Knox County Commissioner Dasha Lundy will not seek reelection in 2024

Allie Feinberg, Knoxville News Sentinel
·2 min read

Knox County Commissioner Dasha Lundy, a Democrat who represents District 1, will not run for reelection in 2024.

Lundy represents downtown Knoxville and neighborhoods to the immediate east and west, home to many of the county's voters of color.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity," Lundy told Knox News on Oct. 5. "I've learned so much and I've grown as a leader."

She said she was torn for a while but ultimately decided not to run because of the harsher side of partisan politics.

"I'm not finished, I'm just sitting out this time," she said. "I hope I've represented my people well."

Since winning the seat in 2020, the former Knoxville College vice president has carved out a role based on her advocacy. Earlier this year, she supported a teenage girl who said her mental health suffered from online attacks by the sheriff's office after an incident at the girl's workplace.

So far, no one has stepped forward to run for the District 1 seat.

Lundy's absence from the race puts pressure on Democrats to keep their numbers on the commission. She and District 2 Commissioner Courtney Durrett are the only two Democrats.

There's not much time for someone to throw their name in the ring; nominating petitions are verified on Dec. 14. Early voting for the 2024 primary starts Feb. 14. The primary election is March 5, and candidates have declared their intention to run for all six of the other commission races on the ballot.

Knox County Democratic Party chair Matt Shears told Knox News the Rev. Sam Brown is considering a run. Brown is president of the Knoxville Chapter of the NAACP, has been active in the county Democratic Party and ran in the 2020 Democratic primary for state Senate, where he lost to Jane George.

No Republicans has said they intend to run for the seat.

Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Reach her at allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com or on X: allie.feinberg.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County Commissioner Dasha Lundy will not seek reelection in 2024