Three months ago, the Republican primary for Knox County Commission District 3 was decided by 11 votes. Out of over 4,000 ballots cast, incumbent Gina Oster lost her seat to conservative Sheri Super by a final count of 2,008 to 1,997.
Eleven votes. That’s not a typo – that’s roughly the size of a single street in my neighborhood. If you’ve ever told yourself your vote doesn’t matter, 2026’s Knox County Republican Primary just proved otherwise.
And it’s not the first time. Oster won that same seat by just 87 votes in the General Election in 2022. In District 3, one of the most competitive districts in the county, elections aren’t decided by landslides. They are decided by voters who show up.
Turnout is Paramount
That’s what makes turnout so important. In the May primary, only 21.5% of registered voters – roughly 1 in 5 – showed up. (WBIR) That means over 207,000 registered voters decided that something was more important to them than showing up to cast their ballot. That’s hard enough to understand if there was only one day to vote. But in a county that offers over two weeks of early voting, it is amazing that so few people vote.
Let’s phrase it another way. Less than a quarter of Knox County’s registered voters decided who would be on the August ballot. With so few people voting, each ballot cast is even more important.
Do Local Elections Really Matter?
I know Knox County residents can show up to vote. In 2024, over 221,000 Knox Countians showed up for a presidential race that, realistically, one vote wasn’t going to swing. Compare that to the approximately 56,000 who showed up in May — for a race decided by 11 votes.
Why don’t we show up for local elections? Probably because we see the presidential elections as more important – more impactful on our daily life.
That is such an inaccurate supposition. Local elections directly impact your life while Presidential elections impact you more indirectly. Those Flock cameras we talked about in last week’s post – the county sheriff’s office decides how and when to deploy them, and the county commission is fighting for a say in that. Concerned about increases in property tax and the state of our roads – the Mayor and County Commission will be making decisions about those issues.
Do you think your daughter isn’t getting the education she deserves? Board of Education seats are decided in local elections, and the board determines how the school budget is spent. As a Knox Countian, you deserve a say in how this county is run. But the only way you get that say is by voting. As one Knox Countian said, “If you don’t vote, you can’t complain.”
As a Conservative, Your Vote is Desperately Needed
For Conservative Republicans, this election is especially important. For the first time in a long time in Knox County, Democrats see a chance to move some usually red seats into the blue column. They are fighting hard to turn Knox County into a Democrat-run county — and this year, they have real momentum behind that effort.
Look no further than the Knox County Mayor’s race: in the April 26- June 30 reporting period, Democrat Beau Hawk actually outraised Republican Betsy Henderson, $100,589 to $99,635. Knox County hasn’t elected a Democratic mayor since 1998. That a Democrat is even competitive in fundraising here should be a wake-up call.
This isn’t hypothetical. In a mayor’s race this close, a handful of Republicans staying home or voting for the opposition could be the difference between keeping this seat and losing it for the first time in almost thirty years.
The Difference Between Republican Leadership and Democratic Leadership
While individual candidates might say some things you agree with, you need to understand that each Democrat and each Republican candidate is in their chosen party because they most closely align with that party’s platform. It is quite obvious that each party runs on a very different foundation, and that foundation determines how they lead.
The Republican platform pledges to “keep men out of women’s sports, ban taxpayer funding for sex-change surgeries, and stop taxpayer-funded schools from promoting gender transition.”
The Democrat platform, by contrast, promises to “pass national legislation to make Roe the law of the land again” and repeal the Hyde Amendment — this is the provision that currently blocks federal tax dollars from funding most abortions.
On LGBTQ policy, Democrats have pledged to pass the Equality Act, extending federal civil rights protections on gender identity, while Tennessee Republicans have passed laws keeping biological males out of girls’ sports.
The Republican platform emphasizes cutting taxes and reducing government regulation while Democrats are pledging to raise the corporate tax rate and close what they call corporate tax “loopholes”.
And finally, when it comes to immigration, Republicans want to secure the border while nationally, congressional Democrats have blocked funding bills for ICE and Border Patrol unless paired with policy changes.
For myself and most conservatives, there is no real choice this year. With a Democratic Party that seems to be moving closer and closer to Socialism each year, the Republican Party, even with its faults, stands as the platform closest to our founding fathers’ plan for this country.
The Only Option: Vote
With so much at stake this year, the only viable option for fiscally conservative, family value voters is to get out and vote. While early voting is over, you have one final chance to make a difference in Knox County.
Election Day is Thursday, August 6. If it’s been a while since you voted and you are unsure of your voting location, you can find out where to vote by clicking here. This also tells you which district you are in. Polls open at 8 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Make sure to bring your valid photo ID.
If you’re not sure who to vote for, you can access our voter guide by visiting kccrtn.org. If you’d prefer another source, we suggest ivoterguide.com. This website gives you a quick way to see where your candidate falls on the “conservative gauge”.
If you’re unsure what is on the ballot, you can see the preview ballot by clicking here. This is a two-page ballot, so remember to complete the second page. In addition, make sure you completely fill in the rectangle opposite your candidate.
And look, voting on Election Day is a great way to show your kids or grandkids how our government works, so feel free to take them with you. Or, better still, fill up your car or van with conservative friends, go vote, and then head out for a cup of coffee and a doughnut. What better way to celebrate freedom and the awesome privilege of voting?