Jefferson County Commission District 4

Joe Knight

Party: Republican

Age: 64

Residence: Trussville

Political experience: Elected to Jefferson County Commission District 4 in 2010 and re-elected in 2014.

Professional experience: Attorney in private practice, 28 years. Law Offices of T. Joe Knight, 1990 to present; general counsel to Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists; former certified registered nurse anesthetist, 1980-1992; member, Alabama State Bar, Birmingham Bar Association, Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists and American Association of Nurse Anesthetists; county liaison to Jefferson County EMA.

Education: Pascagoula High School, 1973; Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, associate; University of Southern Mississippi; University of Alabama at Birmingham, Bachelor of Science; Birmingham School of Law 1990, juris doctor; passed bar exam, 1990; Leadership Birmingham, 2012.

Civic experience: Member, Rotary International Trussville Daybreak, former Civitan member; vice-chair, Greater Birmingham Visitors and Convention Bureau, Regional Planning Commission, Birmingham Racing Commission and Committee for World Games 2021

Main issues: The candidate pledges to continue work done on the commission the past eight years, including pulling the county out of its financial struggles, including bankruptcy. He added that the commission implemented a professional county manager form of government, re-opened satellite courthouses, revamped the county EMA and solved the long car tag line crisis, along with restructuring the Roads and Transportation Department. He pledged to continue recruiting major industries to the area, such as Amazon and Autocar. He said he will continue efforts to afford citizens great health care, continue aggressive plan to improve roadways and continue to develop the county’s workforce. The candidate said the commission must continue to be prudent with finances, support the Human Resources Department and exit the federal consent decree under which Jefferson County has operated for the past 35 years. Seeking ways to work in a regionally cooperative manner with all cities and communities is another key, he said.

Top contributors: $7,500: Klee, Tuchin, Bogdanoff & Stern LLP, Los Angeles, California. $5,000: ABPAC, Montgomery; Alabama Realtors Political Action Committee, Montgomery; Dwight Sandlin, Hoover; ALA-CRNA PAC, Montgomery. $4,750: BIZ PAC, Montgomery.

Campaign website: https://www.facebook.com/JoeKnightForCommission/.