{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Barry Hawkins","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"Barry Hawkins is a Republican candidate running for Knox County Trustee in Tennessee's May 5, 2026 primary election [7]. He is challenging incumbent Justin Biggs and fellow Republican Nick McBride in the primary, with the winner set to face Democrat Stephen Hood in the general election on August 6, 2026 [10].\n\nHawkins was born and raised in Knoxville and is a graduate of Powell High School and the University of Tennessee [6]. He is married to Anna, whom he met while working at the Trustee\u2019s office in 1994; they have three children and are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in May 2026 [6].\n\nHawkins\u2019 professional background includes extensive experience within Knox County government. He worked for the Knox County Trustee\u2019s Office from 1994 to 2011, starting in an entry-level role answering phones and progressively taking on responsibilities such as mail processing, delinquent collections, tax sale services, bank reconciliations, and payment processing [6]. Following his tenure at the Trustee\u2019s office, he owned and operated Hawk Commercial Properties from 2011 to 2020 [6]. Since 2020, he has worked for six years in the Knox County Property Assessor\u2019s Office [6].\n\nIn the 2026 campaign, Hawkins has emphasized his managerial experience within the Trustee's office as a key qualification, stating that no other candidate offers similar experience [6]. His platform includes welcoming audits of the office and tightening hiring practices [12]. Financially, Hawkins raised $4,750 during the first quarter of 2026 and had $1,592 remaining as of March 31, 2026 [7].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Tennessee elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_elections,_2026)\n- [2] [Hawkins County Sample Ballot (Tennessee) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Hawkins_County_Sample_Ballot_(Tennessee))\n- [3] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n- [4] [Barry Hawkins - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Hawkins)\n- [6] [Barry Hawkins for Knox County Trustee](https://www.facebook.com/100068159231636/posts/let-me-introduce-myself-to-the-people-who-dont-know-me-im-barry-hawkins-candidat/1234283372186959/)\n- [7] [Primary 2026: Trustee - Compass | Knoxville](https://compassknox.com/2026/04/22/primary-2026-trustee/)\n- [10] [Meet the candidates for Knox County Trustee - Knox TN Today](https://www.knoxtntoday.com/meet-the-candidates-for-knox-county-trustee/)\n- [12] [Knox County Trustee Race Heats Up Ahead Of May Primary](https://hoodline.com/2026/04/trucks-tax-dollars-and-turf-wars-knox-county-trustee-clash-hits-may-ballot/)","firstname":"Barry","lastname":"Hawkins","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"CbUfU7TYfD"},"token":"barry_hawkins"},{"candidatename":"Stephen Hood","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"Stephen Hood is a Democratic candidate running for Knox County Trustee in Tennessee [7]. He resides in West Hills and was born and raised in Appalachia, identifying himself as the son of a Vietnam War veteran [10]. Hood has over 30 years of public service experience at the federal, state, and county levels [10].\n\nHood is competing against incumbent Republican Justin Biggs, as well as Republicans Nick McBride and Barry Hawkins, in the May 5, 2026 primary election [7][8][12]. He is the sole Democratic candidate in this race [9]. The Knox County Trustee is responsible for collecting residential, commercial, and personal property taxes, accounting for and disbursing county funds, and investing money to earn interest [7].\n\nHood\u2019s campaign focuses on restoring public trust in the office, citing problematic behavior by previous holders of the position as his motivation for running [8]. He describes managing taxpayer dollars as a \"sacred duty\" and emphasizes a strong respect for rules and regulations [8]. His platform centers on fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability [10]. Specifically, Hood has stated he would review recent probes of the office and carry out auditors' recommendations [12].\n\nFinancially, Hood\u2019s campaign reported taking in $5,900 and spending $1,556 during a reporting period ending in early 2026, leaving him with approximately $4,445 on hand [9]. He relies on grassroots supporter funds rather than large donations [10].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_gubernatorial_election,_2026)\n- [2] [Tennessee elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_elections,_2026)\n- [3] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n- [4] [2026 Election United States House - Tennessee - District 05 - FEC.gov](https://www.fec.gov/data/elections/house/TN/05/2026/)\n- [5] [2026 Tennessee gubernatorial election - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Tennessee_gubernatorial_election)\n- [6] [2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Tennessee)\n- [7] [Knox County trustee primary election voter's guide: Meet the candidates](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/knox-county-trustee-primary-election-091225099.html)\n- [8] [Meet the candidates for Knox County Trustee - Knox TN Today](https://www.knoxtntoday.com/meet-the-candidates-for-knox-county-trustee/)\n- [9] [Election 2026: More than $600K spent in Knox Co. mayor's race so far | wbir.com](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/knoxville/election-2026-more-than-600k-spent-in-knox-co-mayors-race-so-far/51-cc4abaf1-7f0e-4f3b-8c49-68b009490788)\n- [10] [Stephen Hood for Knox County Trustee | Build Trust, Support Community](https://www.truststephen.com/)\n- [12] [Knox County Trustee Race Heats Up Ahead Of May Primary](https://hoodline.com/2026/04/trucks-tax-dollars-and-turf-wars-knox-county-trustee-clash-hits-may-ballot/)","firstname":"Stephen","lastname":"Hood","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"6ueTxbq9rH"},"token":"stephen_hood"},{"candidatename":"Justin Biggs","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"Justin Biggs is a Republican candidate seeking re-election to the position of Knox County Trustee in Tennessee, with an election date set for May 5, 2026 [1]. He was first elected to the office in 2022 and draws an annual salary of $164,904 [7]. The Knox County Trustee is responsible for collecting property taxes, disbursing and accounting for county funds, and investing money to earn interest and profits for the county [7].\n\nFollowing his election, Biggs expanded his office's payroll by hiring several friends and granting them raises ranging from 30% to 71%, which increased the office's payroll costs by nearly $400,000 compared to the previous trustee's tenure [7]. In 2023, the county leased six new Ford Silverado 1500 pickup trucks for Biggs' office at a cost of $397,968, which was approximately $200,000 more than what taxpayers pay for vehicles used by other county offices [7].\n\nIn November, Knox County auditors began investigating spending by Biggs and his employees after receiving a tip, specifically examining travel expenses and the use of the leased trucks [5]. GPS data acquired by WBIR showed that Biggs drew a travel allowance while also using the county vehicles for personal business, including trips to Virginia, which constitutes \"double-dipping\" as officeholders can choose one option but not both [5]. The investigation also revealed that other employees used the vehicles for personal errands, such as checking on pets [5].\n\nIn response to the scrutiny, Biggs announced he was cooperating with authorities and fired an employee, Jason Dobbins, for a violation of policy [5]. He has reimbursed the county $3,500 for excess expenses, though it remains unclear if this covers all amounts owed [7]. The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury is conducting an ongoing review of Biggs' activities and those of other county officials, including Property Assessor Phil Ballard [5].\n\nAs a result of the investigation, Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen recused herself from any potential criminal case due to a conflict of interest involving her assistant's spouse, who works for the county but is not an employee of Biggs [5]. Blount County District Attorney General Ryan Desmond was appointed as pro tem to handle the matter [5]. Former Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe has called on Biggs to resign, and most of the Republican establishment has kept distance from his campaign, with many preferring his primary opponent, Register of Deeds Nick McBride [7].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n- [5] [Knox Co. DA recuses herself from any potential criminal investigation into Trustee Justin Biggs, other county employees](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/knox-co-da-recusing-herself-from-any-potential-criminal-investigation-into-trustee-justin-biggs/51-ee050997-2a7b-47a3-8683-edc2a66c08dc)\n- [7] [Knox County lessons about a trustworthy trustee \u2022 Tennessee Lookout](https://tennesseelookout.com/2025/06/03/knox-county-lessons-about-a-trustworthy-trustee/)","firstname":"Justin","lastname":"Biggs","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"kwTyWLl4dV"},"token":"justin_biggs"},{"candidatename":"Nick McBride","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nNick McBride has served as Knox County Register of Deeds since being elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022 [1]. He won the Republican nomination for Knox County Trustee in the May 5, 2026 primary, defeating incumbent Justin Biggs and challenger Barry Hawkins [2]. McBride received 48% of the vote (19,790 votes) to Biggs's 35% (14,228 votes) and Hawkins's 17% (7,056 votes), out of 41,074 votes cast [2][3]. He advances to the August 6, 2026 general election [2].\n\nMcBride's trustee campaign centered on restoring \"transparency and accountability\" to the Trustee's office, which collects property taxes and manages county funds, after incumbent Justin Biggs faced a state investigation into \"questionable spending regarding vehicle leases and travel expenses\" [2][6].\n\n## Background and education\nA Knoxville native, McBride attended Cedar Bluff and Farragut schools and holds two associate degrees from Roane State Community College and a Bachelor of Science from Tusculum University [4].\n\n## Career\nMcBride began working in the Register of Deeds office as a high school intern and joined full-time in December 1990 [4]. He served as chief deputy under Register Sherry Witt and as interim register for about six months in 2008 before his own election to the office in 2018 [4]. During his tenure he directed the office's move to electronic recording and an internal software upgrade that - per the Register of Deeds office's own account - allowed staff to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic [4][5]. He has served as president of the Tennessee Register's Association (2021-2022) and was named the association's Outstanding Register of Deeds in 2020 and 2022 [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Nick McBride - Knox County Register of Deeds](https://rod.knoxcounty.org/event/nick-mcbride/) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [Knox County primary results set stage for key August races - WBIR](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/politics/elections/knox-county-primary-results-set-stage-for-key-august-races/51-81320ff4-00be-46a0-b1c6-4cbb37db3756) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[3] [Cumulative Results Report, Knox County Election Commission, May 5, 2026](https://elections.knoxcounty.org/assets/data/cumulative.pdf) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[4] [Nick McBride: Part II but not all the story - Knox TN Today](https://www.knoxtntoday.com/nick-mcbride-part-ii-but-not-all-the-story/) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[5] [Re-Elect Nick McBride for Register of Deeds - campaign website](https://www.electnickmcbride.com/) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[6] [Primary 2026: Trustee - Compass Knoxville](https://compassknox.com/2026/04/22/primary-2026-trustee/) - accessed 2026-07-06\n","firstname":"Nick","lastname":"McBride","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"zh3GIsLbjG"},"token":"nick_mcbride"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":"knox","districtgroup":"county","districtgroupname":"County","districtname":null,"job_type":"trustee","o.office":"county_trustee","office":"county_trustee","officedescription":"The trustee is the county's banker \u2014 collecting county property taxes, keeping and investing county funds, and disbursing money on the county's authority. It handles large sums of public money and is a fiduciary role.","officequalities":"- Financial trustworthiness: the Trustee is the county's banker and custodian of tax revenue, handling several hundred million dollars of property-tax collections annually for Shelby County.\n- Working knowledge of Tennessee property-tax law, including tax-relief programs for seniors, disabled residents, and veterans, plus the city/county dual collection structure for Memphis-area taxpayers.\n- Investment and cash-management competence for county funds under state-law constraints.\n- Monthly settlement and reporting discipline (collections settle by the 10th of each month).\n- Accessible customer service for taxpayers paying bills, disputing assessments, or seeking relief; ability to administer a large, partly-online operation.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"County Trustee","partisan":1,"pgr":"primary","quantity":null,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"County Trustee"}