UPDATE: 1-2-2015 4:45 pm Ken Gross has contacted me and has decided NOT to become a candidate for Chairman of the Knox Co. Republican Psrty Chairman.
Original Post: January 12, the Knox County Commission will select a Fifth District citizen to become the next Fifth District Commissioner until the 2016 election cycle seats a Commissioner on September 1, 2016. There are 9 applicants (of course that doesn’t always matter to the Commission). I am hearing three applicants appear in be in the home stretch of garnering the 6 votes of the 10 remaining Commissioners, they are Salesman John Schoonmaker, Realtor J. Kelly Clancy and Attorney Tamara Boyer. The remaining 6 candidates are Mike Manning, Grant Standifer, David Freeman, Ken Gross, John H. Grueser and Ron Rochelle.
The Knox County Republican Executive Committee will reorganize. On February 21, 2015 each precinct committee will meet at your precinct location (but you probably need to confirm that with the current precinct chair) and then the countywide reorganization will be on March 7, 2015 at The Crown College in Powell. The current Chair according to a published report by Georgiana Vines is NOT seeking a second term. First Vice Chair Buddy Burkhardt is actively seeking the position. Republican State Executive Committeeman for State Senate District Seven Ken Gross has been rumored to be considering the position. Now that the new year has emerged, other potential candidates could be surfacing, so stay tuned.
Also, in March or April the Knox County Democrat Party should select a Chair, Linda Haney is rumored to be done. It seems that Haney and her people are supporting First Vice Chair Cameron Brooks. The other faction of the party is supporting June Jones.
This Summer will be the City of Knoxville elections. Mayor Madeline Rogero is up for re-election. This will be her last election for Mayor fer a spell. If she is successful in 2015, she will have completed two consecutive 4 year terms and must sit out for 4 years. It is circulating that Former Mayoral Candidate Ivan Harmon is preparing to run in 2015. Rogero has been raising funds, organizing and sent out some Holiday Wishes. If you read the written verbiage of Former Mayor Victor Ashe it would seem anyone that challenges Rogero would get some Ashe support. Back in 2014, the rumors were pretty warm that City Councilman at Large Marshall Stair may be eyeing a 2015 run for Mayor. Those rumors have subsided, as Stair, City Councilmen at Large George Wallace and Finbarr Saunders are up for re-election this year. As Fourth District City Councilman Mark Campen. It is expected that they all will seek re-election. Will anyone challenge them or will potential challengers simply wait until 2019 and seek a seat without an incumbent. In 2019, I believe Stair, Wallace and Current Vice Mayor Nick Pavlis will give a serious examination to running for Mayor.
Other than that, in September 2015 the Knox County Election Commission should begin handing out qualifying petitions for all the positions on the county ballot in 2016. Oh Yeah, like County Commissioner District One, Two, Four, Five, Six, Eight and Nine. School Board Members District Second, Third, Fifth and Ninth. Knox County Property Assessor and Knox County Law Director. I will ask for the election schedule tomorrow and will begin a list of “rumored” candidates. There is a list already that began about 6 weeks ago.
