{"biography":"Brent Gibson is a Republican candidate running for Knox County Sheriff in Tennessee's 2026 election [1]. He is a former law enforcement officer who recently retired from the Knox County Sheriff\u2019s Office (KCSO) after more than two decades of service [2]. Gibson joined KCSO in 1999, following his graduation from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and an emphasis in criminal justice [3]. He was also a four-year letterman for the Tennessee Volunteers football team [2].\n\nThroughout his career at KCSO, Gibson held numerous leadership positions, rising through the ranks to become Assistant Chief Deputy [3]. His roles included serving as a sergeant, lieutenant, and captain, as well as Director of Training at the KCSO Regional Training Academy and Firearms and Defensive Tactics Instructor [2]. From 2016 to 2022, he served as the principal firearms instructor and defensive tactics instructor at the academy, leading POST certification training for agencies throughout Tennessee [3]. Gibson also served as the SWAT Team Commander for the Knox County Special Weapons and Tactics Unit from 2018 until his retirement in 2024 [3]. He is a graduate of the 260th FBI National Academy [2].\n\nGibson has outlined several priorities for his campaign, including departmental transparency, fiscal responsibility, school safety, public engagement, and officer recruitment and retention [10]. He advocates for strengthening partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies to enforce immigration laws, specifically expressing interest in expanding Knox County\u2019s 287(g) participation to include a task force model that would allow deputies to engage in immigration enforcement while on patrol [12]. Gibson also plans to address homelessness through \"firm accountability\" and Christian conservative compassion [2].\n\nIn the Republican primary for Knox County Sheriff, Gibson is competing against David Amburn, Mike Davis, and Jimmy \"JJ\" Jones [9]. All four candidates are veterans of KCSO or related law enforcement agencies [4]. The winner of the May 5, 2026, primary will likely win the general election, as no Democrats have filed to run for the position [10]. Gibson has participated in public debates and surveys regarding his vision for the office, emphasizing a goal to make Knox County the safest place to live in East Tennessee [4].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n- [2] [Elect Brent Gibson](https://www.electbrentgibson.com/)\n- [3] [Why Brent \u2014 Elect Brent Gibson](https://www.electbrentgibson.com/whybrent)\n- [4] [Inside Tennessee: 2026 Knox County sheriff debate | wbir.com](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/knoxville/inside-tennessee-2026-knox-county-sheriff-debate/51-f9173252-3c1b-455b-a09e-4c52f9aa404d)\n- [5] [Knox County Sheriff - Brent Gibson](https://www.wvlt.tv/video/2026/04/06/knox-county-sheriff-brent-gibson/)\n- [9] [Survey: What are you looking for in the next Knox County Sheriff? | wbir.com](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/knoxville/survey-what-are-you-looking-for-in-next-knox-county-sheriff/51-c0f9e5a0-590e-4629-81e6-5aed60008d70)\n- [10] [Knox County sheriff candidates break down their visions, main priorities](https://www.wvlt.tv/2026/03/23/knox-county-sheriff-candidates-break-down-their-visions-main-priorities/)\n- [12] [Knox County Sheriff on the Ballot | AKIN](https://weareakin.wordpress.com/2026/04/14/knox-county-sheriff-on-the-ballot/)","campaigns":[{"contest":"sheriff","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"Sheriff"},{"contest":"sheriff","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"sheriff"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Brent","fullname":"Brent Gibson","lastname":"Gibson","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"sheriff","contest_title":"Sheriff","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":"knox","office_key":"sheriff","office_title":"Sheriff","party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},{"contest":"sheriff","contest_title":"sheriff","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"knox","office_key":"sheriff","office_title":"Sheriff","party":"R","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":"knox","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"sheriff","contest_title":"Sheriff","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":"knox","office_key":"sheriff","office_title":"Sheriff","party":"R","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"R","primary":{"contest":"sheriff","contest_title":"sheriff","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"knox","office_key":"sheriff","office_title":"Sheriff","party":"R","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"sheriff","office_title":"Sheriff","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Brent Gibson is a Republican candidate for Knox County Sheriff, TN, seeking to replace current Sheriff Tom Spangler after retiring from KCSO as Assistant Chief Deputy and SWAT Commander.","terms":[],"token":"LNhtmbQBHO"}