Hamilton County Commission Endorsements 2026

Dear union brothers and sisters,

After this spring's successful effort to help elect Katherlyn Geter in District 5, the Labor Council has begun building our power at the county level.

Earlier this month, CALC delegates and leadership developed a detailed policy platform outlining the priorities of a worker-first movement in Hamilton County. From that platform, we created a candidate survey to determine which candidates had earned our endorsement and our investment of labor's scarce but valuable resources.

We believe that local elections, and ultimately the future of Hamilton County, can be shaped by rank-and-file union members building independent political power. Voter turnout in local elections is historically low, and many races are decided by only a few dozen votes. That gives organized labor a unique opportunity to make a meaningful difference on behalf of working people. Now is the time.

After hearing from a majority of the county commission candidates, the Labor Council voted to endorse every candidate who supported each of our policy priorities. Six candidates met that standard. They are featured in the endorsement flyers below.

We are proud to support candidates who not only agreed with our platform, but also committed to the accountability necessary to follow through on those commitments and continue working with organized labor after the election. Without that commitment, they would not have received our endorsement.

Our support can take many forms, from simply lending our name to phone banking, canvassing, fundraising, and other volunteer efforts. Above all, it represents a commitment to providing the people power needed to help pro-worker candidates win.

We will kick off that effort tomorrow by supporting Montrell Besley's campaign event at 1:00 PM in Lookout Valley.

Location:

3202 Kellys Ferry Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37419

Besley is running for County Commission in District 11. He narrowly lost his last race by just 20 votes, making this one of the most competitive races in the county.

Please review and share the attached endorsement flyers with your members and networks.

If you or members of your local are interested in supporting these candidates through canvassing, phone banking, fundraising, or other volunteer efforts, please reach out to us directly.

Voter registration ends July 7and Election Day is August 6.

In solidarity,

CALC