Hamblen County is in dire need of vision and insightful leadership...

After serving successfully at the state level for 8 years, I’m braced and positioned to dedicate myself solely to the citizens of Hamblen County to see that this vision & leadership are brought to the forefront.

I was born and raised in Hamblen County and come from a hardworking family, a family who taught me the value of a man’s word, the value of a dollar and the value of commitment and dedication.

When I decided to run as your State Representative and was elected, I went into the position feeling a person should not make a career out of holding a particular office. Believing this, I made a promise to my family and myself that I wouldn’t be a “career” state representative. I went to Nashville with the best interests of the people in the 10th district at heart and enjoyed the challenges of working across party lines. I made decisions, although sometimes not popular, which were geared for the betterment of the people I represented as a whole. I’m proud of the strides and accomplishments I made, but, in keeping with my word, after 4 terms, I chose not to seek reelection. I instead now want to work for the citizens of Hamblen County and utilize my experience and the connections I’ve made not only across the state, but across the country, to help bolster our county.

 As we are all aware and reminded of every time we pick up the paper, Hamblen County is in the midst of some major financial difficulties. Common sense tells us we have got to address these issues now, and not keep tabling them for future discussions. First, we must question the reasons our county budget is in the shape it is and then format an immediate plan of action to recoup some of the lost monies; secondly, we need to look ahead and develop a strategy which will prevent this from happening again. By being able to see outside the box and by understanding the value of a dollar, I have the vision and the experience to tackle our budgetary problems head on.

I’ve put a lot of thought, prayer and soul-searching into my decision to run as Hamblen County Mayor and I want to be your Mayor. It would be easy to end my term as your state representative and settle into my life as a farmer. As a Hamblen County citizen, I didn’t have to be convinced that changes were needed in leadership and I wasn’t comfortable at the thought of standing by and watching this county continue to be run by the same group of people and in the same manner in which it’s been run for the past several years.

I’m not coming into this with blinders on; I know it’s going to take a lot of hard work to correct the issues we face, but as your next Mayor, I will bring to the position the commitment and dedication needed to see the job through.

I’m a working man and I’m ready to work for the citizens of Hamblen County. 

Thank you for your support,

John