KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) — Republican Brent Gibson has officially been elected as Knox County’s next sheriff after running unopposed in Thursday’s general election.
Gibson secured the position after winning the Republican primary in May. With no Democratic candidate on the ballot in the Aug. 6 election, Thursday’s vote finalized his election and clears the way for a transition in leadership at the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
A KCSO veteran, Gibson spent 25 years with the department after joining the agency in 1999. During his career, he served as a sergeant, lieutenant, captain and assistant chief deputy. He also spent nearly 20 years as a member of the sheriff’s office SWAT team before retiring in 2024.
Now elected sheriff, Gibson is expected to begin preparing for the transition into the county’s top law enforcement position and implementing priorities he outlined during the campaign.
Before the election, Gibson said his vision was to provide leadership centered on accountability, trust and conservative values. His campaign focused on several key areas, including increasing transparency within the department, maintaining fiscal responsibility, improving school safety, strengthening community relationships and hiring and retaining qualified deputies.
Gibson said those goals would be pursued by building public trust in the sheriff’s office, ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly, prioritizing the safety of students and staff in Knox County schools, encouraging deputies to develop relationships within the communities they serve and creating a work environment that helps retain experienced officers.
His election comes during a challenging period for the sheriff’s office. Current Sheriff Tom Spangler is battling pancreatic cancer, while the department continues to deal with the fallout from a long-running investigation into an alleged theft scheme involving current and former employees.
Among those charged in that case are former Knox County Sheriff Jimmy “J.J.” Jones and David Amburn, both of whom were candidates defeated by Gibson in the Republican primary. The next motion hearing in the criminal case is scheduled for Aug. 17.
With the election now decided, attention shifts to Gibson’s transition into office and how he plans to address both the operational priorities and ongoing challenges facing one of East Tennessee’s largest law enforcement agencies.
