Mayor Madeline Rogero today praised voters for their enthusiastic engagement leading up to Tuesday’s City of Knoxville primary election. The Mayor thanked the 30 City Council candidates for their energy and ideas, and she congratulated those who advanced to the general election.
A total of 7,140 voters cast ballots – the most in a non-mayoral primary election since term limits took effect in 2001. Before that, you’d have to go back to 1989 to find a City primary without candidates for Mayor on the ballot in which more votes were cast.
“I congratulate the winners for their hard-fought victories Tuesday,” Mayor Rogero said. “Thirty candidates – an unprecedented number – threw their hats into the ring, and I applaud them all for their desire to get involved and take the lead in making Knoxville an even better city. They created meaningful dialogue about the city’s future.
“The citizens, inspired by the candidates, were engaged and turned out to vote in large numbers. The number of people who voted in Tuesday’s election was up by about 75 percent from the number who voted in 2009, the last time these same Council seats were on the ballot and there were no incumbents running.”
The top two vote-getters in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th City Council districts advance to the citywide Nov. 7 general election.
Two candidates tied for the second-place finish in the 4th District. If the Knox County Election Commission certifies the vote as tied when it meets on Sept. 15, then – as directed by state law – the current City Council members will determine the second-place winner.
Primary winners (top vote-getter listed first) are:
1st District
Stephanie Welch
Rebecca Parr
2nd District
Andrew Roberto
Wayne Christensen
3rd District
James Edward Corcoran
Seema Singh Perez
4th District
Lauren Rider
Amelia Parker and Harry Tindell (tie)
6th District
Gwen McKenzie
Jennifer Montgomery
Voters in November will be electing a majority of the next City Council. Mayor Rogero and members of City Council wanted to encourage robust participation in the election process, so the City in July launched the Go Vote! Knoxville initiative.
A series of well-attended meet-the-candidates public meetings were held in July – one in each Council district with a primary election.
A sixth Go Vote! Knoxville public meeting will be held in the 5th District at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, at the Christenberry Community Center, 931 Oglewood Ave.
“This is an important crossroads election,” Mayor Rogero said. “We encouraged residents and business owners to get engaged in the election process, get to know the candidates, and then go vote – and they did. Thank you!
“But there’s unfinished business. We need everyone to stay engaged and vote again in the general election.”