Statement is provided by the candidate and is unedited by Knox County News Staff.
Hello, my name is Sam Hamlin of Gray and I’m running for the office of 1st District Magistrate in Knox County, #1 on the Republican ballot. I was born in 1980 in Lexington, KY to Kim Alexander of Laurel County, and Claude Hamlin Jr. of Knox County. I lived a majority of my childhood in Woodbine, KY. I’m a 1999 graduate of Whitley County High School where I was in JROTC and played sports including football.
I joined the United States Army in the summer of 1998 and left for training in Ft. Knox upon graduation of High School in 1999. I served 8 years in the military participating in 3 tours of combat to include the invasion of Iraq in the 3rd Infantry Division as an Armor Crewman earning a medal for valor. I served one peacekeeping tour in Bosnia and ended my military service with an honorable discharge.
Upon completion of military service I went back to Iraq and joined efforts to build back the country while contracting through Kellogg Brown and Root to support troops supervising a shop of maintenance personnel repairing weapon systems well known for quality.
After 3 years of service contracting, I came back home settling down and attending college while seeking a career upon completion of school. I graduated with honors Magna Cum Laude, obtaining an Associated Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management while working full time.
Presently, I’m employed as the Site Manager for a fortune 200 global logistics company named XPO Logistics located in Corbin where I worked my way up the ladder from the bottom. I’m married to the former Nancy Bunch of Whitley County, and we have two sons Bryce and Aiden.
I volunteer in the community as a basketball and football coach teaching sportsmanship and the fundamentals to the youth enhancing their child hood and keeping them active through community engagements which leads to a better adulthood. I’m an Honorable Kentucky Colonel.
My experience running a global company location will be an ideal fit to assist the community getting agendas passed and work completed to include budget decisions in the Knox County Fiscal Court. I would pitch ideas to bring jobs to the area as well as more youth activities to keep children occupied and more engaged in the county. I would vote to keep tax rates stable, and ensure more is done to keep the streets of 1st district and Knox County cleaner. I WILL donate a large portion of my salary back into the community through programs and public works so that the citizens of 1st district know I’m working for them and see progress with the additional funding.
If elected I will only seek two terms, because term limits are important to keeping government fresh and ever changing for the community and integrity of officials. This is my promise to you. Thank you for your time, and elect me as the Magistrate to change Knox County politics and 1st district.
