Knox County 2024 primary candidates: Who's running for commission, law director and more

Allie Feinberg, Knoxville News Sentinel
Updated ·7 min read

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CANDIDATES? Check out our Knox News Voter's Guide

The primary elections for Knox County Commission, Knox County law director and Knox County property assessor are March 5.

Voters will determine which candidates they want to see on the ballot for each party in November, and many of the races are crowded.

There also are two independents registered. Their names will not be on the primary ballots because of the party system, but they are included here so you can get to know their stances.

Get to know the 2024 Knox County Board of Education candidates! See the list here.

But first things first. To be able to vote, make sure you're registered by Feb. 5. Head to sos.tn.gov/elections.

Here are the candidates who qualified for the March 5 primary. Candidates have until Dec. 21 to withdraw.

Knox County Commission candidates

District 1

District 1 stretches from downtown to the northeast part of Knoxville. It includes the Burlington and Mechanicsville neighborhoods. District 1 Commissioner Dasha Lundy, a Democrat, has decided not to run for a second term, leaving the seat open. There are two candidates in the Republican primary and two in the Democratic primary.

Republican:

  • Charles Frazier is a perennial candidate who's run for city council and school board. He ran for school board as a Democrat but is registered as a Republican for this race.

  • Justin Hirst was unavailable for comment.

Democrat:

  • Evelyn Gill served on the Knox County Commission 2016-20 before losing the Democratic primary that year to Lundy.

  • Damon Rawls is a business strategist and the founder of Knoxville's Black Business Directory. He has Lundy's endorsement.

District 2

District 2 stretches from downtown to the edge of Washington Pike and includes the Fountain City neighborhood. Commissioner Courtney Durrett is seeking reelection and will not face a Democratic primary challenger.

Republican:

  • Debbie Phillips, a former paralegal turned Realtor, told Knox News she's a strong supporter of the military and veterans. She's currently the president of the Norwood Homeowners Group.

Democrat:

  • Courtney Durrett is seeking reelection. In 2022, she was elected chair of the commission, making her the first woman to serve in that role.

Independent:

  • Ethan Grantham is a detective with the Knoxville Police Department. He told Knox News in a text voters are tired of partisan politics and need a third option in the upcoming election.

District 4

District 4 is in the west-central part of the county and includes the Bearden, Sequoyah and West Hills neighborhoods. It stretches down to the Tennessee River. Commissioner Kyle Ward is not running for reelection. There will be a contested Republican primary to replace him.

Republican:

  • Garrett Holt has represented the 4th District on the Knox County's Board of Zoning Appeals. Holt's campaign website says he wants to preserve Knox County's charm while preparing for the demands of the future.

  • Liz Tombras was unavailable for comment.

Democrat:

  • Shane Jackson is a community banker and a veteran. His website says his goals are to fight for fully funded public schools, empowered educators and raising teacher pay.

District 5

District 5 includes the far-west town of Farragut and the Concord neighborhood. It stretches to the border shared with Loudon County. Commissioner John Schoonmaker is term-limited and can't run for reelection. There is a crowded Republican primary but only one Democratic candidate in the district.

Republican:

  • Brad Hall works at the Knox County Sheriff's Office. He's involved in community organizations, including Send Senior Citizens Love and Hope for Victims.

  • Angela Russell is an accountant who describes herself as fiscally conservative. She told Knox News in a text she believes in family values and is set apart from other Republican candidates because she's directly impacted by District 5 zoning decisions.

  • Toni Scott told Knox News in a text she hopes to ensure schools are the safest in the country, to keep taxes low and to limit overbuilding.

  • Dale Skidmore is an insurance agency owner who's served on homeowners association boards.

  • Brian Walker, a business owner, hopes to maintain personal freedoms, provide fundamental education for youth and uphold traditional family values.

Democrat:

  • S. Arthur Moore is a neurologist who describes himself as a "purple Democrat."

District 6

District 6 includes Hardin Valley and Karns and borders Anderson County. Commission Chair Terry Hill is running for reelection. She'll face a GOP primary challenger.

Republican:

  • Terry Hill is seeking reelection. She was elected chairwoman of the commission in August. Before her 2020 election to commission, she was chair of the Knox County Board of Education.

  • Julie McBee-Fritts is a Karns resident and a member of the Karns Community Club. She told Knox News in a text she's been a community advocate regarding land use and development.

Democrat:

  • Daniel Greene is a branch manager at ORNL Federal Credit Union and the director of the Hardin Valley Planning Advocates, an organizing group that advocates for smart land development.

District 8

District 8 includes the northeastern part of the county and includes Mascot and Carter. Commissioner Richie Beeler is not running for reelection. There is a crowded Republican primary and one Democrat in the race.

Republican primary

  • D.J. Corcoran is a former Knoxville Fire Department public information officer. He's known for his advocacy for finding a solution to illegal immigration and told Knox News his goal is to be a conduit between the people of District 8 and their government.

  • Kara Daley, the owner of the Diner at Twisters, told Knox News in a statement she's prioritizing infrastructure growth and keeping an eye on the budget to maximize resources.

  • Adam Thompson is a sixth-generation farmer from Corryton who's an advocate for responsible land use and the preservation of rural resources.

Democrat:

  • Charles Chandler is a Knox County Democrats Board of Governors member. He told Knox News in statement his top priority is responsible land management.

District 9

District 9 stretches from the Tennessee River to the county's southeastern border. Commissioner Carson Dailey is term limited and cannot seek reelection. There is a crowded Republican field, plus one Democrat and one independent in the race.

Republicans:

  • Andy Fox is an attorney who told Knox News he's spent time providing free service to protect constitutional rights. He's running to make sure the 9th District has conservative representation.

  • Barry Neal is a conference planner for the University of Tennessee who recently represented the 9th District on the 2021 Knox County Charter Review Committee.

Democrat:

  • Matthew Park is a technology consulting executive who serves as the president of the Island Home Park neighborhood Association. He said in a release the commission has been "absent" from addressing the county's housing crisis. Park ran in the 2020 Democratic primary for the Tennessee House in District 15, but lost to Sam McKenzie.

Independent:

  • Stacey Bryan Smith is a radio frequency engineer from South Knoxville who told Knox News he's running as an independent because Republicans and Democrats don't listen to the community.

Assessor of property

The current property assessor is John Whitehead, who is not running for reelection.

Republican:

  • Phil Ballard served as property assessor from 2008 to 2016. On his website, he promises to conduct fair and equitable property assessments.

  • Jackie Raley has served as chief deputy assessor since 2016. "I am committed to an open-door policy because I believe government works for the people," she said on her website.

Democrat:

  • Drew Harper is a Knoxville property manager and developer at the Newberry Group who's focused on zoning and has a passion for walkable cities.

Law Director

Current Law Director David Buuck is running for reelection. He'll face one Republican in the primary, plus one Democrat is registered.

Republican:

Democrat:

  • Jackson Fenner is a private practice attorney. He said he's focused on the rise of extremism in Tennessee and the push to monetize school children. He previously ran for Knox County district attorney.

Criminal Court Judge Division II, Sixth Judicial District

Incumbent Judge Hector Sanchez, a Republican, is running unopposed. He is first Hispanic trial court judge in Tennessee and is a Marine veteran.

Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County 2024 primary candidates: Who's on the ballot