Campaign ad mistake draws public response
July 29, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
An email prompted an announcement from Alderman Joe LaCroix during the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting Thursday, July 23, regarding his use of the Town seal in his election campaign advertisements.
“Yesterday [July 22], I had a meeting with Town administrator David Smoak in which he addressed an email that he received in regard to me using the Town of Farragut seal in my campaign ads,” LaCroix said. “What I didn’t know was that was not allowed.
“He asked me to remove that from my campaign ads,” the alderman said. “Immediately, I went home and removed the seal from any further ads that I’ll be using.
“On top of that, there was an email that came in this morning,” he said. “I would like to respond to that email.”
Because medical appointments prevented him from emailing the person directly, LaCroix said he decided, “in the interest of transparency and accountability,” to address the email at the meeting.
“Yes, I did recognize that it was the Town seal,” he said. “I did use it in my campaign ads. I didn’t know that was not allowed.
“I didn’t even think of the perception of using the seal in my own ads as if that was an endorsement by the Town,” LaCroix said. “The Town had no idea I was doing that, and they did not endorse me. This was something I did on my own.”
Regarding campaign financial disclosures, he said, “If anybody has any questions about how those ads were purchased, they can contact the executive director of the Tennessee Registry of Campaign Finance and Chris Davis [Knox County Election Office administrator of elections], both of whom were included in emails that went back and forth in regards to how those ads were paid and how they were done.
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July 29, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
With 7 p.m., Friday, July 24, marking the halfway point of early voting, Knox County Election administrator Chris Davis has reported Monday that, so far, “a total of 22,971 early votes have been cast.”
An additional 1,413 votes have been cast by absentee ballot in nursing homes, he added.
Early voting continues until Saturday, Aug. 1, at 11 locations across the county, he said.
Then, Farragut registered voters will vote from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., on Election Day, Thursday, Aug. 6, at Farragut Middle School for Precincts 66 NE and 66 NW, Farragut High School for Precinct 66SW and Korean Church of Knoxville for Precinct 66SE.
“There are a total of 268,073 active registered voters in Knox County as of Saturday, July 25,” Davis said.
He reported, of those voters, there are 499 first-time voters — 205 Republicans, 280 Democrat and 14 general. The oldest voter is 102 years old, voting absentee by mail. He said the oldest person voting in person was 98 years old.
Comparing Farragut voters with city of Knoxville and Knox County, he reported there were 1,635 Republican ballots, 515 Democratic ballots and 36 general ballots in Farragut; 3,252 Republican ballots, 4,137 Democratic ballots and 119 general ballots in Knoxville; and 9,895 Republican ballots, 4,619 Democratic ballots and 176 general ballots in Knox County.
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