Mayoral Election Profile: Indya Kincannon’s campaign focuses on making Knoxville stronger
Mayoral candidate, Indya Kincannon, discusses her visions for Knoxville.
Indya Kincannon moved to Knoxville, Tennessee with her husband when she was eight months pregnant as her husband would be a law professor at the University of Tennessee’s College of Law.
Kincannon and her husband settled their family in North Knoxville.
Kincannon decided to run for Mayor of Knoxville because she has dedicated her life to public service.
“I’m running for mayor because I really believe in Knoxville. I love the city,” Kincannon said. “We’ve been here about 20 years now, raising our kids here and every year things keep getting better.”
Kincannon served on the Knox County Board of Education for 10 years and served as Chair for three consecutive years. Kincannon said she believes her leadership and policy background will help her build from previous administrations.
“Serving on the school board for 10 years has given me great insight into how to get things done in Knoxville,” Kincannon said. “… running a large organization like that is a really big responsibility, and I was really thrilled to work with a great administration and great team of colleagues.”
Moreover, she served as the Special Programs Manager for Mayor Madeline Rogero for three years and said she hopes to continue to move the city in a “positive, progressive, equitable and pragmatic” way. With Rogero being the first female Knoxville City Mayor, Kincannon is looking to continue the trend.
“I feel like now is a better time than ever to be running as a woman and to be leading as a woman because I think our country and our city are finally realizing there’s a lot of great leaders who happen to be women that we’ve been leaving on the side for no good reason,” Kincannon said. “I’m really grateful that Mayor Rogero broke this particular glass ceiling, and I have every bit of confidence that I will be able to lead as a woman and as a person very effectively.”
There are several issues Kincannon is passionate about, including: ensuring every neighborhood across Knoxville has access to parks and green spaces, access to quality education, embracing civility, having strong, healthy communities among others. The most important priority for her is having strong neighborhoods.
“That’s really my number one priority is strong neighborhoods, and that means supporting families and children; it means supporting the economic vitality of every neighborhood across the city,” Kincannon said. “… and I feel like my background in education and my connections to the people in the education world will help with the economic side and just the neighborhood stuff because strong neighborhoods are what leads the strong schools.”
If voters only remember one aspect of Kincannon’s campaign, she said she hopes voters remember that she fights for the people.
“I want Knoxville to be a place where everybody can thrive and be inclusive and welcoming. I have a great track record for making that happen and I want people to remember that.”
Edited by Grace Goodacre and Ciera Noe
Featured image courtesy of Indya Kincannon’s Facebook page
