Weston Wamp announced on a YouTube video on Friday that he is running for county mayor.
Mr. Wamp is a former Congressional candidate and the son of former Congressman Zach Wamp of Lookout Valley.
Weston Wamp and his wife, Shelby, have four children and also live in Lookout Valley.
He said, "As a father of four young children, the future of Hamilton County is on my mind and heart everyday.
"With the retirement of Mayor Jim Coppinger after three terms of outstanding public service, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to write the next great chapter in the 202-year history of our county.
"A conservative approach to government has served Hamilton County well for decades, paving the way for our region’s dynamic economy and high quality of life. It's on us to protect and build on that legacy.
"Our county government has many responsibilities -- public safety, public health and job creation chief among them.
"But my belief is that the most profound role of local government is to offer a quality education to its citizens in every part of the county, ensuring students and parents are never stuck in a failing school and rewarding our best teachers and principals.
"If we raise our community’s young people to be good citizens and focus our schools on equipping them to live productive lives, we will foster a culture of entrepreneurship and dignified work and high paying jobs will follow.
"We need to revive and celebrate technical and vocational education. We’ve misled our young people to believe that the only path to success is a four year college degree. But there’s no better launching pad to starting your own business than mastering a trade.
"Local government should offer a hand up, not a hand out. With access to free community college and technical college in Tennessee, we can lead the nation in adult education -- offering “practical hope” to our fellow citizens who fall on hard times.
"Our county has the opportunity to become the best place to live in America. But we’ll need a bold, conservative vision for the next generation. The future of our country isn’t in Washington, it’s in communities like ours.
"As I run to be our fourth County Mayor, Shelby and I would be honored for you to come alongside us."
Here is the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScJHUOVCvgQ