The Weakley County Examiner

Shannon Taylor

CEO/Publisher

For Kenneth Irvine, a campaign for the Weakley County Commission is not about politics as much as it is about service.

The lifelong Dresden resident, educator, coach and substitute teacher is seeking the District 9 seat as a Democratic candidate, saying his years working with children, families and schools have convinced him that county government must take a longer view when making decisions that affect future generations.

“I want our county to be solid,” Irvine said. “We have to be wise and realize we can’t have closed eyes on some situations and open eyes on others. We have to look at what’s best for everybody.”

Born and raised in Dresden, Irvine attended Head Start before graduating from Dresden High School. He later played baseball at Jackson State Community College before earning an athletic training scholarship to the University of Tennessee at Martin.

Education eventually became his career.

Over the past two decades, Irvine has worked in special education, served as a substitute teacher and coached football and basketball at Kenton, Hillcrest, Obion Central, Greenfield and Dresden.

Throughout the interview, Irvine repeatedly pointed to coaching, rather than politics, as one of the defining experiences of his life.

One of those moments came during the consolidation of Dresden and Palmersville schools, when he served as assistant girls basketball coach alongside Mike Reeves.

Instead of focusing on wins and losses, Irvine remembers trying to unite players from two longtime rivals.

“We had 25 girls,” Irvine recalled. “Ten were from Palmersville, ten were from Dresden, and then we had five more. Everybody thought they were going to lose playing time.”

He said the challenge extended well beyond basketball.

“I walked into the gym one day during lunch, and the Palmersville girls were sitting together, the Dresden girls were sitting together, and everybody was separated,” he said. “By the end of the season, they had become one family.”

Irvine said that experience helped shape his leadership philosophy.

“It didn’t matter what our record was,” he said. “We were successful because those young ladies became outstanding people.”

Faith was another recurring theme throughout the interview.

Rather than discussing politics in partisan terms, Irvine frequently spoke about trusting God through difficult decisions and bringing people together despite disagreements.

“We’re going to make mistakes,” he said. “But we can fix those mistakes if we stay together.”

Asked why he chose to run for office, Irvine said his decision came after spending several years studying county finances, education and community needs.

“It became obvious about three years ago,” he said. “I’ve looked at budgets, I’ve looked at our education system, and I’ve talked to different people in different communities.”

One of the most difficult questions centered on the ongoing debate over the Weakley County School System budget, which has dominated discussions between the Board of Education and the County Commission in recent weeks.

Irvine said he believes both sides have legitimate concerns but questioned whether county leaders have adequately planned for rising costs over the years.

“Education is getting expensive. Everything is getting expensive,” he said.

Rather than continually repairing aging buildings and infrastructure, Irvine said county leaders should have planned years ago for larger capital improvements.

“Instead of fixing something all the time, let’s replace it and permanently fix it,” he said. “For years, we’ve patched things up. When you patch things up, usually it comes back and it’s a bigger problem.”

He also suggested that gradual tax increases over time may have prevented today’s budget challenges.

“I know taxes are a terrible thing,” Irvine said. “But they should have been looking five years down the road. Raise a little here and there instead of going 15 years with nothing and then having to raise it a lot.”

He also expressed concern about teacher recruitment and retention.

“What makes somebody who grew up here come back after college and be one of the lowest-paid teachers in the state?” he asked.

As someone who has worked inside local schools, Irvine said students today face challenges previous generations rarely experienced.

He pointed to active shooter drills, school security measures, family instability and economic hardships affecting many students.

“Some kids come to school because those two meals may be the only meals they get,” he said.

He also believes communities should provide more positive activities for young people.

“There are so many things we could do that don’t cost a lot of money,” Irvine said. “Bring people together. Use local talent. Have community events. We don’t have to spend a fortune to give kids something positive.”

The interview also touched on political division.

Asked about political events held on the courthouse lawn, including the recent tribute to conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, Irvine said he supports the public’s right to peacefully gather regardless of political affiliation.

“We’re blessed in America,” he said. “We have freedom of speech. We have the freedom to protest. We don’t have to agree on everything, but we can still work together.”

Although he did not attend the event, Irvine said he respected those who chose to participate.

“I respect those who went,” he said. “I don’t have to agree with everything someone believes, and they don’t have to agree with everything I believe.”

The conversation later turned to race relations.

Irvine shared several personal experiences growing up, including being refused service at businesses while traveling with sports teams and witnessing discrimination firsthand.

When asked about racism in Weakley County, Irvine said he believes progress has been made but pointed to what he sees as one area where racial division still exists.

“The most segregated time in our community is still Sunday morning,” Irvine said, noting that many churches continue to worship largely along racial lines despite efforts by some congregations to hold joint services and community events throughout the year.

He said his own experiences with discrimination reinforced that belief and have shaped how he approaches people from different backgrounds.

As the interview concluded, Irvine reflected on what running for office means to him personally.

He said previous generations of his family never truly believed holding elected office was within reach.

“I’m not running because I’m a Black man,” Irvine said. “I’m running because I’ve done my research, I’ve prayed about it, and I believe God opened this door.”

If elected, Irvine said his goal is simple.

“I am just a vessel trying to help somebody,” he said. “If I can make a difference, then I’ve done what I was supposed to do. If I can’t, then maybe somebody behind me will.”

As voters prepare to choose their next District 9 commissioner, Irvine said he hopes residents will focus less on party affiliation and more on a candidate’s willingness to listen, work with others and make decisions that benefit the county as a whole.

“I want to represent everybody,” he said. “At the end of the day, we’re all Weakley Countians. We may not agree on everything, but we all want this county to succeed.”

Irvine is running as a Democrat for the District 9 seat in Dresden against Commissioner James Washburn, Republican.