Establishment Republican Commissioner At-Large Larsen Jay Contender For Knox County Mayor

Image Credit: larsenjay.com

The Tennessee Conservative [By Kelly M. Jackson] –

Back in January of this year, Knox County Commissioner Larsen Jay announced his decision to run for Mayor of Knox County. Current Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs won’t be running in 2026 due to term limits.

Based on this decision, The Tennessee Conservative is taking a closer look at Jay’s record with regard to votes during his term as commissioner, and the donations he has made to support the candidates he aligns with. 

Below is a list of the contributions and votes. Critics say they do not demonstrate the choices of a Conservative Republican.

Readers can review Jay’s record and then send their own questions to the candidate for his consideration and response.

• Jay made a donation to liberal Democrat candidate Dominique Oakley for $250 after Steve Triplett won the School Board Republican nomination.

• Jay received a donation from the Knox County Political Action Committee For Education of $500. Knox County Political Action Committee For Education is a liberal organization that mostly supports Democrats including Gloria Johnson, Jennifer Owen, Evelyn Gill, Justin Davis, Virginia Couch, Phillip Sherman Dominique Oakley, Annabel Henley and Hannah Kirby.

• Jay contributed to Barack Obama’s PAC, Obama For America in 2008 for $1,000.

• Jay passed on a vote to support a resolution making January Right To Life Month in Knox County. Jay was the lone Republican to along with 2 other democrats to pass on the vote.

• Jay was the only member of the Knox County Board that dissented on a vote for a resolution recommending approval of a resolution supporting Gov. Bill Lee’s efforts to rescind the U.S. military’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement for active-duty personnel.  Jay abstained. He said, “Resolutions like this that are not under our role and responsibility open up the door to this body opining on virtually everything that happens on the state or federal or international level.”

• Jay was one of two commissioners who abstained from voting on a resolution making Knox County a Second Amendment Constitutional County.

Based on this information, Republican voters in Knox County may want to post some questions to Jay, should he choose to assert a conservative candidate platform to garner their votes.

Larsen Jay and Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond are currently the only individuals who have announced an intention to run for Knox County Mayor. However, there is still plenty of time for other contenders to throw their hat in the ring. The primary isn’t until Spring 2026 and the general election is in August 2026.

About the Author: Kelly Jackson is an escapee from corporate America, and a California refugee to Tennessee. Christ follower, Wife and Mom of three amazing teenagers, she has a BA in Comm from Point Loma Nazarene University, and has a background in law enforcement and human resources. Since the summer of 2020, she has spent any and all free time in the trenches with local grassroots orgs, including Mom’s for Liberty Williamson County and Tennessee Stands as a core member.  An outspoken advocate for parents rights, medical freedom, and individual liberty, Kelly also has a YouTube channel @Tennessee_Truth_Teller and is planning on expanding out to other channels soon. Kelly can be reached at kelly@tennesseeconservativenews.com.