Knox County Democrats Steer Blue Wave West
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Knox County Democrats Steer Blue Wave West
Voters reject vouchers, far-right radicalism in key School Board, Tennessee House races
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (August 2, 2024) --Results from Thursday’s Knox County general and state primary election show Democrats making significant gains in key West Knoxville districts.
Democrat Patricia Fontenot-Ridley won her bid for School Board by five points in District 3 against a former chapter president of far-right group, Moms for Liberty, showing voters’ support of public education and rebuke of anti-government, anti-woke groups. In 2022, Stuart Hohl, who is now chair of the Knox County Democratic Party, lost his bid for County Commission in District 3 by 87 votes.
Two years later, Fontenot-Ridley won every precinct, and the election with 53 percent of the vote.
“The election results prove what we’ve been saying all along: Knox County will continue to flip blue, headed west down Interstate 40,” Hohl said. “I’m proud of our team, and we will take all this energy from our wins Thursday into flipping seats in the Tennessee General Assembly, and beyond. Knox County residents want and deserve more, and we will keep fighting to bring progress for them.”
Shane Jackson’s election Thursday to County Commission by two points solidified Democrats’ hold on District 4 (Bearden, Northshore). School Board Member Katherine Bike flipped District 4 blue in 2022 with her election.
Other notable Democratic strides Thursday:
Damon Rawls was elected to County Commission in District 1, keeping the district blue with a 76-24 win.
Commission Chairwoman Courtney Durrett won re-election with a whopping 62 percent of the vote.
Anne Templeton won 51 percent of the vote in a three-way race in North Knoxville’s District 2.
Tennessee House Rep. Sam McKenzie won a hard-fought primary challenge funded by special-interest groups. He remains in a strong position to maintain his seat in November.
Tennessee House Rep. Gloria Johnson—our hometown hero—pulled 90 percent of the vote in Knox County (70 percent statewide) to face off against Marsha Blackburn in November for U.S. Senate.
Democrats contested more races than ever before in August, and we expect that trend to continue.
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Media Contact: Stuart Hohl: chair@knoxcountydemocrats.org
Knox Dems is the Knox County, Tennessee, Democratic Party. Knox County has shifted 14 points toward Democrats over the past decade, and since 2014, local Dems have made gains over the local GOP by flipping seats in each election cycle since.
It’s not a matter of if Knox County flips blue, it’s when.