Knox County Primary 2026: The Compass Guide
Links to all of our election coverage — now outside the paywall.
April 27, 2026
With four days left in early voting before the May 5 Knox County primary, we have moved all of our election coverage outside our paywall. Click the links (in blue) to navigate to each story.
Early voting for the May 5 primary ends this Thursday, April 30. For voting information, see knoxvotes.org.
Feel free to share this story and all of the associated links with friends, family, neighbors, or anyone still trying to make up their minds about the candidates.
Knox County Mayor: Larsen Jay, Betsy Henderson and Kim Frazier are vying for the Republican nomination to succeed Mayor Glenn Jacobs. Democrat Beau Hawk is waiting in the wings.
Sheriff: Four law-enforcement veterans are squaring off in the race for Knox County Sheriff, which will be decided in the Republican primary.
County Clerk: Familiar names have populated the GOP primary ballot in the race for the county’s most diversified fee office.
Trustee: At the end of a tumultuous term, incumbent Justin Biggs faces challenges from Register of Deeds Nick McBride and former Trustee’s Office employee Barry Hawkins.
County Commission District 7: Three Republicans — two of them party insiders — are running to represent reliably red North Knox County.
County Commission At-Large Seat 10: Three candidates who have never held an elective office — Ronnie Rochelle, Justin Cofer and Kimberly Glenn — are running in the Republican primary.
County Commission At-Large Seat 11: Garrett Holt and Liz Tombras are facing off in the GOP primary in an echo of their County Commission District 4 contest two years ago.
School Board District 1: In the county’s only contested Democratic primary, a first-term incumbent faces a pair of challengers for a seat representing the school system’s most diverse district.
School Board District 9: Kristi Kristy is running for a third term against political newcomer Bill Sofield to represent South Knox County on the Board of Education.

