Tennessee SOS posts updated 2026 candidate lists affecting Decatur County races

The Tennessee Secretary of State’s elections office posted updated 2026 candidate lists on the state elections pages, with the online notice current as of February 27, 2026. The SOS entries show filed dates, issued dates and literal status fields such as Issued, Signatures Approved, Signatures Pending and Withdrawn; the original state update includes the truncated fragment "That update reiterates the sta" in the posted text.

The statewide roster includes high-profile federal names and local-ticket filings. U.S. Senate entries include Bill Hagerty, Republican, Issued 1/16/2026, Status: Issued, and Marsha Blackburn, Republican, Issued 1/9/2026, Status: Issued. The SOS list shows multiple House and state contests: Andrea Johnson, Republican, District: 9th, Issued 1/9/2026; Kevin Young, Republican, District: 9th, Issued 1/12/2026, Filed 2/9/2026, Status: Signatures Approved; and Justin J. Pearson, Democratic, District: 9th, Issued 1/16/2026, Status: Issued.

The SOS excerpts include several internal inconsistencies the state elections office will need to clarify. Yoshi D. Matthews appears twice in the table: as a Republican entry Issued 1/9/2026, Filed 1/20/2026, Status: Withdrawn; and as an Independent entry Issued 1/22/2026, Filed 2/2/2026, Status: Signatures Approved. Pamela Moses also appears twice with the same Issued date of 2/6/2026 but with different party designations - listed once as Independent, District: 8th, Issued 2/6/2026, Status: Issued, and again as Republican, Issued 2/6/2026, Status: Issued.

Independent and minor-party petitions are visible in the SOS listing. Tharon Chandler, Independent, Issued 1/9/2026, Filed 2/10/2026, Status: Signatures Approved; Jeremy Dean Hearn, Independent, Issued 1/16/2026, Filed 2/20/2026, Status: Signatures Pending; Leif Johnson, Independent, District: 8th, Issued 2/23/2026, Status: Issued; and David Sutman Jr., Independent, Issued 2/17/2026, Status: Issued. Democratic filings shown include Diana Onyejiaka, Issued 1/9/2026, Filed 2/18/2026, Status: Signatures Approved, and Carnita Atwater, Issued 1/9/2026, Filed 1/16/2026, Status: Signatures Approved.

Ballotpedia’s 2026 State Senate primary excerpt offers context but warns readers that its roster may be incomplete. "Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name. The candidate list in this election may not be complete. Please contact Ballotpedia about candidate additions, withdrawals, or disqualifications." The same Ballotpedia excerpt includes 2024 presidential tallies for Tennessee — Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) 60.7%, 1,852,475 votes; Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) 37.5%, 1,143,711 votes — data that helps explain the statewide partisan environment reflected in filings.

Local qualifying and ballot timelines will determine which names reach Decatur County ballots. A Carter County election calendar posted public deadlines and noted, "All candidates (including independents) for Governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Tennessee Senate (odd-numbered districts), and Tennessee House must follow the qualifying dates for the August election. For municipal elections held with the November election, the qualifying dates below apply." That calendar lists the August-primary qualifying deadline as Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 12:00 Noon; the May-primary qualifying deadline as Thursday, February 19, 2026, 12:00 Noon; and the November-general qualifying deadline as Thursday, August 20, 2026, 12:00 Noon, along with early voting windows and absentee request cutoffs.

With the SOS page dated current as of Feb. 27, 2026, the filings and statuses above will shape local ballots if petition signatures are validated and withdrawals are final. Election officials in Decatur County and the Tennessee Secretary of State’s elections division are the sources to confirm duplicate entries such as Yoshi D. Matthews and Pamela Moses, and to provide final ballot lineups before the March and August qualifying deadlines.