RICHARD TUCKER

Current office and 2026 campaign

Richard Tucker is the Republican incumbent Washington County Commissioner for District 1, serving his first term ¹². He is running for reelection in the county general election on August 6, 2026.

Background and education

Tucker is a 1979 graduate of Daniel Boone High School ¹².

Career

Tucker owns Tucker Drywall Corporation, Inc. and Tucker Home Builders, LLC, and operates a 150-head Black Angus cattle farm in Bowmantown, according to his official Washington County Commission biography ¹².

Office history

As commissioner, Tucker serves on the Budget Committee, the Commerce, Industry & Agriculture committee, the County Owned Property committee, and the Water Task Force, and serves as secretary of the Public Works committee ¹². He has said his goal as commissioner "is for everybody in the county to have public water and faster internet" ¹.

Documented disputes and controversies

In February 2026, Washington County resident Kevin Hendricks of Jonesborough reported to the Washington County Sheriff's Office that Tucker threatened him after Hendricks spoke against a rezoning request from BWX Technologies at a commission meeting; a deputy's report quotes Tucker telling Hendricks, "One of these days I'm going to get you," and three witnesses reportedly corroborated hearing the threat ³⁴. Hendricks filed an ethics complaint against Tucker; the county ethics committee reviewed the sheriff's report and took no action, with the committee chair saying he didn't doubt the threat occurred but that it fell outside the committee's jurisdiction, which is limited to conflicts of interest, improper gifts, and misuse of government resources ⁴⁵. County officials said Hendricks could separately seek a criminal summons against Tucker ⁴.

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