Primary election overview: who won, what’s next?
Throughout the night, results trickled in from the 2026 Knox County Primary Election. The final numbers were made official by 10:33 p.m., letting people know who will be facing off in the general election on Thursday, Aug. 6.
For the Knox County Republican Party, Betsy Henderson emerged as the mayoral nominee with 20,070 votes for 44.73 percent of the total count. She cruised past fellow Republicans Larsen Jay, who rallied 13,975 votes, and Kim Frazier, who racked up 10,822 votes altogether. In August, Henderson will face Democratic nominee Beau Hawk, who racked up 9,950 total votes while running unopposed.
For the Republican Party’s sheriff’s nominee, former Tennessee football player Brent Gibson took the win with 19,672 votes — beating out David Amburn (13,443), Mike Davis (6,330) and Jimmy “J.J” Jones (5,124). Currently, Gibson is set to run unopposed and win Knox County sheriff’s office with no candidate listed for the Democratic side.
Emily F. Abbott rang up 35,071 votes for Criminal Court Judge Division I District 6, running unopposed.
In County Commission District 3, Sheri Super edged Gina Oster. Super totaled 2,008 votes, while Oster finished with 1,997. Super will take on Brandon Huckaby, who ran unopposed for that side.
In County Commission District 7, Barry Beeler won the nomination by racking up close to double the votes (3,205) as second-place finisher Justin Mash (1,872), while Buddy Burkhardt came in third with 891 votes.
Beeler will take on Democratic nominee William Cooper, who ran unopposed.
The Republican nomination for County Commission at-large seat 10 went to Justin D. Coffee with 16,884 votes, as he beat out Kimberly Glenn’s 15,899 and Ronnie Rochelle’s 6,144. Coffee will take on Democratic nominee Katina Sharp, who ran unopposed.
In County Commission at-large seat 11, Garrett Holt beat out Liz Tombras for the Republican nomination. He will face Democratic nominee Vivian Underwood Shipe, who ran unopposed.
Nick McBride won the most Republican votes for County Trustee with 19,790 to defeat Justin Biggs and Barry Hawkins. McBride will take on Democratic nominee Stephen Hood.
In General Sessions Judge Division IV, Andrea Kline accumulated 21,215 votes to defeat Rhonda Lee’s 18,766 votes in the Republican race. She will take on Democratic nominee Ben H. Houston II, as they each push for a role with an unexpired term.
An unopposed Charlie Susano won the Republican nominee for Circuit, Civil Sessions and Juvenile Court Clerk, while Mike Hammond — also unopposed — received the nod for Criminal Court Clerk.
They are set to run unopposed in the general election in August.
The same goes for Richie Beeler in County Clerk, as he finished with 18,041 votes to defeat John R. Whitehead, John J. Duncan and Rodney Lane.
Sherry Witt won the nominee for Register of Deeds, Charles Frazier saw the same result for Board of Education District 1 and Ashley Sartelle will represent the Republican nominee for Board of Education District 4, as all ran without opposition.
Witt is set to run unopposed in August as well for the Register of Deeds position. Meanwhile, Sartelle will face Democratic nominee Katherine Bike, who ran unopposed in the primary, for the Board of Education District 4 seat. As for Frazier, she will take on Democratic nominee Breyauna Holloway in the Board of Education District 1 race. Holloway tallied 646 votes to earn the nod over John Butler and O’Tavais “OT” Harris.
In Board of Education District 6, Lee Ann Eaves won the Republican nomination with 3,009 votes to defeat Kevin Crateau (2,135) and Thierry Sommer (201). Eaves will face Democratic nominee Cadence Collins, who ran unopposed.
Board of Education District 7 saw Steve Triplett take the Republican nomination unopposed, and Bill Sofield managed 2,026 votes to defeat Kristi Kristy (1,961 votes) for Board of Education District 9.
Triplett will face the Democratic nominee Amy Fenner, while Sofield will go against Brandy Jenkins. Both Fenner and Jenkins ran unopposed on the Democratic side.
