CUMBERLAND COUNTY CANDIDATES GEAR UP FOR FIRST PARTISAN COMMISSION PRIMARIES
It’s an election year! So, get ready to get votin’!
According to a report by the Crossville Chronicle, as of December 30, 2025, dozens of candidates have picked up qualifying papers for various Cumberland County political offices ahead of the 2026 elections, with qualifying beginning on December 22, 2025. Circuit Court Clerk Jessica R. Burgess is the only candidate to have returned and filed her paperwork, seeking re-election as a Republican.
This year’s county commission races mark a shift, as both Republican and Democratic parties requested primaries, moving away from the previous non-partisan elections. Incumbent County Mayor Allen Foster and several other incumbents, including Sheriff Casey D. Cox, County Clerk Jule Bryson, and Road Superintendent Stanley Hall, have picked up papers, alongside numerous challengers across county commission districts, trustee, and school board seats.
Additional offices on the ballot include Register of Deeds, County Commission District 7, and Board of Education Districts 1, 5, and 9. The deadline to file qualifying papers is February 19, 2026, with the county primary set for May 5, 2026, followed by the general election and state/federal primaries on August 6, 2026.
