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Cox to Challenge Keisling for State House

By Shane Gilreath
SCN Contributing Editor
[email protected]

Republican challenger and Scott County resident Cody Cox is preparing to take on longtime incumbent Rep. Kelly Keisling in the race for Tennessee House District 38, setting up a primary challenge for the long-serving state representative, who was first elected in 2010. Cox, a fellow Republican, confirmed this week that he has officially begun the candidacy process and is positioning his campaign as a response to growing frustration among constituents.
Keisling, who has served multiple terms in the General Assembly, has recently drawn criticism in Scott County over the proposed Roberta II landfill project. The issue has been a hot bed issue for local residents concerned about environmental impacts and the long-term effects on public health, since news of the proposal broke in May. Cox’s campaign will seek to tap into that dissatisfaction, framing the race as a choice between continued incumbency and a new direction.
“Today, I officially collected my nominating petition for the Tennessee House of Representatives. I spent the day in the community speaking with remarkable residents and small business owners who are ready for a change in District 38,” Cox said in a statement.
Cox said that, if elected, his priorities would include addressing generational poverty, opioid abuse, healthcare access, education, environmental negligence, and infrastructure, while protecting small businesses. Emphasizing his Republican credentials, he pledged to represent the “common man over the elite” and to vote in the best interest of his constituency rather than strictly along party lines.
Cox said he hopes to serve the communities that are close to his heart.
“I hope to serve the communities that supported me during my upbringing and finally lead District 38 in the right direction,” he said. “I can’t promise to fix everything, but I promise you I will fight.”