Indya Kincannon becomes new Knoxville mayor

Indya Kincannon won the Knoxville mayoral election with 52.4% or 13,291 votes. She will be the second female ever elected to the position.

In an interview with WATE, Kincannon said she is excited to take office.

“I’m feeling very excited, I’m so grateful for the people in this city for their support and for believing that we need to be the kind of city where the economy works for everybody and where we can connect every family to opportunity,” Kincannon said. “I can’t wait to get started.”

Kincannon is a Democrat who is focused on improving education and the economy, building healthy communities and increasing involvement in city government among Knoxville residents.

Kincannon’s strong connection with her own neighborhood drove her focus on cultivating a stronger and safer Knoxville and actively engaging with its residents.

“I have learned first-hand how neighbors can work together to address problems and build social connections,” Kincannon said.

“From litter to traffic, to safety and parks, the people who live in Knoxville know what’s working well, what’s not, and have pragmatic ideas for how we can do better. As Mayor, I will actively engage and seek input from all Knoxville neighborhoods.”

Kincannon has been an active member of the Knoxville community and city government since she moved to Knoxville 18 years ago.

She served as the Special Program Manager for Mayor Rogero from 2015 to 2018. Additionally, she was the chairperson for the Knox County Board of Education for ten years. She is also a board member for multiple other organizations in Knoxville, including Project GRAD and the Great Schools Partnership.

Kincannon explained that her time as chairperson has prepared her for being mayor.

“Running a large organization like [the school board] is a lot of responsibility,” Kincannon said in an interview with TNJN in May. “I learned how to work with people from all different parts of the political spectrum, with different backgrounds and different ideologies and focus on common ground on what is good for the students and for the families and for the City of Knoxville.”

“She seems to really care about Knoxville and many issues within the city. I’m excited to see how she will tackle them as mayor and how she will improve the city for everyone,” Breland Burum, Knoxville resident, said.

In addition to a new mayor, four new city council members were also elected on Tuesday.

Lynne Fugate won Knoxville City Council At Large Seat A, Janet Testerman won Knoxville City Council At Large Seat B, Amelia Parker won Knoxville City Council At Large Seat C and Charles Thomas won Knoxville City Council District 5.

Kincannon and the four new council members will take office on Dec. 21.

Edited by Ainsley Kelso and Maddie Torres

Featured image courtesy of Indya Kincannon’s campaign website