Mayor. The mayor is the city's chief elected official. In a strong-mayor city the mayor runs the city government, prepares the budget and appoints department heads; in a council-manager city the mayor presides over the council and a hired manager runs operations. Which model applies depends on the city charter.
Tennessee › Knox County › Knox County Mayor
DECIDED at the August 6, 2026 county general election: Betsy Henderson won with 52.5 percent over Beau Hawk (47.5 percent), per the Knox County Election Commission's official results. This office will not appear on the November 3 ballot. Partisan race on Knox County's August 6, 2026 county general election ballot, per the Election Commission's certified candidate list. RESULTS ARE IN: this race was decided on August 6, 2026. Totals from the county Election Commission are unofficial until the county canvass, due no later than Monday, August 24 (Tenn. Code 2-8-101); Tennessee has no automatic recount. The sitting mayor is term-limited, so this is an open seat.
Republican
Per the campaign site.
Betsy Henderson chairs the Knox County Board of Education, where she has served two one-year terms as chair, and previously worked in U.S. Rep. Jimmy Duncan's office, per local election reporting. She won the May Republican primary and is the certified Republican candidate for the open county mayor's seat on the August 6, 2026 ballot.
Democratic
Beau Hawk is the president of the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Central Labor Council, per local election reporting. He is the certified Democratic candidate for the open county mayor's seat on the August 6, 2026 ballot.
Who is running for Knox County Mayor in 2026?
The Knox County Mayor race was decided at the 2026 primary - Betsy Henderson won the seat - and does not appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot. 2 candidates were on the primary ballot: Betsy Henderson and Beau Hawk. Candidate information follows official Knox County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
When is the Knox County Mayor election in Tennessee?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Tennessee are on the Tennessee election hub at theballotbrief.com.
How do I see my exact Knox County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.
Candidate roster from official Knox County and state election office filings, last verified September 27, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.
Cross-check with the official Tennessee election office, or see the full Knox County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.
9 tracked races in Knox County, Tennessee. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.