It was a bad day in May six years ago for C.J. Peterson, now running against incumbent Jordan Rackler and fellow challenger Chad Seay for Precinct 4 commissioner in Precinct 4 in the 2026 Texas Republican Primary.
But that day changed Peterson’s life – for the better.
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Peterson had been Constable of the Year in 2016 (as awarded by the Justice of the Peace and Constables Association of Texas) and just started a new security business, LBK Defense.
“I made a mistake – and drank and drove – and I got a DWI. But that moment changed my life,” Peterson said.
“I wasn’t in the best place health-wise. I was 640 pounds. So, at that moment, I said, ‘I just got to concentrate on my company, my health, and my family,” Peterson told LubbockLights.com.
He resigned as constable and went to work.
LBK Defense went from “a couple guys” to 40 employees. And Peterson went from 640 pounds down to 316.
“So, I concentrated on that and I lost [more than] 320 pounds during that process and I built my company from the ground up,” Peterson said.
He described the early days of the company as, “It was just me and a couple guys. … We would drive around neighborhoods that were being built and make sure no one was stealing supplies.”
Surgery helped the weight loss. And that effort is not done yet.
“The downside to it is you lose the weight so fast, you lose muscle mass. And so that’s why I’m on a cane right now. … I’m in the process of getting an MRI and talking to a neurosurgeon to help fix my lower back,” Peterson said.
At every step of his career, people told him he couldn’t, Peterson said.
His response was, “I outworked everybody.”
Peterson went from overseeing security at Academy Sports and Outdoors to working for a couple different sheriff’s departments on the South Plains – eventually becoming dual certified as both a jail deputy and a patrol deputy.
When asked how he earned Constable of the Year, he said, “Being respectful. Your word is your bond. If you tell someone you’re going to do something, you need to show up and do it.”
“When I served as constable, I really loved my job and I really loved giving to the community,” Peterson said.
He’d like to do it again, but this time in a different role.
Biggest priorities
“Public safety and infrastructure are my two biggest things,” Peterson said.
Peterson is not happy with a $250,000 reduction in funding for county volunteer fire departments during the 2025/26 budget negotiations.
“They take funding away from the fire departments. I don’t believe in that. They’re doing a job for free for the community. … They should have all the tools they need to be safe,” Peterson said.
In 2019, Seay participated in a walk out of the budget process to force the no-new-revenue rate. Rackler did the same thing in the last two budget cycles. Seay said it was necessary for transparency and Rackler said it was necessary to protect the taxpayers.
Peterson did not agree with them.
“I believe if you’re elected to do a job, you show up, do your job and vote – and let the cookies crumble the way they go,” Peterson said.
He said he’s not a fan of raising taxes but he thought preventing a quorum on the tax rate vote was not the right way to handle it.
Recent budget discussions revealed the need for renovations at 916 Main, the county’s office building. The parking garage next to it needs to be replaced at an estimated cost of $8 million. A portion of the roof at the Lubbock County Detention Center needs to be replaced.
When asked if the county should consider a capital projects bond election, Peterson said, “Possibly. I’d have to look. I haven’t had a chance to look at the budget.”
Peterson also said he’s happy with how the Expo Center project is coming along.
“I think the county and city could have got together and done that,” Peterson said.
The city and county should have been working together from the very beginning – back to 2018 even before the Lubbock Coliseum was torn down, Peterson said.
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