DJ Corcoran kicks off campaign for commission seat
By Ken Lay
DJ Corcoran has always been a public servant. Now, he’s seeking political office.
Corcoran recently retired from the Knoxville Fire Department, where he served as its Public Information Officer.
He’ll now be seeking a seat on the Knox County Commission and he officially kicked off his campaign late Wednesday afternoon at the New Harvest Park Pavilion.
Corcoran is hoping for the opportunity to represent the 8th District on the commission and looking to replace Richie Beeler, who is term-limited.
He’ll run in 2024. The primary election is March 5, 2024 with early voting set to begin on Feb. 14.
“I’ve just never been one to sit still and I kind of mesh with these people,” said Corcoran, who retired from the fire department approximately a year-and-a-half ago. “I love the 8th District, it’s a lot of fun and I’m running to serve those folks.
“I’ve got the time and I have the desire.”
The opportunity to serve the citizens of Corryton and Strawberry Plains isn’t one that Corcoran takes lightly.
“I look and I see Nashville and I see Memphis and I want to make sure that Knoxville doesn’t turn in to what they’ve become,” he said. “I want to prevent that.
“I know that we’ve had great leadership (on the commission) from Dave Wright (now in the Tennessee House of Representatives, serving the 8th District in Nashville) and Richie Beeler.”
Corcoran said that he would be accessible to his constituents and work tirelessly for the citizens.
“I’ll bring the same work ethic that I brought to the fire department,”he said. “When I was the Public Information Officer at the fire department, all the reporters had my cell phone number and I would take the same call at 3 o’clock in the afternoon that I would take at 3 o’clock in the morning.
“My father never had a 9-5 job and this is not a 9-5, Monday-Friday world and the work’s not finished until it’s done.”
Corcoran also has an admiration for the 8th District.
“It’s a roll-up-your-sleeves type of community,” he said. “Everybody owns a tractor and everybody chips in.”
