KnoxDems launch campaign season
Knox County Democrats rallied for their candidates running for county and state seats at their KnoxDems Local Primary Campaign Kickoff in Bridgewater Place Event Center in Knoxville, Monday, Feb. 16.
Among the 20 Democratic candidates seeking election, Beau Hawk is running for county mayor, with current Mayor Glenn Jacobs being term limited.
“I see too many opportunities disappearing for too many people,” he said about his running for office. “I also see the Republicans have been in power in this county for too long and not do anything about it.”
As Democrats, “we’re going to take on the status quo; we’re going to shock the system; and were going to turn Knox County blue,” he said.
Hawk, president of the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Central Labor Council, is the only Democrat seeking the county mayoral office.
Candidates running for County Commissioner are Brandon Huckaby, District 3; William Cooper, District 7, Katina Sharp, Seat 10 at-large; Vivian Shipe, Seat 11 at large; John Butler, OT Harris and Breyauna Holloway, District 1; Kat Bike, District 4; Cadence Collins, District 6; Amy Fenner, District 7; Brandy Jenkins, District 9.
Meanwhile, Stephen Hood is running for county trustee; Joey Tate for county clerk; and Ben H. Houston II for Division IV general sessions judge.
“I am running because I have four children … I want my college-age children to be able to afford a house when they get out of college,” Sharp said. “I want my driver teenage son to have safe roads and intersections that work for him.”
In the Knox County School Board races, District 6 candidate Cadence Collins is running against Betsy Henderson.
“I am running on three pillars of transparency, service and connection,” Collins said, adding she is against vouchers but she will support teachers and “make sure every child feels safe, physically, mentally and emotionally, in our schools.”
In the state House of Representatives race, Lindsay Honaker, who is running for District 14 seat, said, “I’m here to take Jason Zachary’s seat away from him.”
Another candidate running for District 14 House seat is Shivam Zaveri, who did not attend the kick-off. Also in the state, Bryan Langan is running for the District 7 senate seat against Dr. Richard Briggs.
“I just decided to run on Saturday,” Langan said, adding he thinks the Republicans in General Assembly has been “derelict in taking care of us in East Tennessee.
“It’s time for a change,” he said.
In the U.S. Representatives District 2 race, Michaela Burnette is running against current Rep. Tim Burchett.
“I am so tired of leaders who are blaming culture war issues and an attaboy from the president than about serving the people of East Tennessee,” she said. “I’m running because I know you deserve better.”
