{"age":49,"biography":"Stephen Hood is a Democratic candidate running for Knox County Trustee in Tennessee [7]. He resides in West Hills and was born and raised in Appalachia, identifying himself as the son of a Vietnam War veteran [10]. Hood has over 30 years of public service experience at the federal, state, and county levels [10].\n\nHood is competing against incumbent Republican Justin Biggs, as well as Republicans Nick McBride and Barry Hawkins, in the May 5, 2026 primary election [7][8][12]. He is the sole Democratic candidate in this race [9]. The Knox County Trustee is responsible for collecting residential, commercial, and personal property taxes, accounting for and disbursing county funds, and investing money to earn interest [7].\n\nHood\u2019s campaign focuses on restoring public trust in the office, citing problematic behavior by previous holders of the position as his motivation for running [8]. He describes managing taxpayer dollars as a \"sacred duty\" and emphasizes a strong respect for rules and regulations [8]. His platform centers on fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability [10]. Specifically, Hood has stated he would review recent probes of the office and carry out auditors' recommendations [12].\n\nFinancially, Hood\u2019s campaign reported taking in $5,900 and spending $1,556 during a reporting period ending in early 2026, leaving him with approximately $4,445 on hand [9]. He relies on grassroots supporter funds rather than large donations [10].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_gubernatorial_election,_2026)\n- [2] [Tennessee elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_elections,_2026)\n- [3] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n- [4] [2026 Election United States House - Tennessee - District 05 - FEC.gov](https://www.fec.gov/data/elections/house/TN/05/2026/)\n- [5] [2026 Tennessee gubernatorial election - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Tennessee_gubernatorial_election)\n- [6] [2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Tennessee)\n- [7] [Knox County trustee primary election voter's guide: Meet the candidates](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/knox-county-trustee-primary-election-091225099.html)\n- [8] [Meet the candidates for Knox County Trustee - Knox TN Today](https://www.knoxtntoday.com/meet-the-candidates-for-knox-county-trustee/)\n- [9] [Election 2026: More than $600K spent in Knox Co. mayor's race so far | wbir.com](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/knoxville/election-2026-more-than-600k-spent-in-knox-co-mayors-race-so-far/51-cc4abaf1-7f0e-4f3b-8c49-68b009490788)\n- [10] [Stephen Hood for Knox County Trustee | Build Trust, Support Community](https://www.truststephen.com/)\n- [12] [Knox County Trustee Race Heats Up Ahead Of May Primary](https://hoodline.com/2026/04/trucks-tax-dollars-and-turf-wars-knox-county-trustee-clash-hits-may-ballot/)","birthdate":"Sun, 15 May 1977 00:00:00 GMT","campaigns":[{"contest":"trustee","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County Trustee"},{"contest":"county_trustee","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"County Trustee"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Stephen","fullname":"Stephen Hood","lastname":"Hood","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"trustee","contest_title":"County Trustee","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"trustee","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"trustee","contest_title":"County Trustee","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"trustee","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"D","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"trustee","office_title":"County Trustee","state":"TN","terms":[]},{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_trustee","contest_title":"County Trustee","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"knox","office_key":"county_trustee","office_title":"County Trustee","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":"knox","cycles":[{"general":null,"party":"D","primary":{"contest":"county_trustee","contest_title":"County Trustee","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"knox","office_key":"county_trustee","office_title":"County Trustee","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_trustee","office_title":"County Trustee","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Stephen Hood is a Democratic candidate for Knox County Trustee in Tennessee, emphasizing fiscal responsibility and restoring public trust after state investigations into the office.","terms":[],"token":"6ueTxbq9rH"}