Democrat Greg Kaplan kicks off campaign for Eddie Mannis' House seat | Victor Ashe

Democrat Greg Kaplan kicked off his campaign for state representative at Tyson Park on Wednesday with 40 supporters. State Reps. Sam McKenzie and Gloria Johnson were there. Kaplan is running for the District 18 seat being vacated by Eddie Mannis. Kaplan will oppose either Elaine Davis or Janet Testerman (the Republican primary is Aug. 4).

"I don't trust someone who switches parties," Kaplan said, in reference to Davis, who was a Democrat and voted in Democratic primaries as late as February 2008, but later became Knox GOP vice chair. (Note: My wife, Joan, has played a role in the Testerman campaign – she was on the host committee for Testerman's campaign launch in May.)

Kaplan lives in Sequoyah Hills, about a five-minute walk from Testerman. He and his wife, Nuria Cruz Camara, have one son, Andrew, who graduated from West High School. Both parents are tenured professors at UT. Kaplan teaches Spanish and was chair of the Hispanic Studies program for three years at UT.

He belongs to both Heska Amuna Synagogue and Temple Beth El. His maternal grandfather – a rabbi for 43 years in Columbus, Ohio – was born in Poland and emigrated to the United States in 1921.

Kaplan favors popular election of the state attorney general and lieutenant governor. He opposes school vouchers and supports abortion rights. He thinksTennessee does not support education as "strongly as we should." He also strongly favors extending Medicaid coverage to those not covered.

Kaplan comes across as enthusiastic, with much to learn about the political process.

State Rep. Gloria Johnson gets her campaign going for reelection in a new district with a reception Thursday evening at the home of Nancy Stewart in West Knoxville. Stewart is the mother of State Rep. Mike Stewart, who is retiring this year.

Knoxville's new police chief, Paul Noel, will be sworn into office at 10 a.m. June 13 at the Civic Auditorium.

Potential city mayoral candidate George Ewart celebrates 26 years as an architect. He owns Dead End BBQ on Sutherland Avenue. County Commissioner Larsen Jay is viewed as an additional potential opponent for Mayor Indya Kincannon, given his in-person remarks at a City Council session opposing Kincannon's property tax hike of 50 cents per $100 of assessed value.

The city election is more than a year away, with the primary in August 2023.

The federal lawsuit by Rhonda Rice Clayton against the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce has been settled, according to records filed in the federal court clerk's office. She had sued over her failure to secure the CEO position at the Chamber when Mike Edwards retired. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.

Federal court records also show the lawsuit by retired Lt. Col. John Lott against Knox County — set for trial on June 6 in Chattanooga — has been settled, with respected mediator Jennifer Morton assisting in the talks.

Lott has PTSD and sued over alleged discrimination by county government under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Lott had lost his job, and issues included lost pay, comparable employment in county government at comparable compensation and legal fees. When I ascertain what the cost is, I will write it up.

At press time, the actual terms of the settlement had not been released, but when the settlement is signed by both sides, it will be public record because taxpayer funds are involved. I will share the terms with my readers. Had the trial occurred, County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and his former chief of staff Bryan Hair would have testified.

I anticipate the settlement will be expensive.

Birthdays 

June 11: Polly Tullock is 67. Former Knox Heritage director Todd Morgan is 53.

June 12: Hugh Wallen is 88. Retired UT professor Bruce Wheeler is 83. Ralph Cianelli is 63. Richard Bean is 82. Attorney and former County Commission candidate Steve Weiner is 35.

June 13: County Commissioner Randy Smith is 58. Mike Hatcher is 72. Maya Ayesh is 41. Kenan Smith is 64. News Sentinel reporter Tyler Whetstone is 30.

June 14: Greg Gheen is 63. Christopher Corwin is 51. Gerald Green is 69. Bob Polk is 76. Linda Schmid is 64. Former president Donald Trump is 76. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is 83. David Wolf is 91. GOP County Trustee nominee Justin Biggs is 39. Stan Atkins is 69.

June 15: Gay Lyons is 67. Attorney Jerrold Becker is 78. President Xi of China is 69. Steve Brewington is 66.

June 16: Former state Senate minority leader Tom Garland is 88. Former House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh is 83. Bob Petrone is 74. Tom Siler is 80. Attorney David Piper is 88. Nancy Stewart is 86. U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Poplin is 56.

June 17: Tom Satkowiak is 42. Tim Hulsey is 60. Former city Law Director Jon Roach is 78. Adrian Bailey is 70. Retired Sequoyah Hills School principal Martha Hill is 76. Sean Claire is 55. Attorney Lawrence Ashe, brother of former mayor Victor Ashe, is 82. Phil King and Paul Bonovich are 59.

June 18: John Kizer is 48. Judge Jerome Melson is 58. Evetty Satterfield is 34. Daniel Odle is 41.

Victor Ashe is a former Knoxville mayor and former ambassador to Poland. He is a columnist for Shopper News. 

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Democrat Greg Kaplan kicks off run for Eddie Mannis' House seat