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James Lee Berrong
Office history
Current office and 2026 campaign
James Lee Berrong is the incumbent Blount County Sheriff, appointed to the post in 1989 and re-elected every term since 1990 12. He won the May 5, 2026 Republican primary against challenger Jerry D. Burns; no Democrat or independent qualified, so the primary winner will be elected to office in the August 6, 2026 general election 2.
Career
Berrong was raised in Blount County 2. Under his leadership, the Blount County Sheriff's Office established one of the state's first school resource officer programs in 1996, now placing an SRO in every school in the county, and launched a POST-certified deputy training academy in 2007 that has since graduated 31 classes 2. He describes leading the office's Drug Task Force through a shift from methamphetamine labs in the early-to-mid 2000s to today's fentanyl crisis 2. In August 2024, the Tennessee Sheriffs' Association named Berrong its Tennessee Sheriff of the Year 3.
Office history
Berrong has held the office of Blount County Sheriff continuously since his 1989 appointment, through every subsequent election 12.
Documented disputes and controversies
Berrong's tenure has included line-of-duty losses: Deputy Greg McCowan was shot and killed during a traffic stop in February 2024, with a second deputy wounded in the same incident, and Deputy Justin Mowery died in an on-duty vehicle crash in December 2025 1. In June 2026, Berrong announced that a Sheriff's Office employee had been placed on unpaid administrative leave following multiple allegations of misconduct; after consulting Blount County District Attorney General Ryan Desmond, the office opened an internal investigation, and Desmond asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to separately review the matter for potential criminal violations. The employee's name and the nature of the allegations were not made public 4.
Sources
Public filings
Candidates and officeholders are required by law to file campaign finance reports and statements of economic interest. The sites below don't support direct links to an individual record — search by last name on each.
Tennessee — campaign finance (search)
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State offices (Governor, TN Senate, TN House, State Executive Committee, statewide judiciary) —
Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.
Click Search for Candidates and PACs, enter last name “Berrong”, and submit.
US House, US Senate, and Presidential candidates file with the FEC — see the federal section below. - County and municipal offices (County Mayor, Commissioner, Sheriff, School Board, court clerks, municipal alderman, etc.) — most major TN counties use the EasyVote portal. Select the relevant county and search by candidate name (“Berrong”).
Tennessee — statement of interest
- Required for state and local officials and candidates — Tennessee Ethics Commission Conflict of Interest Search. Enter last name “Berrong”and, if needed, select the applicable position.