Indya Kincannon has won the Knoxville Mayor’s race. Eddie Mannis has conceded according to WVLT.
and of course the rose between two thorns picture. Stair, Kincannon and this blogger.
Mannis went from a primary advantage, but Kincannon made it up and passed him by. The demonizing of Kincannon by the current Knox County Republican Party Chairman backfired. The rhetoric published by a weekly throw away newspaper backfired. Mannis hired the same campaign manager that Knox County Mayor candidate Brad Anders and Knox County Sheriff candidate Lee Tramel used for campaign tasks. The endorsement of Congressman Tim Burchett and poll working by the Congressman’s wife were not helpful. Mannis won early vote and absentee by 294 votes, then was endorsed by Former Governor Bill Haslam and loses big in the city’s non-partisan purple.
Kincannon had the ground troops to just get the work done and that they did.
Campaign “Guru” Gary Drinnon’s record of losing continues. Kincannon ran micro buses all day on the east side and got many votes. Republicans sat on the couch. Kincannon had an army of door knockers, Mannis did not. Kincannon had issues, Mannis did not. Kincannon had state of the art social media, Mannis had TV ads no one watched. If Mannis had stood firm on the gun ban and Recode this would have been close. Instead Mannis rode the fence. trying to be all things to all people.