{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"JIM WHEELER","chatgptsummary":"Jim Wheeler's biography shows relevant experience for County Commissioner through his eight-year tenure as District 14 commissioner and Vice-Chairman, including committee work on budgets and rules. His legal career provides legislative drafting skills and policy judgment on land use and intergovernmental issues. The record contains no controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate specific experience in managing multi-year bond issuances or completing state-mandated continuing education through UT CTAS.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJim Wheeler is the incumbent Washington County Commissioner for District 14, a seat he was elected to in 2018 [1][2]. He serves as the commission's Vice-Chairman, chairs its Public Safety Committee, and also serves as Vice Chair of the Rules Committee and as a member of the Budget Committee and Communications Task Force [1]. He is on the ballot as the Republican candidate for District 14 in the August 6, 2026 Washington County general election, having picked up his qualifying petition for the race in the county's 2026 petition-pickup cycle [5].\n\n## Background and education\nWheeler holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (1989) and a Doctor of Jurisprudence (1992), both from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and was admitted to the Tennessee and federal bars after law school [2].\n\n## Career\nWheeler has practiced law for more than 30 years. He began his career at one of the region's larger law firms, handling insurance defense, real estate matters, and civil litigation in General Sessions, Circuit, and Chancery courts, and later served as counsel for the Town of Jonesborough and for Washington County/Johnson City EMS [2]. He now practices at the Law Offices of James R. Wheeler (\"First Town Law\") in Jonesborough, focusing on estate planning, probate, guardianships, conservatorships, and mediation [2]. He served as president of the Washington County Bar Association in 1997, as Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Governor from 1995 to 1999, and has served on the Tennessee Lawyers Fund for Client Protection \u2014 a Tennessee Supreme Court appointment \u2014 since 2015 [2].\n\n## Office history\nWheeler was elected to the Washington County Commission in 2018, representing District 14, and serves as the commission's Vice-Chairman [1][2].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\nWheeler introduced a resolution \u2014 the \"Resolution Supporting Local Decision-Making Authority with Respect to the Delivery of Learning Opportunities in Local Communities\" \u2014 at a commission Health, Education and Welfare Committee meeting, stating: \"I just felt like it was time for the commission to consider the opportunity to weigh in and ask our legislative delegation to support decisions regarding the schools being made at the local level\" [3]. He described his position as coming from being \"a Republican that believes in smaller government and local decision-making\" [3]. The full commission subsequently approved the resulting resolution unanimously, 14-0, asking the local legislative delegation to preserve local control over school-related decisions [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Jim Wheeler | Washington County, TN](https://www.washingtoncountytn.org/222/Jim-Wheeler) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [Attorney Jim Wheeler | Jonesborough, TN | Law Offices](https://www.firsttownlaw.com/jim-wheeler-attorney) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[3] [Washington County Commission to consider resolution calling for 'local decision-making authority' for schools | WJHL](https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/washington-county-commission-to-consider-resolution-calling-for-local-decision-making-authority-for-schools/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[4] [Keep school decisions local: Washington County commissioners unanimously approve plea to legislative delegation | WJHL](https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/back-to-school-news/keep-school-decisions-local-washington-county-commissioners-unanimously-approve-plea-to-legislative-delegation/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[5] [Washington County Election Commission \u2014 2026 County Primary Petition Pickup List (PDF)](https://www.wcecoffice.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MAY-02172026.pdf) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n","firstname":"JIM","lastname":"WHEELER","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"x0GqPdtUrC"},"token":"jim_wheeler"},{"candidatename":"AMANDA BACON","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"AMANDA","lastname":"BACON","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"jUeLSjifWM"},"token":"amanda_bacon"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_14","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":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-02","title":"Washington County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"http://www.wcecoffice.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Full-Sample-Ballots.pdf"},"title":"County Commissioner District 14"}