William Cooper announces run for Knox County Commission District 7, emphasizes unity and fiscal restraint

William Cooper announced he is running for Knox County Commission District 7 and said he intends to focus on local problems rather than national politics. "I'm running to serve the people of Knox County," Cooper said, adding, "I'm not a politician."

Cooper said his approach will prioritize listening and practical problem-solving. He said he will "give you my knowledge, my thoughts, my feelings and listen to yours" and promised to research issues he does not immediately know. The candidate framed his candidacy as a service role, not a steppingstone to higher office.

Cooper described his background as a father, husband, artist and a small-business owner of 25 years and said that experience taught him to "stretch dollars and crunch the numbers." He argued local government should avoid waste and not "throw money at every situation."

He cited his wife's 15 years working in the nonprofit sector as a source of firsthand examples of local funds being misspent. "These stories are at my dinner table every night," Cooper said, describing that experience as part of his motivation to seek office.

Rejecting what he called national or personal agendas that do not translate to local needs, Cooper said he will focus on issues that help "struggling families of Knox County" and urged officials to serve all residents. "Everyone's tax dollars are green, everybody's blood is red," he said.

Cooper invoked a family history of local service: his grandfather, Walter Claude Cooper, served as Hawkins County commissioner from 1960 to 1985, and Cooper said his grandmother, Margaret T. Cooper, finished that final term. He used that lineage to underscore his claim that public service should be about listening and common-sense governance.

Cooper closed by thanking listeners and asking for their support as he seeks the District 7 seat.