Kincannon has commanding lead but a surprise in one opponent's campaign | Ashe

The upcoming city primary is getting much closer with early voting starting Aug. 9. Primary Election Day is Aug. 29. There are six contests on the ballot, but one City Council member, Charles Thomas, is unopposed.

Mayor Indya Kincannon has three opponents, but none has seemed to make the race competitive. She is elected if she wins 50% plus one vote.

Kincannon’s major rival appears to be Jeff Talman, but funding for his campaign is tepid. He's raised only $9,500 raised compared to Kincannon’s $152,832 cash on hand. Talman will have to pick up the pace signifcantly to close this large gap. Kincannon has been ringing doorbells all over the city and hosting many events.

Talman did announce two respected leaders as co-chairs of his campaign: former City Councilman George Wallace and State Sen. Becky Duncan Massey. It's a bit of a suprise to see Massey take on this role as legislators often avoid local nonpartisan elections.

Some wonder why Massey has inserted herself into this contest. Is she upset with Kincannon over some issue? The Kincannon camp was caught off guard by Massey’s move as they felt they had a professional relationship, each respecting the other’s political space and not directly opposing the other’s election.

Gov. Bill Lee and his wife, Maria, along with Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart McWhorter, attended the Paris Air Show in mid-June. Maria Lee appears to have made a strong recovery after her battle with cancer.

They also continued to Italy and visited firms with businesses in Tennessee. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Memphis) was there this year. Republican Govs. Brian Kemp of Georgia and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia were also at the air show.

U.S. Rep. David Kustoff (R-Germantown) says he has not endorsed former President Donald Trump for renomination in 2024. He joins U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett in not jumping on the Trump bandwagon at this stage.

The U.S. Postal Service has issued a new stamp showcasing 12 significant waterfalls across the United States. One of them is Grotto Falls in the Smoky Mountains. The falls are near Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. For walkers, it is 2.7 miles round trip.

These stamps can be purchased at the main Post Office on Weisgarber Road off Middlebrook Pike.

A hearing is set Aug. 7 in the lawsuit by Knox News against Mayor Kincannon and the city over the records created in the hiring of Police Chief Paul Noel. It will be at 9:30 a.m. at the City County Building. It is open to the public.

The City Pension Board moves the week of Aug. 4 from 917 East Fifth Ave. to Huron Street, near the new Safety Building. The board hopes to have the relocation completed by Aug. 8.

CORRECTION ON JULY 12 COLUMN: The Knox County Sierra Club Chapter recommended Tyler Caviness for Knoxville city judge, but the final decision is up to the state chapter, which urged that equal hearing be given to the other candidates. A final decision on any endorsement will be announced later.

Birthdays

July 26: Former City Finance Director Jim York is 72. Former Mayor Madeline Rogero is 71. Attorney John B. Waters III is 68. Charles F. Corcoran is 78. Ronald Grazioso is 50.

July 27: David Dickey is 96. Virginia L. Couch of Trust Company is 59. Attorney Kevin Dean is 44. Former Judge Brenda Waggoner is 74. Former County Commission candidate Stuart Hohl is 33. Jacob Rudolph is 45. Gavin Loyer is 62.

July 28: Grant F. Boyd is 62. William N. Purvis and Liz Cheney are 57.

July 29: John Roper is 49. William Burnette is 43. TBI Director and former Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch is 61. Michael Maddux is 62. Jason Emert is 39. Kenny Fikes is 56. Councilwoman Lynne Fugate and her husband, Scott, are both 62. Shauna Godlevsky is 49. Beth Eason is 60. Carey B. Parker is 42. Former Kansas senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker, widow of Sen. Howard Baker, is 91.

July 30: Property Assessor John Whitehead is 75. Attorney Jackson Fenner is 46. Steve Tatum is 73. University of Tennessee professor Chris Cherry is 45. Commissioner Christi Branscom is 58. David Hearnes is 45.

July 31: Former city special events director Sue Clancy is 91. Former state Commissioner of Finance Larry Martin is 76. Clarence Vaughn is 43. Sarah Howell is 36. Monica Armstrong is 27. Gibby Seals is 71. Mary Linda Schwarzbart is 80. Carly Harrington is 48.

Aug. 1: Ursula Bailey is 58. Former TVA chair and state Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Baxter is 70. David Williams is 71. Bill Murrah is 78. Conservative activist Gary Loe is 66. Attorney Arnold Cohen is 82. Former Sheriff Tim Hutchison and attorney John K. Harber are 71.

Victor Ashe can be reached at vhashe@aol.com.

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

Knox News and Shopper News promptly correct all errors. If you think we have published incorrect information, please email accuracy@knoxnews.com. Describe the error, where you saw it, the date, page number or the URL.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon has surprise in opposing campaign