Politics meets picnic tables in Farragut
The setting was more relaxed than a typical political gathering, as people came together in the River Sound neighborhood from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“I feel like this has been our best way of outreach to people,” said Damon Boggess, Knox County Democratic Party’s District 5 representative. “It’s welcoming and fostering that sense of community is what Democrats need to be doing more. This is an informal way of getting to know people, and whenever we’re canvassing, people will say, ‘There are no Democrats on my street.’ And we can say, ‘Actually, there’s 20 in your neighborhood.’ So it’s a way to get those people working together to establish a sense of community.”
This picnic is an annual event for the group, though election years bring a different feel.
There were Democratic candidates for different offices present Saturday. A few of these included District 14 State House Representative candidate Lindsay Young Honaker, District 2 State House Representative candidate Michaela Barnett, U.S. Senate candidate Maria Brewer and Katina Sharp, who is running for the Knox County Commission’s At-Large Seat 10.
Brewer’s presence brought a statewide feel to the event, as she has traveled to different cities meeting people as part of her campaign.
“It’s the perfect setting for a U.S. Senate candidate because the most important thing we need to be doing is listening to people,” Brewer said. “If you just try to set up
rallies or videos on Facebook, you’re not having two-way communication. And right now, people are very concerned about their everyday lives, about getting food on the table and whether they can afford gas tomorrow. I can tell you that, traveling around the state, you all are very lucky with your gas prices. But people have hard choices to make right now economically, and it’s great to hear from people firsthand.”
The setting was equally ideal for Sharp, who has approached things from a more local angle given her candidacy.
“This is ideal because, as a County Commissioner, I will represent the entire county,” she said. “People who voted
for me and didn’t, so it’s important to get to know people, where they are and what they’re loving, needing and concerned and excited about here in Knox County. The thing I hear most often is people who are concerned about public schools with us being 51st in the nation, and I share that concern with four kids of my own. So I’m really looking at that and making sure they’re fully funded and competitive. I also hear people talking about the roads that are crumbling underneath them and traffic and all infrastructure, really. I also hear a lot about the price of rent costs and the cost to purchase a home, so I’m trying to listen and see what I can do.”
Boggess, representing the KCDP, reinforced the feedback they hear at several events, including this one.
“The first thing we always hear is, ‘I didn’t know there were this many Democrats, especially in Farragut,’” he said with a chuckle. “We do this event every year, and on our off-election years, it’s a way to thank volunteers and for other Democrats to get to know each other. During election years, like this one, it’s way to meet a candidate in a more personal way to get across who they are and what they hope to accomplish. They come and set up, and we run the event.”
