About Me:
I’m Justin Cofer, and I’m running for Knox County Commission because I believe local government works best when it is accountable, transparent, and disciplined with taxpayer dollars.
I’m an Iraq War veteran with a background in business and hands on project work. During my military career, I earned multiple trade certifications, all documented and verifiable through my DD 214. That experience gave me real world insight into how projects are planned, executed, and held to standards, and it taught me the importance of oversight, cost control, and accountability. Those lessons guide how I approach the responsibilities of county government.
My wife has graciously put up with me since 2007, and together we are raising two incredible boys, ages twelve and four. They are the reason I chose to run for this seat. I want them to grow up in a Knox County that still reflects the beautiful places I was fortunate to grow up around. We can grow responsibly without losing our character or becoming another city, and we should protect what makes our community special.
After my military service, I continued my education and graduated Magna Cum Laude from King University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Administration. That education, combined with my trade certifications and military experience, gives me both practical and financial insight into how decisions affect budgets, timelines, and the people ultimately responsible for the cost.
I believe growth is inevitable, but it must be responsible. Too often, development is approved without a clear explanation of how new roads, schools, and infrastructure will be paid for, leaving taxpayers to absorb the cost later. Growth should pay for itself, and developers should help cover the infrastructure demands their projects create instead of shifting that burden onto Knox County homeowners.
My priorities are straightforward. Fiscal responsibility, limited government, transparency before votes are taken, and respect for property rights. Elected officials should ask hard questions before committing taxpayer money and provide clear answers to the public, not excuses after decisions are already made.
I’m running to offer principled, conservative leadership focused on Knox County, not political insiders or special interests. I am not backed by developer money, and I am not self funding a campaign with personal wealth. With your support, I can stand alongside other conservatives on the County Commission to push for accountability, fiscal responsibility, and responsible growth that puts Knox County families first.
-Justin D. Cofer
