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Gina Oster
Office history
Gina Oster is a Republican politician and real estate professional serving in Knox County, Tennessee. She currently holds office on the Knox County Commission for District 3, having been first elected in August 2022 [2]. District 3 includes the communities of Cedar Bluff, Ball Camp, Bearden, and Amherst [2]. Oster is running for re-election in the Republican primary scheduled for May 5, 2026 [6].
Prior to her election to the county commission, Oster ran unsuccessfully for the Tennessee House of Representatives District 18 in the 2020 Republican primary. She lost that race to Eddie Mannis by a narrow margin of 49.3% to 50.7% [1]. Following the election, Oster challenged the result, alleging that Democrats had voted in the GOP primary; however, the challenge was dismissed as Tennessee does not have party registration requirements [5], [12].
Since taking office in 2022, Oster has served on several county boards and committees. Her official bio lists her roles on the Beer Board, Joint Education Committee, Finance Committee, Chair of the Insolvency Board, Three Ridges Golf Course Advisory Board, and Legislative Affairs [2]. She also serves as the Chair of the Knox County Commission for the last two years [6]. Before her commission service, Oster held various community leadership positions, including serving as Legislative Chair, Vice President, and President of the Cedar Bluff Schools PTSA, where she won a state legislative award [2]. She was appointed to the Knox County Ethics Committee by then-Mayor Bill Burchett and served on the Knox County Sheriff Merit Council and the Knox County Tax Equalization Board [2].
Oster is a licensed realtor who has practiced in Knoxville since 2005, serving on the Governmental Affairs committee with the Knoxville Board of Realtors and as the state legislative liaison for Realtors [2]. She is a graduate of Karns High School and attended Pellissippi State University [2]. She resides in East Tennessee with her husband of 34 years, Stanton Oster, and they have three sons who are also married and live in the area [2].
In her 2026 campaign, Oster describes her motto as "putting people over politics" and emphasizes infrastructure improvements, including securing $6 million for road improvements and water mitigation in District 3 [11]. She supports responsible growth guided by the county's Advance Knox plan and advocates for increased pay for teachers and law enforcement officers funded through development rather than property tax hikes [10], [11]. Her campaign committee is titled "Committee to Elect Gina Oster" [6].
Sources
- [1] Gina Oster - Ballotpedia
- [2] Gina Oster - Knox County Commission
- [5] Eddie Mannis - Wikipedia
- [6] Gina Oster Republican Candidate for Knox County Commission District 3 | Voteginaoster.com
- [9] Gina Oster | Compass
- [10] Election 2022: County Commission District 3 | Compass
- [11] Meet Knox County Commission candidates for District 3 and 7 - Knox TN Today
- [12] Publisherβs Positions | The Knoxville Focus
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 β search by last name on each.
Tennessee β campaign finance (search)
- State offices (Governor, US Senate, US Rep, TN Senate, TN House, State Executive Committee) β Tennessee Registry of Election Finance. Click Search for Candidates and PACs, enter last name “Oster”, and submit.
- County and municipal offices (County Mayor, Commissioner, Sheriff, School Board, court clerks, municipal alderman, etc.) β most major TN counties use the EasyVote portal. Select the relevant county and search by candidate name (“Oster”).
Tennessee β statement of interest
- Required for state and local officials and candidates β Tennessee Ethics Commission Conflict of Interest Search. Enter last name “Oster”and, if needed, select the applicable position.