{"biography":"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].\n\nHawk 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].\n\nHawk\u2019s 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\u2019s 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].\n\nHawk 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].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n- [3] [Beau Hawk for Knox County Mayor](https://www.hawkforknox.com)\n- [6] [Beau Hawk is a labor leader and community advocate ...](https://www.facebook.com/knox.dems/posts/beau-hawk-is-a-labor-leader-and-community-advocate-running-for-mayor-to-fight-fo/1205363928437596/)\n- [8] [Election 2026: Beau Hawk announces run for Knox County mayor | wbir.com](https://www.wbir.com/article/news/politics/election-2026-beau-hawk-announces-run-for-knox-county-mayor/51-61184c31-f487-495a-843e-178ecf2b4e4f)\n- [13] [Meet your candidates for Knox County Mayor - Knox TN Today](https://www.knoxtntoday.com/meet-your-candidates-for-knox-county-mayor/)\n- [14] [Knox County Mayoral Candidates on Public Safety, the Economy and Growth | WIVK-FM](https://www.wivk.com/2026/04/06/47844/)\n- [17] [First democratic candidate joins Knox County mayoral race](https://www.wvlt.tv/2026/02/13/first-democratic-candidate-joins-knox-county-mayoral-race/)\n- [18] [Knox County mayoral candidates on public safety, the economy and growth](https://www.wvlt.tv/2026/03/11/knox-county-mayoral-candidates-public-safety-economy-growth/)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_mayor","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County Mayor"},{"contest":"county_mayor","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"County Mayor"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Beau","fullname":"Beau Hawk","lastname":"Hawk","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_mayor","contest_title":"County Mayor","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":"knox","office_key":"county_mayor","office_title":"Knox County Mayor","party":"D","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},{"contest":"county_mayor","contest_title":"County Mayor","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"knox","office_key":"county_mayor","office_title":"Knox County Mayor","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":"knox","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_mayor","contest_title":"County Mayor","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":"knox","office_key":"county_mayor","office_title":"Knox County Mayor","party":"D","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"D","primary":{"contest":"county_mayor","contest_title":"County Mayor","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"knox","office_key":"county_mayor","office_title":"Knox County Mayor","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_mayor","office_title":"Knox County Mayor","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Beau Hawk, a labor leader and Ironworkers Local 384 member, is the sole Democratic candidate for Knox County Mayor in 2026, focusing on affordability and workers' rights.","terms":[],"token":"6UEBtz75Z9"}