Knoxville Democrats aiming for Tennessee House seats in 2024 | Victor Ashe

City Council member Seema Singh is running as a Democrat for Gloria Johnson’s Tennessee House seat. District 90 covers north Knoxville and part of west Knox County.

Singh still has a year left on her city council term. She plans on resigning her council seat if elected. In that case, the council would then name a replacement to fill out the remainder of her term through 2025.

No Republican opponent has emerged. The district leans Democratic.

Bryan Goldberg is expected to run as a Democrat for state representative for the seat now held by Republican Elaine Davis.

The swearing in for Knoxville’s mayor, municipal judge and four council members is 10:30 a.m. Dec. 16.

Councilwoman Lynne Fugate will be sworn in by Circuit Judge Deborah Stevens, a longtime friend. Judge-elect Tyler Caviness will be sworn in by retired Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee, who also will swear in new councilwoman Debbie Helsley and Mayor Indya Kincannon.

The mayor will speak and outline her goals for the next four years.

Caviness, 32, is the youngest person in Knoxville history to hold the municipal judge office and is the first new municipal judge in 37 years. Term limits do not apply to the office but do apply to all other elected city offices.

Helsley, 70, will be the oldest member of the new council but not the oldest person ever to have served.

A reception will follow the ceremony and the public is invited.

The master of ceremonies for the swearing in will be the youngest person ever to serve in this role. William Mendoza just turned 18 and voted for the first time in the November election. He is a senior at Career Magnet Academy, a school that opened when Kincannon served on the Knox County school board. He was an intern in the recent Kincannon campaign. Kincannon describes him as “a tremendous young man and a great speaker, too.”

Knoxville is still wrestling with whether to challenge in court the constitutionality of the new state law that takes effect Jan. 1 that bars voters citywide to determine the winners in the general election for the six city council districts.

In 2025, this law will apply in the elections for the five districts in which the sitting council member is term limited. Though the city council has been on record opposing the new law, it has not taken a stand on whether it should be challenged in state court.

City Law Director Charles Swanson has not made a public decision on this issue. Swanson, with 12 years of service, is the longest-serving city law director in the city’s history. A decision is expected in the new year.

This law was sponsored by Republican state Rep. Elaine Davis, who does not live in Knoxville but whose district includes part of the city.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visits Nashville and Memphis on Dec. 11 to promote his campaign for president. He has previously visited Knoxville twice and Chattanooga once.

Charleston, South Carolina, elected its first Republican mayor since 1877 on Nov. 21. William Cogswell defeated incumbent John Tecklenburg, who followed longtime Mayor Joe Riley.

Riley set a historic record of serving 10 terms for 40 years before his voluntary retirement. Riley is a past president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Miami Beach also elected its first Republican mayor in 30 years. In both cases, as in Knoxville, the elections are ostensibly nonpartisan. But the party identity of the candidate is well known.

Sarah Pollock, accomplished local artist, marks her 20th anniversary as an artist this year. She has an annual showing of her art in Philadelphia at legendary Rittenhouse Square. She is now vice chair of the Rittenhouse Fine Art Square, which speaks to her popularity there.

Birthdays

Dec. 8: Liz Savelli, owner of Savelli’s restaurant, is 65. Federal Judge Katherine Crytzer is 39. Retired state Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee is 70. Michelle Hummel is 57. Reginald Houze is 46. Stephanie Wallace is 75. Mark E. Littman is 84.

Dec. 9: Attorney Sonny Schow is 54. John Nolt is 73. Kevin Hill is 50. Shannon Denton is 60.

Dec. 10: Attorney Gerald Gulley is 67. Karen J. Brown is 68. Al Gibb is 71. Mike Crowder is 76. Knox County first lady Crystal Jacobs is 63.

Dec. 11: Former U.S. Attorney Doug Overbey is 69. Retired banker Jimmy Smith is 94. Dhanvin Desai is 35. Dr. Greg King is 66. Former city councilman Joe Hultquist is 71. Former secretary of State John Kerry is 80. Shannon Harper is 39.

Dec. 12: Attorney and former TVA director Neil McBride is 78. KMA’s Stephen Wicks is 63. West Knoxville and Knox County Commission candidate Shane Jackson is 50. Steve Roth is 63. Lisa Starbuck is 64. Wesley Shipe is 45. Attorney Jim London is 74. Brad Drake is 33. Darin Maroni is 51. Attorney Robert Godwin is 82.

Dec. 13: Knoxville philanthropist Jim Haslam is 93. Mark Williamson is 65. Rich Maples is 71. Patti Bounds is 72. Judge Tim Irwin is 65.

Victor Ashe can be reached at vhashe1945@gmail.com.

Victor Ashe is a former Knoxville mayor and former ambassador to Poland. He is a columnist for Shopper News.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville Democrats aim for Tennessee House seats in 2024