Earning an endorsement from KCCR is not for the faint at heart. It requires hard work, strong understanding of the issues that matter to the Knoxville community, and a firm commitment to conservative values.

These endorsements aren’t given on a whim, out of friendship, or in exchange for political favor. Candidates can only receive an endorsement if they earn it by demonstrating that they are true conservatives and by completing the following steps.

Step 1 – Completion of a Comprehensive Questionnaire

Once a candidate has announced plans to run for an office that KCCR is considering endorsing, they are sent an email explaining the endorsement process and are encouraged to complete a lengthy, in-depth questionnaire. This questionnaire is prepared by KCCR leadership and focuses on issues important to the conservative community.

If a candidate does not return the questionnaire in a timely manner, they are contacted again to ensure that they have an additional opportunity to complete it and to confirm it was not lost in email.

If a candidate refuses to complete the questionnaire, or simply ignores it, they are not considered for endorsement.

Step 2 – Attend District Meetings

Each candidate seeking a KCCR endorsement must attend the KCCR meetings in the area they would represent. For county commission candidates, this is relatively simple – they commit to attend a meeting in their district.

However, for candidates seeking countywide office (such as mayor), the commitment is more extensive. They must visit all, or at least a majority, of the Knox County district meetings.

To be clear, these are not casual meet-and-greet events. KCCR members ask serious, often challenging questions, and those discussions frequently continue after the meetings conclude.

Step 3 – The Hot Seat

Finally, once a candidate has completed the prior steps to the satisfaction of KCCR leadership, they are invited to participate in an in-depth interview with KCCR members.

This is not a relaxed conversation. Candidates are questioned about their responses to the questionnaire, as well as their experience, past decisions in public office, and worldview. Nothing is off the table.

The Final Decision

After all candidate interviews for a particular political office are completed, KCCR leadership conducts a vote to determine which candidate most closely aligns with conservative principles. This is not a decision taken lightly.

KCCR leadership understands that its endorsement can influence elections. For that reason, the organization strives to make the endorsement process as rigorous as possible.  While no one can predict with certainty how a candidate will act once in office, KCCR’s goal is to ensure that the most conservative candidate for each office earns its endorsement.