2018 Knox County, Tennessee, mayoral election

2018 Knox County mayoral election

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Turnout	26.31% [1] 5.45 pp
Candidate Glenn Jacobs Linda Haney Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 51,814 26,241 Percentage 66.38% 33.62%
Precinct results State House district results Jacobs:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Haney:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%      Tied
Mayor before election Tim Burchett Republican Elected Mayor Glenn Jacobs Republican

The 2018 Knox County mayoral election was held on August 2, 2018, to determine the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. Republican businessman and professional wrestler Glenn Jacobs (better known by his ring name, Kane) won the election with 66.4% of the vote against Democrat Linda Haney.

Incumbent mayor Tim Burchett, first elected in 2010, was term-limited and could not run for a third consecutive term. Instead, he successfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Tennessee's 2nd congressional district, to succeed the retiring 30-year incumbent representative, Jimmy Duncan.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Glenn Jacobs, businessman, actor, and professional wrestler, known as 'Kane' ^[2]

Eliminated in primary

• Bob Thomas, county commissioner and former radio show host and television writer ^[2]
• Brad Anders, county commissioner and lieutenant of the Knoxville Police Department ^[2]

Primary results

The Republican primary was held on May 1, 2018.

Unlike elections held within the city of Knoxville, county elections use the plurality voting system, with no chance of a runoff. ^[3] This was a very close primary with Jacobs securing the nomination by just 23 votes.

Precint results
Jacobs:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%
Anders:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     >90%
Thomas:     30–40%     40–50%
Tied:     <50%

Republican primary results ^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Glenn Jacobs	14,640	36.10%
	Republican	Brad Anders	14,617	36.04%
	Republican	Bob Thomas	11,301	27.86%
Total votes			40,558	100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Linda Haney

Eliminated in primary

• Rhonda Gallman
• Rebecca Deloa

Primary results

The Democratic primary was held on May 1, 2018.

Democratic primary results ^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Linda Haney	4,284	55.89%
	Democratic	Rhonda Gallman	1,926	25.13%
	Democratic	Rebecca Deloa	1,455	18.98%
Total votes			7,665	100.00%

General election

General election results ^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Glenn Jacobs	51,814	66.38%
	Democratic	Linda Haney	26,241	33.62%
	Write-in	Tracy A. Clough (write-in)	2	0.00%
Total votes			78,057	100.00%

See also

• 2018 Tennessee elections
• 2018 Shelby County, Tennessee, mayoral election
• 2018 Hamilton County, Tennessee, mayoral election

References

1. "Tennessee Voter Turnout, August 2018" (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
2. "Election 2018: Knox County Republican mayoral candidates on the issues". wbir.com. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
3. "Knoxville News Sentinel". www.knoxnews.com. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
4. "May 1, 2018 Republican Primary Mayor" (PDF). Knox County Election Commission. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
5. "May 1, 2018 Democratic Primary Mayor" (PDF). Knox County Election Commission. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
6. "August 2, 2018 General election" (PDF). Knox County Election Commission. Retrieved June 29, 2022.