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David Amburn
born 1966-12-10 (Age 59)
Office history
David Amburn is a Republican candidate running for Knox County Sheriff in the May 5, 2026 primary election [7]. He currently serves as the Chief of Detectives for the Knox County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), a position to which he was promoted by Sheriff Tom Spangler in 2021 [6]. Amburn has served with KCSO for 34 years, rising through the ranks from his start as a correctional officer at the old Penal Farm in 1992 [6]. His career history includes assignments in patrol, investigations, narcotics, special investigations, property crimes, major crimes, and homeland security [6]. He also established the Sheriff’s Office Fleet Program in 1995 and currently serves as its administrator, overseeing approximately 500 vehicles [6]. Under his leadership, the KCSO Narcotics Unit was named the Tennessee Narcotics Officers Association 2024 Narcotics Unit of the Year [3].
Amburn was born and raised in West Knox County, attending the first classes at Christian Academy of Knoxville when it opened, and graduated from Farragut High School in 1985 [6]. He is a father of two children, Ashton and Conner, and a grandfather to five grandchildren [3]. His campaign website highlights a personal family incident in 2020 involving his son and law enforcement as a motivation for his focus on immigration enforcement, specifically supporting the 287(g) program [2].
Amburn filed to run for sheriff after the death of Chief Deputy Bernie Lyon, who had been considered a potential successor to Sheriff Spangler, who is term-limited [7]. He is one of four Republican candidates in the race, alongside Mike Davis, Brent Gibson, and Jimmy "J.J." Jones [9]. Amburn’s platform focuses on building upon the foundation established by Sheriff Spangler, increasing deputy presence for faster response times, and implementing a Quick Response Team for school threats [3]. He also prioritizes restoring proactive policing units and conducting a full agency assessment of personnel and policies [12].
Sources
- [1] Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State
- [2] Learn More - David Amburn for Knox County Sheriff
- [3] About | David Amburn for Knox County Sheriff
- [4] David Amburn for Knox County Sheriff
- [6] Commanders – Chief David Amburn - Knox County Sheriff Website
- [7] Election 2026: KCSO Chief of Detectives David Amburn steps up to run for Knox County sheriff | wbir.com
- [9] Knox County sheriff candidates break down their visions, main priorities
- [11] Knox County Sheriff - David Amburn
- [12] Knox County sheriff primary election voter's guide: Meet the candidates
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)
- State offices (Governor, US Senate, US Rep, TN Senate, TN House, State Executive Committee) — Tennessee Registry of Election Finance. Click Search for Candidates and PACs, enter last name “Amburn”, and submit.
- 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 (“Amburn”).
Tennessee — statement of interest
- Required for state and local officials and candidates — Tennessee Ethics Commission Conflict of Interest Search. Enter last name “Amburn”and, if needed, select the applicable position.