State Rep. Bill Dunn will be replaced in District 16 by a woman. Dunn has represented the North Knox district since 1994 and opted not to seek reelection.
Republican candidates in the Aug. 6 primary are Patti Bounds, who now serves on the Knox County school board, and Michele Carringer, who serves on Knox County Commission.
On Monday, Elizabeth Rowland formally announced her candidacy in the Democratic primary, where she is unopposed.
Rowland, 40, grew up in West Knox County and now lives in Fountain City. Her mother, Ann, is a retired lawyer and a registered nurse; her dad, the late Mike Rowland, was a lawyer and a state representative in the mid-1970s.
Elizabeth Rowland received both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in international affairs from the University of Colorado and Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, respectively.
She founded a nonprofit with a mission to educate and connect people in Tennessee that do business with China. As executive director, she led the organization for over five years in its effort to boost exports, attract Chinese investment and create jobs in Tennessee. Her campaign website is here.