What separates Noah Smith and Dennis Powers? Almost 50 years and over 4,000 votes.
Dennis Powers, 2023
Powers, who will be 73 on September 14, 2026, has represented TN House District 36 for eight two-year terms. The district includes Campbell and Union counties and parts of Claiborne County.
Smith, 26, defeated Powers in the Republican Primary on August 6, 2026, and has no Democratic opponent in November. He will be the youngest member of the upcoming General Assembly.
Both men are from LaFollette; both graduated from LaFollette High School; both graduated in business from the University of Tennessee; both are Baptists; both were Boy Scouts.
Smith defeated Powers, winning 8,034 votes or 66.97%, to Powers’ 3,963 votes, or 33.03%. Smith won by 4,071 votes and nearly 34 percentage points. (Per an article by Paul Fisher on WBIR-TV)
Smith raised about $46,000 from 60 donors with 90 percent coming from within District 36. Powers raised about $135,000 from 109 donors with 91 percent coming from outside of District 36. In fact, each of Powers’ top ten donors was a political action committee. (Source OpenTN)
The men seem similar on issues, moderate-conservative Republicans. Powers sells insurance. He ran three times for the seat before winning election.
Smith is a pilot for Endeavor Air, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines. He worked briefly as a personal assistant to UT President Randy Boyd. He ran for and was elected to the Campbell County school board at age 18.
“I am proud to be from East Tennessee, and I am proud that the people of this district chose to send someone from the next generation to Nashville,” Smith told Paul Fisher. “I am not going to Nashville to become a career politician. I am going to Nashville to serve the people of District 36, fight for conservative values, and make sure East Tennessee has a voice at the table.”
Knox Chamber looks to strengthen worker skills
Knoxville has changed significantly since the Knoxville Chamber launched Talent Redefined in 2021. The population has grown, jobs have been created, Knox County Schools launched its academy model and AI has changed the business landscape. So, Knoxville Chamber is releasing Talent 2030, an updated strategy for making sure the region’s talent pipeline adapts to those changes.
Ashlee Price
The strategy continues the Chamber’s focus on the 25-to-54-year-old “Growth” demographic but expands the conversation around three pillars: retaining the talent we develop, recruiting the talent we need, and providing opportunities to reskill the talent we have, per the Chamber.
“We’ve seen encouraging growth, but the goal isn’t growth for its own sake. It’s growing intentionally, in the right way,” said Knoxville Chamber director of talent Ashlee Price. “We need to make sure the people who come here want to stay, that we can attract the workforce that our employers need, and that the people already employed locally have a path to keep up with a changing economy.”
The region added nearly 64,000 residents since 2020, while employment grew 12.2% between 2020 and 2025. However, about 37% of the Knoxville MSA’s population is currently between the ages of 25 and 54, compared with 40% to 45% in peer communities.
Talent 2030 builds on work already underway, including Knox County Schools’ 865 Academies, the Chamber’s 2030 Protocol, and the Regional Innovation Growth Strategy. Implementation will require employers, educators, nonprofits, government, and economic development organizations to work together. Click here to read the full strategy and the initiatives proposed for each pillar.
Notes & Quotes
Hair Haven & Co. and The Hive Beauty Supply, will hold a grand opening ceremony in partnership with the Knoxville Chamber on Friday, September 11, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. The businesses are at 2902 Tazewell Pike, Ste D, Knoxville. Owners are Keniya Buley and Breanna Coach. The Hive is a beauty supply boutique providing professional-quality hair care, beauty products and extensions. Hair Haven & Co. is an elevated, multicultural, beauty destination providing personalized hair and skin care services in a professional, welcoming environment.
Covenant Health will host the inaugural EMS 9/11 Heroes Classic golf tournament to honor the region’s emergency medical services heroes and raise funds for the Region II EMS Scholarship Fund on Friday, September 11, 2026, at Island Pointe Golf Club, 9610 Kodak Road in Kodak, Tennessee. Registration and breakfast start at 7:30 a.m., and the fundraising tournament begins with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. More than 170 EMS partners from 18 counties have been invited to enjoy a complimentary day on the course in recognition of their vital contributions to East Tennessee.
Katherine Bike, chair, and Anne Templeton, vice chair, were elected to lead the Knox County Board of Education.
Quote: The best defense against democracy is to distract people. – Noam Chomsky
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Sandra Clark compiles obituary links and writes the Let’s Talk series for KnoxTNToday – Let’s Talk – Leaders archive. Follow KnoxTNToday on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn. Get daily articles in one place with our free newsletter. Send comments to news@knoxtntoday.com/.
