Update by Betty Bean: Per Cliff Rodgers (administrator of elections): Mike Chase turned in a petition to run for mayor at 10:30 a.m. May 16. Only 22 of some 40 signatures were good. Rodgers phoned Chase at 11 a.m. (as soon as he knew), to warn him that he needed three more valid signatures, but Chase didn’t act on it, so he did not qualify to run for mayor.
Mike Chase of Copper Cellar fame never turned in a valid petition to run for Knoxville mayor. The deadline to file was noon today.
The mayor’s race has six folks – three reasonably well-known (Eddie Mannis, Indya Kincannon, Marshall Stair) and three not-so-well-known (Michael Andrews, Fletcher Burkhardt, Calvin Taylor Skinner).
Three of four city council races have a favorite based on name recognition: Lynne Fugate, at-large seat A; Janet Testerman, at-large seat B; and Charles Thomas, district 5. The fourth race is a free-for-all: Amy Midis, Amelia Parker, Hubert Smith, Bob Thomas and David Williams. How does one handicap this race? The top two vote-getters will move on.