Political experience: ran as Republican nominee for property assessor in 2004, losing to Democrat John Barbee; Rutherford and Bedford county campaign coordinator for Gov. Bill Haslam's campaign in 2009 and 2010; comes from a long line of Republicans, including grandfather John N. Jenkins, who was a chairman of the Rutherford County Republican Party in the 1950s and 1960s and served on the Rutherford County Election Commission. Robert E. Mitchell Age: 53 Qualifications: 15-year owner and operator of own insurance agency and has property appraisal experience through his business; wrote a grant to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that provided funding to help Rutherford County address a flood around 1990 Political experience: ran unsuccessfully in 1990 for a Rutherford County Commission seat won by Bill Ketron, who later became a Republican state senator; led a movement to incorporate the Florence community of around 10,000 residents in early 1990s before county government responded with more services from sheriff's deputies and a volunteer firefighter station; advocated to protect wetlands from being developed on Leanna Swamp Road.