Big names put big money behind candidates running for Knoxville seats | Georgiana Vines

Tim Hill, a real estate developer and chairman of Knoxville-Knox County Planning, continues to raise substantial money in his race for an at-large City Council position, with major contributors including University of Tennessee System President Randy Boyd and wife Jenny.

In the latest financial disclosure covering Jan. 16-March 31, Hill reported raising $30,230. With $128,585 on hand at the beginning of the report and spending $6,857, he reported having $151,959 left for the campaign. The city primary in the nonpartisan elections is Aug. 29 and general election, Nov. 7.

The Boyds contributed $1,600 each, for the primary and general elections.

Hill is seeking the position held by incumbent Amelia Parker, who holds the at-large Seat C post. Matthew Best, executive director of the Change Center, also is running against Parker.

Other $1,600 contributors to Hill’s campaign are Randy Gibson, CEO of Lawler Wood; Rodney Lawler, chairman of Lawler Wood; investor Jim Bookstaff; Raja Jubran, CEO of Denark Construction, and his wife, Michelle, and retired investor David Martin.

The largest expenditure is $5,325 to Pavlis Public Strategies, run by former Vice Mayor Nick Pavlis.

Parker reported raising $5,660, which included her own contribution of $600 and $500 from Women for Tennessee's Future, which supports progressive, pro-abortion-rights candidates. With expenditures, she has $1,159 on hand for her reelection campaign.

Best reported raising $11,815, with Lindsay Brazier contributing $1,800; Janet Lawson, self-described homemaker, $1,600; and Rick Kuhlman, who runs a leadership development program for youth, $1,000. He also received contributions from a number of Democrats, including Knox County Democratic Party Chairman Matt Shears and wife Lauren, who contributed $100. Best had a balance on hand of $6,307.

Other positions up in this year’s city elections are mayor, at-large Council Seats A and B, 5th District Council Seat and city judge.

Incumbent Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon reported having $137,638 on hand for the campaign after raising an additional $28,839 and spending $14,088 since the last report. Her major contributors include Pete DeBusk, owner of DeRoyal Industries, with a total of $2,000 for the primary and general election; Doug Horne, real estate developer, $1,800 total; and Jonathan Wimmer, controller at Smokey Mountain Food Service, $1,800.

Connor Coffey is coordinating the mayor’s campaign at $1,050 monthly while Standing Tall Strategies, run by Sara Fischer, is campaign manager and receives $1,150 monthly.

Picking up petitions to run against Kincannon are activist Constance Every; mortgage lender Jeff Talman; and Kerry Williams, a South Knoxville resident.

Lynne Fugate, seeking reelection to at-large Council Seat A, reported having $28,740 on hand for campaigning in the latest disclosure. Fugate, who votes Republican in partisan primaries, is being opposed by Cameron Brooks, well-known Democrat who has become a Realtor after a career in labor relations.

Kincannon is among the contributors to Fugate’s campaign, giving $250. Others include businesswoman Sharon Pryse, $1,600; David Martin, $1,600; and former Vice Mayor Finbarr Saunders and wife Ellen Bebb, who contributed $200.

Eddie Mannis, a former mayoral candidate who served one term as a Republican legislator from Knox County, has contributed $500 to both Fugate and Brooks.

Brooks reporting having $36,494 on hand at the end of the reporting period, which includes an outstanding loan of $11,600. He reported raising $11,565 from 120 individual donors, many of whom are Democrats.

Debbie Helsley, another Democrat who ran against Republican Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs last year, is the most active candidate seeking to replace incumbent Janet Testerman, at-large councilwoman representing Seat B. Testerman is not seeking reelection.

Helsley had $22,028 on hand at the end of the reporting period. She raised $13,652 from 122 individual donors and spent $11,746. Her campaign consultant is Jack Vaughan, a member of the state Democratic Executive Committee from Knox County, who is being paid $2,500 monthly.

Two others have picked up qualifying petitions: Scott Schimmel, a businessman, who has since decided not to seek the position, and Wade Seifert, a residential housing director at UT, who said he is still trying to decide whether to be a candidate.

Candidates have until noon May 18 to return qualifying petitions to the Knox County Election Commission. The candidate list on the commission’s website is incomplete in one respect: if the candidate did not pick up the qualifying petition, the name is not listed. Hill is an example of such a candidate, with someone else picking it up for him.

In cases like these, Chris Davis, elections administrator, said they will be listed once candidates have signed the petitions.

∎ REMEMBERING SGT. EDMONDS: Another attempt is being made by members of Tennessee’s congressional delegation and others to award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to East Tennessee native Master Sgt. Rodrick "Roddie" Edmonds, who put his life on the line to protect Jewish-American soldiers during World War II.

U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Knoxville, and U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced bipartisan legislation to honor Edmonds. A marker telling his story is installed on Market Avenue at the East Tennessee History Center.

“Roddie Edmonds showed incredible bravery that should make every American proud," Burchett said in a press release. "He fearlessly faced down Nazi soldiers during World War II and saved hundreds of Jewish lives when he refused to turn in his fellow Jewish service members, even at gunpoint. This Congressional Gold Medal is a fitting way to honor his legacy."

Blackburn said in a press release, “Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds embodied true American heroism in the face of indescribable evil and intimidation. His resiliency, courage, and leadership saved over 200 Jewish lives. Awarding Roddie Edmonds with Congress’ highest expression of national appreciation is an appropriate way to honor his actions and legacy.”

Eight senators, including the ailing Dianne Feinstein, D-California, are joining Blackburn in sponsoring the legislation. Feinstein can introduce legislation while she is away from Congress and recovering from complications of shingles at home in San Francisco, a Blackburn aide explained.

The other senators, Blackburn’s press release said, are Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; John Cornyn, R-Texas; Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.; Ben Cardin, D-Md.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Rick Scott, R-Fla.; and Rafael Warnock, D-Ga.

Burchett’s bill is cosponsored by the following House members in Tennessee: Steve Cohen, D-Memphis; Chuck Fleischmann, R-Ooltewah; Diana Harshbarger, R-Kingsport; Scott DesJarlais, R-Sherwood; John Rose, R-Cookeville; David Kustoff, R-Germantown; Andy Ogles, R-Culleoka; Mark Green, R-Clarksville; and the following from outside Tennessee: Ryan Zinke, R-Whitefish, Mont; Bruce Western, R-Hot Springs, Ark; Hillary Scholten, D-Grand Rapids, Mich.; Nancy Mace, R-Charleston, S.C.; Jeff Jackson, D-Charlotte, N.C.; Patrick Ryan, D-Gardiner, N.Y.; Carlos Gimenez, R-Miami, Fla.; Brandon Williams, R-Sennett, N.Y.; and Tracey Mann, R-Salina, Kan.

Roddie Edmonds was a noncommissioned officer in charge of a prisoner-of-war camp after being captured by Nazi forces. He was an evangelical Christian who lived in the West Haven area of Knoxville after the war and died in 1985. The story on his heroics became known only after his death.

The House will require 270 sponsors and the Senate 60 for the act to become law.

∎ SPEAKING OF FEINSTEIN: Sen. Marsha Blackburn was among members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who objected to the Democrats’ attempt to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein to solve political and tactical problems caused by her extended health-related absence. The Judiciary Committee is tied beween Democrats and Republicans with her illness, making it difficult for President Joe Biden to get judicial nominees who don’t have Republican support through the committee.

Feinstein on April 12 asked that another Democratic senator be allowed to serve, but the votes weren’t there. Blackburn suggested sexism and ageism were behind calls for Feinstein to resign after her absence.

“Here's the thing: The Democrats would never have done this to a man,” Blackburn said in an interview with the Washington Examiner on April 18. “Maybe it’s age discrimination, maybe it’s sex discrimination, but I think that this is something that does not serve Democrats well in the long run.”

∎ BURCHETT VOTES NO: U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett was one of four Republicans who did not support a bill that passed the House on Wednesday to increase the nation’s debt ceiling while cutting federal government spending.

“I have never voted to raise our debt limit no matter who was in charge. Our country is nearly $32 trillion in debt right now. That’s a debt neither we, nor our kids or grandkids can pay,” said Burchett. “We need to do whatever is necessary to get back to a balanced budget and meaningful debt reduction so this issue doesn’t keep coming back to haunt us.”

National pundits are debating whether the proposed legislation will force negotiations with the Democratic Senate and President Joe Biden. The final vote was 217-215. The other Republicans against the bill were Ken Buck of Colorado, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Matt Gaetz of Florida.

Georgiana Vines is retired News Sentinel associate editor. She may be reached at gvpolitics@hotmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Big names donate to Knoxville mayor and City Council candidates