First quarter breakdown: Kingsport election financial disclosures

KINGSPORT — Election campaign financial disclosures for Kingsport races showed a slow start to contributions and spending in the first quarter. First quarter disclosures were required to be reported by April 10 and represent Jan. 16 through March 31, 2026. Second quarter financial statements are due July 10. Overview In Kingsport, two candidates are running for mayor, and five candidates are running for alderman. Of the five aldermen candidates, only three will be elected this cycle. The city is governed by a seven member Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The members are elected at-large and on a non-partisan basis for four-year staggered terms. The mayor is elected at-large for a two-year term. Elections are held in August during even numbers years; the new BMA is seated in September of each election year. Aldermen Gary Mayes, Colette George and Betsy Cooper's terms expire on Aug. 31. Kingsport City School board candidates will be on the ballot for the May 5 primary election, as well as the Aug. 6 general election. There are two Kingsport school board seats to be filled, with four candidates. Kingsport mayor candidates Kingsport mayor incumbent Paul Montgomery started and ended the first quarter of 2026 with $86.76. No receipts or disbursements were listed on his latest campaign financial disclosure statement. Mayoral candidate Tim Sanders reported a starting and ending balance of $0 for the first quarter of 2026. His campaign financial disclosure statement also showed no receipts or disbursements during the first three months of the year. Kingsport alderman candidates Alderman candidate Calvin D. Clifton received $560 ($200 unitemized and $360 itemized) in contributions during the first quarter, election records show. Former Kingsport mayors Dennis Phillips and Pat Shull gave contributions to Clifton's election campaign -- Phillips giving $250 and Shull giving $110. Candidate Tom Segelhorst received $1,288.13 during the first quarter, with $588.13 spent and a remaining balance of $700. He received $100 in unitemized contributions, $600 itemized contributions and $588.13 from a personal loan. Segelhorst also saw contributions from Phillips ($200) and Shull ($200), as well as $200 from local businessman Stephen LaHair. Segelhorst noted expenditures on magnets ($33.95), business cards ($49.25), pens ($265.24), name badges ($76.55) and Apple software ($163.14). Candidates Richard Isaacs, Joshua B. McMillan and Julie Byers did not report any contributions or expenditures during the period, as first quarter statements were not listed online. The Times News reached out to the three candidates to independently verify the status of their first quarter financials. Kingsport City School Board candidates Kingsport City School Board candidate Sara Cassidy reported starting the year with $0 and spent $186.15 on campaign signs. Current KCS Vice President Melissa Woods saw the highest amount of campaign receipts in the local Kingsport race, receiving $2,400 for this period — with $2,000 of that amount being from a personal loan. She started the year with $100.14 and ended in March with a $2,500.04 balance on hand. Woods received $100 in unitemized contributions, $300 itemized contributions, the $2,000 personal loan previously mentioned and $52.32 from in-kind contributions. Sara Poe was the sole itemized contributor to Woods' campaign for this period. Independent candidate Derrick Browder neither received nor spent money for his campaign during the first three months of 2026. Current KCS Board President Brandon Fletcher had no first quarter financial disclosure document listed on the Sullivan County Election Commission's website. Fletcher told the Times News he initially submitted his statement by the April 10 deadline, but there was an error in the dates written down for the reporting period. He said Saturday he is working to update the information to have the dates accurately reported and the information accepted by the Sullivan County Election Commission as soon as possible. To view all the publicly available financial disclosure statements for this election, visit https://sullivancountytn.easyvotecampaignfinance.com/.