{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"KEITH SEXTON","chatgptsummary":"Keith Sexton's thirty-year law enforcement career includes thirteen years with Johnson City Police and seventeen with Washington County Sheriff's Office, demonstrating relevant operational background. He served as interim sheriff following a 2021 appointment and won election to a full term in 2022. Bio does not indicate experience developing the office budget or coordinating with neighboring county agencies.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nKeith Sexton is the incumbent Washington County Sheriff, on the Republican ballot for the Aug. 6, 2026 general election [1].\n\n## Career\nSexton has more than 30 years in law enforcement: 13 years with the Johnson City Police Department and 17 years with the Washington County Sheriff's Office [2].\n\n## Office history\nThe Washington County Board of Commissioners unanimously appointed Sexton interim sheriff on Nov. 22, 2021, filling the vacancy left when Sheriff Ed Graybeal retired after 18 years in office [3]. Sexton went on to win the Republican primary for a full term, defeating Leighta Laitinen and Michael Templeton with about 70.5% of the vote [4]. As sheriff, he has said his priority is increasing patrol numbers to reduce crime and response times [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Staff Directory - Keith Sexton \u2014 Washington County, TN](https://www.washingtoncountytn.org/directory.aspx?EID=76) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [30-year law enforcement vet Keith Sexton seeking appointment to complete Washington County sheriff's term \u2014 WJHL](https://www.wjhl.com/news/your-local-election-hq/30-year-law-enforcement-vet-keith-sexton-seeking-appointment-to-complete-washington-county-sheriffs-term/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[3] [Keith Sexton appointed Washington County, Tennessee sheriff \u2014 WCYB](https://wcyb.com/news/local/keith-sexton-appointed-washington-county-tn-sheriff) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06\n[4] [Keith Sexton wins Republican primary for Washington County sheriff \u2014 WJHL](https://www.wjhl.com/news/your-local-election-hq/keith-sexton-wins-republican-primary-for-washington-county-sheriff/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-06","firstname":"KEITH","lastname":"SEXTON","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"32uBknPxWm"},"token":"keith_sexton"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"sheriff","o.office":null,"office":"sheriff","officedescription":"The sheriff is the county's chief law-enforcement officer. The office operates the county jail, provides court security, serves civil process and executes warrants, and provides patrol and investigation \u2014 a large operational command with a substantial budget.","officequalities":"- Organizational leadership of a sheriff's office spanning patrol, investigations, court services, and the county jail.\n- Oversight of the county jail, including intake, inmate health, and release procedures.\n- Working knowledge of Tennessee criminal law, court process, and constitutional search-and-seizure standards.\n- Ability to develop and oversee the office's operating budget with public accountability.\n- Coordination with municipal police departments and neighboring-county and state agencies.\n- A documented law-enforcement or public-safety background.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"Sheriff","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":"Sheriff"}