KNOXVILLE, TENN. (WATE) — The midterm elections are in the rearview mirror and dozens of voters are looking ahead to next year.
Nov. 7, 2023 will be a busy day in Knoxville as the city’s regular (general) election will be underway. Several positions are expected on the ballot including four city council seats, and possibly the city’s top role, mayor, which will depend on primary results.
Soon campaign signs for Mayor Indya Kincannon will be appearing along the streets as she officially launched her re-election campaign Thursday.
“I love being mayor of Knoxville,” Kincannon said. “I love our city and we have so many good things happening and I want to continue to work hard for the people of this city.”
From equipping police officers with body cameras to building thousands of homes to curb Knoxville’s housing shortage, Kincannon believes she has accomplished a lot during her first term.
“I’m really proud that I represent all the people of this city, Republican, Democratic, and the vast majority of the people who don’t vote,” she said. “The kinds of stuff we do in the city, public service, central services, responding to 911 calls, repairing and maintaining our streets and sidewalks, patching potholes, maintaining our parks, these are not partisan issues, these are just people issues. This is called good governance. This is why local governments exist.”
If re-elected, Kincannon plans to continue making progress on housing options, finish the new baseball stadium downtown as well as listen to the concerns of Knoxvillians.
“The number one concern of many Knoxvillians is public safety,” Kincannon said. “If you don’t feel safe, nothing else really matters so I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made in my first term. We’re working on street violence interruption and other ways to interrupt violence in people to stop those cycles of violence.”
According to the Knox County Election Commission, Kincannon is currently running for mayor unopposed. It can be very difficult to unseat an incumbent, especially in a city election.
“You’ve got a fewer number of people that you’ve got to influence in order to do what you want to do and people typically vote in large numbers when they’re angry about something a politician has done or they’re afraid of something a politician might do,” WATE political analyst George Koda said. “Now those flags really haven’t been raised and if Mayor Kincannon doesn’t have an opponent … it takes a lot of money and an extraordinary effort to try to unseat an incumbent and if she winds up with no opponent, then she’s got no real motivation to be forthcoming about her plans for the second term.”
The 2023 City of Knoxville Primary Election will be on Aug. 29.
As for the city’s general election, the schedule goes as follows:
- Aug. 9, 2023 – First day to request an absentee ballot
- Oct. 10, 2023 – Final day to register to vote before election
- Oct. 18, 2023 – First day of Early Voting period
- Oct. 31, 2023 – Final day to request an absentee ballot
- Nov. 2, 2023 – Final day of Early Voting period
- Nov. 7, 2023 – Election Day
