Beau Hawk

Beau Hawk is a Democratic candidate running for Knox County Mayor in the May 5, 2026 primary election ¹. He is currently the President of the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Central Labor Council and works as a business representative for the Knoxville Building & Construction Trades Council ⁸. A member of Ironworkers Local 384, Hawk was elected president by representatives from over 30 unions comprising thousands of workers, including KAT bus drivers, grocery store employees, and postal workers ³. He is described as an ironworker and labor leader who rose through union organizing ranks ³.

Hawk grew up in Chattanooga before moving to Knoxville ¹⁷. His campaign biography states he was raised by a single mother who worked as a house cleaner, which instilled in him a belief in the dignity of hard work ³. He entered the mayoral race on February 12, 2026, becoming the first Democrat to file for the office ¹⁷. At the time of his announcement, he was the only local Democrat to declare his candidacy ⁸. The current mayor, Glenn Jacobs, is term-limited after serving since at least 2018 ⁸.

Hawk’s platform centers on affordability and economic opportunity for working families. He argues that housing costs and rents in Knox County are outpacing income, making the middle-class single-earner household difficult to sustain ¹⁴. To address this, he has committed to raising the minimum wage for Knox County employees to $15 per hour ¹⁴. On public safety, Hawk prioritizes ensuring full pension benefits for Knox County Sheriff’s Office employees, claiming previous attempts to distribute pensions were a "rip off" ¹⁴. He also lists training and equipment as top priorities for public safety ¹⁴.

Hawk characterizes himself as not being a career politician, stating that Knox County needs leadership that listens and builds consensus rather than continuing the "good ole boy system" he believes has dominated local government ³. He criticizes the Republican party for running the county for decades without sharing a sense of duty toward opportunity and affordability ⁶. His campaign website is hawkforknox.com ³.

Sources