS.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nTim Lingerfelt is a sitting member of the Unicoi County Commission representing the 1st District and is one of three Republican nominees on the August 6, 2026 county general ballot for the district's three seats [1][2]. District 1 is uncontested: the three seats are filled by three candidates [1].\n\n## Office history\nLingerfelt is listed among the current Unicoi County commissioners for the 1st District [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Official Ballot, State and County General Election, Unicoi County, August 6, 2026](https://unicoivotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/COUNTY-GENERAL.pdf) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Unicoi County Commissioners](https://unicoicountytn.com/county-commissioners/) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"TIM","lastname":"LINGERFELT","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"OmBHY9yLj4"},"token":"tim_lingerfelt"},{"candidatename":"LOREN THOMAS","chatgptsummary":"Loren Thomas's biography shows relevant experience as an incumbent Unicoi County Commissioner and former commission chairman, demonstrating familiarity with local legislative processes and constituent relations. The record does not document any controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate prior budget literacy or specific policy judgment on countywide matters beyond general service.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nLoren Thomas is a member of the Unicoi County Commission for the 1st District and has served as chairman of the county commission [2][3]. He is one of three Republican nominees on the August 6, 2026 county general ballot for the 1st District's three seats, a race in which three candidates run for three seats [1].\n\n## Career\nThomas works a full-time job and is a master beekeeper, having completed a master beekeeping program through the Tennessee Department of Agriculture; he sells honey from his bees at several locations in Unicoi and Washington counties [3].\n\n## Office history\nThomas is listed among the current Unicoi County commissioners for the 1st District and has chaired the county commission [2][3]. His CTAS county-official record lists his address in Flag Pond [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Official Ballot, State and County General Election, Unicoi County, August 6, 2026](https://unicoivotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/COUNTY-GENERAL.pdf) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [CTAS County Official Record \u2014 Loren Thomas, Unicoi County Commissioner](https://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/official/loren-thomas) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Unicoi County Commissioner Loren Thomas also successful beekeeper \u2014 Johnson City Press](https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/living/features/unicoi-county-commissioner-loren-thomas-also-successful-beekeeper/article_536effcc-379f-11ee-95ce-c356dc02b795.html) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"LOREN","lastname":"THOMAS","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"7jKvZpHpR7"},"token":"loren_thomas"},{"candidatename":"JAMES (JAMIE) HARRIS","chatgptsummary":"James Harris's biography shows current service as a sitting Unicoi County Commissioner for the 1st District, demonstrating direct experience with local legislative processes and constituent relations. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate prior budget literacy regarding multi-year bond issues or evidence of completing state-required continuing education through UT CTAS.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJames \"Jamie\" Harris is a sitting member of the Unicoi County Commission representing the 1st District and is one of three Republican nominees on the August 6, 2026 county general ballot for the district's three seats, an uncontested race with three candidates for three seats [1][2].\n\n## Office history\nHarris is listed among the current Unicoi County commissioners for the 1st District [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Official Ballot, State and County General Election, Unicoi County, August 6, 2026](https://unicoivotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/COUNTY-GENERAL.pdf) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Unicoi County Commissioners](https://unicoicountytn.com/county-commissioners/) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"JAMES","lastname":"HARRIS","middlename":"(JAMIE)","suffix":null,"token":"d1cNctkceV"},"token":"james_jamie_harris"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_1","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":3,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-20","title":"unicoi County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://unicoivotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/COUNTY-GENERAL.pdf"},"title":"County Commissioner District 1"}