{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Matt Day","chatgptsummary":"Matt Day's biography shows he filed required signatures and appears on the official candidate list for Tennessee House District 71 in 2026. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary history. Bio does not indicate prior legislative experience or direct constituent service experience.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nMatt Day, of Columbia, is a Democratic candidate for Tennessee House of Representatives District 71, which covers Wayne County and parts of Hardin, Lawrence, and Maury counties [1]. He filed the required signatures (4 of 4) by the March 10, 2026 qualifying deadline, and the Tennessee Secretary of State's office listed his signatures as approved in the March 24, 2026 candidate list [1]. The Republican candidate on the ballot for this seat is Kip Capley of Summertown [1]. The Democratic primary is scheduled for August 6, 2026, with the general election on November 3, 2026 [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Candidates for Tennessee House of Representatives](https://sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com/s3fs-public/document/TNHouse_2026.pdf) \u2014 District 71, p.18, accessed 2026-07-20","firstname":"Matt","lastname":"Day","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"AVYJDr8aQM"},"token":"matt_day"},{"candidatename":"Kip Capley","chatgptsummary":"Kip Capley's biography shows relevant experience for District 71 through his tenure as a State Representative since 2022, committee service on Finance and Health subcommittees, and background as a business owner and minister. He has voted on tax, healthcare, and land preservation legislation while serving as Secretary of the House Republican Caucus. Bio does not indicate prior experience in lobbying or extensive cross-partisan coalition-building beyond caucus leadership.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nKip Capley is a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing District 71 [1]. He assumed office on November 8, 2022, following his victory in the 2022 general election [1]. As of 2023, he was noted as the youngest member of the State House [3]. His current term is scheduled to end on November 3, 2026 [1].\n\nCapley is seeking re-election to the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 71 in the 2026 cycle [1]. He is listed on the ballot for the Republican primary election scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1]. The general election for this seat has not yet occurred as of May 11, 2026, and its outcome remains unknown.\n\nCapley\u2019s campaign website describes him as a seventh-generation Tennessean with conservative values who advocates for lowering taxes to reduce inflation burdens on families and protecting small businesses [4]. He states that he will work to reduce healthcare costs and ensure access to care [4]. The candidate has received endorsements, including support from Chief Beecham, whom he praised for his grace and respect as a civil servant [5].\n\n## Background and education\n\nKip Capley was born on March 18, 1997, in Tennessee [3][12]. He is a seventh-generation Tennessean who was born and raised in Middle Tennessee [4][7]. Capley self-describes as having been raised with Christian and conservative values, noting that his family took important decisions to God in prayer [5]. He is a member of Mars Hill Baptist Church in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee [7].\n\nCapley earned a Bachelor of Science in history and political science from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro in 2019 [1][3][6][7]. He subsequently received a Master of Business Administration and Healthcare Administration from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville in 2021 [1][3][6][7].\n\n## Career\n\nKip Capley earned a Bachelor of Science in political science and history from Middle Tennessee State University in 2019 [1][3][6]. He subsequently obtained a Master of Business Administration in healthcare management from Trevecca Nazarene University in 2021 [1][3][6].\n\nCapley identifies as a business owner and part-time minister, stating that he is not a career politician but has volunteered his time in service [14]. He is a seventh-generation Tennessean born and raised in Middle Tennessee [4][7]. Capley is a member of Mars Hill Baptist Church in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee [7].\n\nRegarding military service and affiliations, sources do not list specific prior military service for Capley [6]. He holds associate membership with the Tennessee Firearms Association and Friends of the NRA, and he was a founding member of the Turning Point USA chapter at Middle Tennessee State University and the National Rifle Association chapter there [6]. He also volunteers with Operation Christmas Child [6].\n\n## Office history\n\nKip Capley first held elected office when he won the Republican primary and general election for Tennessee House District 71 in 2022 [13][14]. He assumed office on November 8, 2022, succeeding David Byrd, who did not seek re-election [3][13]. As a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, Capley serves two-year terms without term limits [2]. His district covers portions of Hardin, Maury, Wayne, and Lawrence counties [4]. During his tenure, he has served as Secretary for the Tennessee House Republican Caucus [7] and holds membership on the Finance, Ways, and Means Committee; the Health Subcommittee; and the Private Acts Committee [7].\n\nCapley is currently serving his second term, which ends on November 3, 2026 [1]. He is a candidate for re-election in the Republican primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\n\nRepresentative Kip Capley serves as Secretary of the Tennessee House Republican Caucus [7]. His committee assignments include the Finance, Ways, and Means Committee, where he also serves on the Health Subcommittee, as well as the Private Acts Committee [7].\n\nCapley has voted in support of legislation to ban state and local government entities from enforcing or recognizing mandates from international organizations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the World Economic Forum (SB263) [11]. He also supported SB207, which created a $25 million Farmland Preservation Fund managed by the Department of Agriculture [11]. Additionally, Capley voted for HB1237, which ended the ability of state regulatory and health agencies to require race-based membership [11].\n\nCapley self-describes his legislative priorities as lowering taxes to reduce inflation burdens on families, protecting small businesses and entrepreneurs, and reducing healthcare costs to ensure access to care [4]. He has received a lifetime vote score of 89 from the Tennessee Legislative Report Card (TLRC) [8].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n\nCapley\u2019s professional background includes an MBA in healthcare management from Trevecca Nazarene University and a B.S. in political science and history from Middle Tennessee State University [1][3]. He self-describes as a business owner and part-time minister [14]. His campaign materials state that he advocates for protecting small businesses and entrepreneurs while working to reduce healthcare costs [4].\n\nCapley does not provide specific details regarding his current employment, ownership stakes, or the sources of his personal wealth in available biographical profiles [6][10]. He is identified as a resident of Summertown, Tennessee [8]. As of 2023, he was noted as the youngest member of the State House [3].\n\n## Family\n\nCapley is a seventh-generation Tennessean who was born and raised in Middle Tennessee [4][7]. He states that he was raised with Christian and conservative values, noting that his family took important decisions to God in prayer [5]. As of 2023, Capley is the youngest member of the State House [3][9].\n\nThe provided sources do not contain information regarding Capley's spouse, children, or other family members in politics.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Kip Capley - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Kip_Capley)\n[2] [Tennessee House of Representatives District 71 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_House_of_Representatives_District_71)\n[3] [Kip Capley - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kip_Capley)\n[4] [Home - Capley for State Representative](https://www.votecapley.com/)\n[5] [ENDORSEMENTS - Capley for State Representative](https://www.votecapley.com/endorsements/)\n[6] [iVoterGuide - Kip Capley iVoterGuide Profile](https://ivoterguide.com/candidate/66011/race/15598/election/979)\n[7] [Representative Kip Capley \u2014 Tennessee House Republican Caucus](https://tnhousegop.org/members/representative-kip-capley/)\n[8] [Tennessee House District 71 - Capley - TLRC](https://tnreportcard.org/representatives/tn-hd71-capley/)\n[9] [Contact Representative Kip Capley \u2013 SenGov](https://sengov.com/states/tennessee/kip-capley/)\n[10] [Tennessee State Rep. Kip Capley - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/441720/Kip_Capley.html)\n[11] [Kip Capley | House | Freedom Index](https://freedomindex.us/legislator/11050)\n[12] [Kip Capley - Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q117354035)\n[13] [Kip Capley stays ahead winning State House 71st District seat](https://www.yahoo.com/news/early-voting-shows-kip-capley-010646696.html)\n[14] [Kip Capley wins State House District 71 race - Main Street Media of Tennessee](https://mainstreetmediatn.com/articles/mainstreetmaury/kip-capley-wins-state-house-district-71-race/)","firstname":"Kip","lastname":"Capley","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"qcjLCZNmVd"},"token":"kip_capley"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":"071","districtgroup":"state_house","districtgroupname":"State House","districtname":"District 71","job_type":"state_representative","o.office":"state_house_071","office":"state_house_071","officedescription":"The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the state legislature, with 99 members elected from single-member districts to two-year terms. Representatives pass state laws, originate revenue bills, approve the state budget, and \u2014 together with the Senate \u2014 confirm gubernatorial appointments and propose constitutional amendments. Candidates must be at least 21 years old, U.S. citizens, Tennessee residents for at least three years, and district residents for at least one year.","officequalities":"- **Integrity** \u2014 Acts in the interest of constituents and the public good rather than for personal gain, and remains independent of undue influence from donors, lobbyists, and party leadership.\n- **Understanding of the constituency** \u2014 Grasps both the economic-development needs of the district and the day-to-day concerns of individual residents \u2014 safety, healthcare, education, infrastructure.\n- **Persuasion** \u2014 Engages, listens to, and persuades both fellow legislators and constituents. Can change minds and explain votes honestly.\n- **Legislative craft** \u2014 Reads, drafts, and amends statute with care. Understands how specific bill language translates to outcomes, and knows the body of law being modified.\n- **Coalition-building** \u2014 Finds common ground across partisan and factional lines, brokers compromises that hold, and forms working majorities even when consensus is hard to reach.","officeterm":2,"officetitle":"State Representative District 71","partisan":1,"pgr":"primary","quantity":null,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-06-01","title":"TN SoS \u2014 Candidates for Tennessee House of Representatives (2026)","url":"https://sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com/s3fs-public/document/TNHouse_2026.pdf"},"title":"TN House District 71"}