{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"LAUREN BREEZE","chatgptsummary":"Lauren Breeze's biography shows relevant experience for county commissioner through her tenure as an incumbent district representative and her Certified County Finance Officer designation, which addresses budget literacy demands. She also holds a Certified Public Administrator credential. The record notes no controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate specific experience in drafting ordinances or completing state-mandated continuing education.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nLauren Breeze is the incumbent Wilson County Commissioner for District 18, first elected in 2018 [1]. She ran unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Republican primary and faces Democrat Rick Howard Jr. in the August 6, 2026 Wilson County general election [2].\n\n## Background and education\n\nBreeze relocated to Wilson County from Texas in 2012 [3]. She holds a degree in Marine Transportation and an MBA with a focus in global business and marketing [3]. She began her career as a Third Mate in the Merchant Marine working on oil tankers, later served as a Port Captain for the Mediterranean Shipping Company managing route and cargo planning for nine container ships, and co-founded the regional family-tourism site Nashvillefunforfamilies.com [3].\n\n## Career\n\nBreeze became a Certified Public Administrator in 2020 and says she is the only elected official in Wilson County to hold the Certified County Finance Officer designation, awarded through the Tennessee State Comptroller's Office [1][3].\n\n## Office history\n\nBreeze won a second term in the August 2022 general election, running as an Independent and defeating Terri Nicholson - then a Tennessee GOP State Executive Committee member and former Wilson County Republican Party chair - 461-435 [1][4]. She is running for a third term in 2026 as the Republican nominee [2].\n\n## Sources\n\n[1] [Lauren Breeze holds off Terri Nicholson in Wilson County Commission District 18 race, Main Street Media of Tennessee](https://mainstreetmediatn.com/articles/thewilsonpost/lauren-breeze-holds-off-terri-nicholson-in-wilson-county-commission-district-18-race/) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [Wilson County May 5 primary candidates, Lebanon Democrat](https://www.lebanondemocrat.com/lebanon/wilson-county-may-5-primary-candidates/article_1c729583-8efa-5bb9-bf6d-b169c75f0c2f.html) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[3] [About Lauren - Lauren Breeze District 18 Commissioner](https://laurenbreeze.com/about/) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[4] [GOP leader Terri Nicholson opposes Lauren Breeze for county commission seat, Main Street Media of Tennessee](https://mainstreetmediatn.com/articles/thewilsonpost/gop-leader-terri-nicholson-opposes-lauren-breeze-for-county-commission-seat/) - accessed 2026-07-06","firstname":"LAUREN","lastname":"BREEZE","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"n4YK8kPFgl"},"token":"lauren_breeze"},{"candidatename":"RICK HOWARD JR","chatgptsummary":"Rick Howard Jr.'s biography highlights community advocacy and constituent accessibility through his campaign focus on education and infrastructure. The record shows no controversies or disciplinary history. Bio does not indicate experience in budget literacy, legislative drafting, or state-mandated continuing education.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nRick Howard Jr. is the Democratic nominee for Wilson County Commission District 18, unopposed in the May 5, 2026 primary [1]. He faces Republican incumbent Lauren Breeze in the August 6, 2026 Wilson County general election [1]. His campaign platform centers on education - saying \"we can move our community forward\" by making sure \"our children receive a good education in a safe environment\" - along with infrastructure and constituent accessibility; he describes his candidacy as running \"with no hidden agendas\" [2].\n\n## Background and education\n\nIn his candidate announcement, Howard says he was raised in Fairmount, Indiana, in a two-parent home, attended Sunday school, and won awards for perfect attendance seven years in a row; he credits that upbringing with teaching him \"you always help those who are struggling... no matter what race, sexual orientation or religion\" [3]. \"I'm a fighter and I want to fight for you!\" he said announcing his campaign [3].\n\n## Sources\n\n[1] [Wilson County May 5 primary candidates, Lebanon Democrat](https://www.lebanondemocrat.com/lebanon/wilson-county-may-5-primary-candidates/article_1c729583-8efa-5bb9-bf6d-b169c75f0c2f.html) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [Rick Howard Jr. for Wilson County Commission District 18 - ActBlue](https://secure.actblue.com/donate/rick-howard-jr-1) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[3] [Candidate announcement: Rick Howard for county commission, Main Street Media of Tennessee](https://mainstreetmediatn.com/articles/chronicleofmtjuliet/candidate-announcement-rick-howard-for-county-commission/) (article is subscriber-gated beyond the opening paragraphs; quotes above reflect the publicly visible portion as of 2026-07-06) - accessed 2026-07-06","firstname":"RICK","lastname":"JR","middlename":"HOWARD","suffix":null,"token":"roV4rq7l9E"},"token":"rick_howard_jr"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":null,"office":"county_commission_district_18","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":"Wilson County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://www.wilsontnvotes.gov/uploads/files/ac1b9fbb90ce60c71fbc5ea6abbf2e120e3f7e11.pdf"},"title":"County Commission District 18"}