Cocke County Republican Party Chairman Kenny Cody announced his candidacy for the Tennessee House of Representatives in District 11 amid the retirement of incumbent State Representative Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby), who also chairs the House Republican Caucus.
“With Representative Jeremy Faison’s retirement, I am stepping up to become, as President Teddy Roosevelt would say, the man who is actually in the arena, representing the best interests of the people of Cocke, Jefferson, and Hamblen counties,” Cody said in a social media post Friday morning.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
After much prayer and discussion with my fiancée, Katilyn, my family, and close friends, I am proud to declare my intention to run on the Republican ballot for the Tennessee State House of Representatives, District 11. With Representative Jeremy Faison's… pic.twitter.com/Jmb63HviOZ
— Kenny Cody (@KDCodyTN) January 16, 2026
Cody, a native East Tennessean who has lived in District 11 for nearly 30 years, has served as a public school teacher at Cosby High School and Cosby Elementary School. He also coaches girls’ basketball and previously coached football and boys’ basketball.
As a conservative columnist, hundreds of Cody’s opinion pieces have been published in outlets across the nation. His work, published in Human Events, has notably been shared by President Donald Trump on occasion.
Cody (pictured above) was elected chairman of the Cocke County Republican Party at the age of 22 in 2019.
Central to Cody’s campaign are commitments to “low taxes, less government interaction, and prioritizing our men and women in uniform,” according to his campaign website.
Further, Cody said as a “loyal supporter of President Donald Trump since 2015,” he pledges to advance the president’s agenda, “combat illegal immigration, and ensure stable education and workforce opportunities for all Tennesseans.”
“As a Christian, conservative, native East Tennessean, I feel as if there is no better time than the present to inject some much-needed Smoky Mountain Conservatism into our state’s capital of Nashville,” Cody said.
The Republican primary for District 11, which includes Cocke and parts of Hamblen and Jefferson counties, will be held on August 6.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Kenny Cody” by Kenny Cody.
