I was the Knox County Republican Party Chairman during the 2006 election. As the Party Chairman, I had to navigate competing candidates through the Primary Season and the General Election. In 2006, I also had to protect my Republican candidates from a rogue “Orange Ballot” slate of write-in candidates.

This past May 1 to August 2, 2018 election, the Democrats fielded a lot of candidates. They had four commission candidates, a county mayor candidate, a Circuit Court Clerk Candidate. However, the Knox County Democrat Chair was the Campaign Manager for the county mayor candidate. On this financial disclosure shows $2,500 in campaign manager salary and $20 reimbursement for website setup. On this financial disclosure is another $1,250 salary and a reimbursement for a political lunch at $25.76. There will be at least one more financial disclosure, as there was $5,930 plus dollars on hand at the pre-general disclosure.

The question I have to question is if all the candidates felt like they got the full support of the party while their party chair was working for pay as one candidates campaign manager.

The one candidate for the Democrats that was more successful than the others was Cody Biggs, Knox County Commission Third District  candidate. He kept his opponent, Commission Chairman Randy Smith below the 63% percent threshold that the other Republican candidates won by.