Two races stand out from the May 5, 2026, primaries – those for Knox County mayor and for sheriff.
Sheriff-elect Brent Gibson left little doubt, piling up 44.14% in the four-man Republican primary. No Democrat qualified, making Gibson the successor to term-limited Tom Spangler. (These are unofficial returns.)
We caught up with Gibson on Wednesday afternoon as he drove to Gibbs High School where he is an assistant football coach. The former Vol offensive lineman blocked for Peyton Manning.
So, you’re coaching football the day after the election? “Sure,” he said. “Life goes on, even when you win.”
He praised his campaign team including 21-year-old manager Reagan Bittle. “He was great, especially with social media; he had to resign as president of the Young Republican Club to help me in a primary. Great young man; great family.”
Gibson also credited his wife and daughters. He said his pastor, Justin Pratt at Clear Springs Baptist Church, was a counselor. Gibson polled 19,672 votes to 13,443 for David Amburn, who was endorsed by Spangler; 6,330 for former DEA agent Mike Davis; and 5,124 for former Sheriff Jimmy “JJ” Jones.
What worries him? “That I might let (voters) down. I don’t want to do that.” When almost 20,000 people vote for you for almost 20,000 reasons, that’s a tough task. But if anyone can do it, Brent Gibson can. Stay tuned.
Betsy Henderson
Betsy Henderson has only Democratic nominee Beau Hawk to overcome in August to win a four-year term as county mayor. Four years has become eight for previous mayors. A promise not to raise taxes was the centerpiece of her campaign and she received an on-again, off-again endorsement from U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett and a real one from former Rep. Jimmy Duncan.
Henderson is a former chair of the Knox County Board of Education, while Hawk is president of the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Central Labor Council. We’ll talk more about this race toward August, but for today let’s explore Henderson’s path to the win.
Larsen Jay was the big loser on May 5. Jay served eight years as a county commissioner, at-large Seat 10, and announced his candidacy in March 2025. But he had been running for two, maybe eight, years. Although he chaired the commission briefly, he was not its most popular member. And he tried to lead on many issues – the more controversial the better it seemed.
I voted for Jay and don’t regret that vote. Jay had the business background and the creativity to dream things that never were. He created Random Acts of Flowers based on personal experience after a near-fatal accident. He outraised everyone and had allies with the Sheriff’s Office and developers – typically big players in GOP primaries.
Kim Frazier was the spoiler for Larsen Jay. She ran surprisingly well. Unofficial totals were: Henderson, 20,070 (44.73%); Jay, 13,975 (31.15%); and Frazier, 10,822, (24.12%).
The new county mayor will face budget problems as some Ragsdale-era balloon payments come due. She or he will hire leaders for county departments including Finance, Engineering & Public Works, Parks & Recreation, Health, Public Libraries, Solid Waste & Recycling and the list goes on.
Tuesday Winners:
Sherry Witt. Not only did she win election w/o opposition as register of deeds, but she saw two friends and former employees – Nick McBride as trustee and Richie Beeler as county clerk – win their primary.
Andrea Kline. It was close, but Judge Kline (21,215) beat Commissioner Rhonda Lee (18,766) in the race for General Sessions Judge. Kline faces Democrat Ben H. Houston II in August.
Brent Gibson. And his campaign team that pulled a “Golden Tempo Derby win” over better-known opponents.
Tuesday Losers:
Sheriff Tom Spangler. Not on the ballot and battling cancer, he endorsed David Amburn who lost. Also losing was Kimberly Glenn, the sheriff’s right hand, who ran for county commission, at-large District 10. Glenn lost to Justin Cofer, who was allied with Henderson. Unofficial totals: Cofer, 16,884; Glenn, 15,899; and Ronnie Rochelle, 6,144.
Justin Biggs. He won election in 2022 to a job he really wanted – county trustee – and proceeded to lease expensive trucks which some staff used personally and charged higher than authorized rates at motels and restaurants on government travel, according to audits. Nick McBride beat Biggs in the GOP primary. McBride, 19,790; Biggs, 14,228; and Barry Hawkins, 7,056.
ET Realtors. Endorsed four candidates in the primary: Larsen Jay, Gina Oster, Kimberly Glenn and Garrett Holt. Only Holt won.
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I will watch the funding of the Sheriff’s Department with great interest. If we take extra ICE money the Sheriff gives up control of the Sheriff’s Department (as it currently stands) and transfers that power to the Executive Branch, presumably ending up in Henderson’s hands. Henderson can take control of the Sheriff’s Department via paycuts and budget cuts forcing them to accept funding coming with all sorts of strings attached. This County is sitting on the edge of bankruptcy and Henderson has never known what she’s doing. If Phil Williams work on hate politics is correct, she is simply a Nazi tool put in place to destrroy public schools. She’s winning.
Bob: If this is true, there’s no way Brent Gibson will cede control of the Sheriff’s Office to the county mayor or anyone else. He worked too hard to get the job to turn around and give it up. Besides, his job is to catch the suspected and incarcerate the convicted — not chase around looking for people with brown skin.
I would like to think this is the end for JJ Jones as he has been told by the voters, twice, to go away. Some have said he’s sitting on quite a bit of money from previous donations. I think he and Tim Hutcheson need to spend time fishing.
After 16 years of female mayors in the city, it will be nice to see one as county mayor.
Michael: Not all female politicians are equal or even friends. In that regard, we’re a lot like men.