Shane Cox has announced he is seeking the seat of Daviess County East Commissioner, saying he wants to give back to a community that he and his family have long called home.
Cox, 59, lives in Whitesville and will turn 60 later this month. He’s running for the seat as a registered Republican. Cox has never held elected office but said he believes his experience as a business owner and insurance agent has prepared him to serve.
Since starting his own business in 2002, Cox has spent 31 years in the insurance industry, primarily as a commercial agent. After selling his business to Ohio Valley Insurance in 2019, Coc has continued to work as a commercial agent handling large accounts.
Cox said his decision to enter the race stemmed from a desire to give back to the county that gave his family a foundation to grow.
“I was able to raise my family here as a business owner for years and years, and I just want to give back,” he said. “My children are a true testament to this county. All three of them had scholarships and could have gone elsewhere, but they stayed here. They still live here in Daviess County. That’s important to me.”
Cox noted that his approach as an insurance agent has always been simple: answer the phone, listen, and solve problems. He said that mindset would carry over if he were elected.
“I answer every call in a timely fashion, and I solve problems. That’s all I’ve ever done,” Cox said. “I’m still going to be an insurance agent, but I would like to take that knowledge and that skill to this county and help our citizens.”
He described himself as responsive, pointing to clients who have stayed with him for decades.
“I still have a lot of clients from 30 years ago,” he said. “They’ve stayed with me because I do address their issues. I have no set office hours. I’m there early and I stay late, and I work until my job’s done. I’ll do the same thing here.”
When asked about issues that are most pressing in the county, Cox pointed to several that voters have already raised with him.
“Since I announced, somebody cornered me about the library,” he said. “Obviously, the library, the animal shelter, flooding issues — those are things I’ve heard a lot about. Whitesville is a close-knit community, and everybody calls each other when there’s flooding. You can battle it until you’re blue in the face, but it’s always going to be an issue.”
On how he would handle complex matters such as the library board or animal shelter, Cox said elected officials should trust professionals to manage their responsibilities.
“The county government appoints or hires these people. They’re professionals. [We] need to let them do their jobs,” Cox said. “It’s just like if we have a claim in insurance, we need to let our adjusters do their job. I don’t need to step in. If they think something is a sensitive issue, they’ll take care of it. Their best interest is the public.”
Cox added that when making decisions, he would seek out the majority view of his constituents, even if it differs from his personal opinion.
“I’m going to have to set my personal beliefs aside, because what I believe [may be] different than most people,” he said. If elected, I’m going to have to go with the majority.”
He emphasized accessibility as a cornerstone of his campaign, noting that his personal phone number has long been public.
“My cell phone’s been on the back of my pickup truck for years. My office was on 3rd Street, so everybody who registered vehicles came out and saw my name and phone number right there,” Cox said. “I’ve always answered my phone. It stays on 24/7. If somebody calls me, it’s important to them, so it’s important to me. I learned how to serve my clients, and I would like to take that and serve the citizens of Daviess County.”
Cox said he is proud to live in Whitesville and believes the county offers opportunities and amenities that can’t be matched elsewhere.
“I can travel anywhere, and there’s nothing better than Owensboro and Daviess County,” he said. “Downtown is beautiful. I know there are taxes; you can’t avoid that. But if you want the beautiful downtown, it’s not free. We’ll just have to see what the future brings. But I can promise you one thing: if you call, I’ll answer.”
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