{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Willard Greene","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Willard","lastname":"Greene","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"DOI1z2ad01"},"token":"willard_greene"},{"candidatename":"Gemory Thompson","chatgptsummary":"Emory Thompson's biography shows thirty years of local residence and business ownership in White County, alongside pastoral leadership at a local ministry. These roles suggest familiarity with community needs and fiscal management through his contracting firm. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate experience in legislative drafting, budget approval processes, or state-mandated continuing education for county commissioners.","notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nEmory Thompson is an independent candidate for White County Commission in District 3 in the August 6, 2026 general election, running alongside Republican Becky Golden and independent Willard Greene in the two-seat district [2]. He campaigns on fiscal conservatism and transparency, pledging never to \"cast a vote on any agenda item\" without fully understanding the facts, under the slogan \"Nothing Hidden. Nothing Excused.\" [1].\n\n## Background\nOriginally from Houston, Texas, Thompson relocated to Sparta in the summer of 1992 and has lived there for more than three decades [1].\n\n## Career\nThompson operates a general-contracting business that he says has provided for his family for more than 30 years [1]. In 2010 he founded Golden Mountain Ministries, an independent church on Golden Mountain Road, where he serves as pastor [1].\n\n## Family\nHe has been married to his wife, Loel, for 33 years, and they have two children and four grandsons [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [County Commissioner Candidate: Emory Thompson - Main Street Journal](https://www.mainstreetjournal.llc/emory-thompson-county-commissioner/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [White County Election Guide: Who's Running in August - Main Street Journal](https://www.mainstreetjournal.llc/white-county-august-election-candidates-guide/) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"Gemory","lastname":"Thompson","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"oN17o22tO8"},"token":"gemory_thompson"},{"candidatename":"Recky Golden","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":null,"firstname":"Recky","lastname":"Golden","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"9VznSbDEGb"},"token":"recky_golden"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_3","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":2,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-20","title":"white County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.whitecountytnvotes.gov/_files/ugd/fb005c_1f7dd14e02f64a8284da79e9b9c03625.pdf"},"title":"County Commission District 3"}