Betsy Henderson

Current office and 2026 campaign

Betsy Henderson has represented District 6 on the Knox County Board of Education since 2020 and has twice been elected the board's chair ¹. She won the Republican nomination for Knox County Mayor in the May 5, 2026 primary, receiving 44.73% of the vote (20,070 votes) against at-large County Commissioners Larsen Jay (31.15%, 13,975 votes) and Kim Frazier (24.12%, 10,822 votes) ²³. She advances to face Democratic nominee Beau Hawk in the August 6, 2026 general election for the seat being vacated by term-limited incumbent Republican Glenn Jacobs ⁴⁵.

Background and education

Henderson is an East Tennessee native who grew up in Louisville, Tennessee, and attended Maryville City Schools before earning a degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville ¹. She lives in the Hardin Valley community of Knox County with her husband, Scott, and their two children, Logan and Molly ¹.

Career

After college, Henderson moved to Washington, D.C. to work in the office of U.S. Rep. Jimmy Duncan, beginning the job "just days after September 11, 2001" ¹. She later returned to Knox County and was elected to the school board in 2020 ⁶.

Documented disputes and controversies

On January 28, 2025, Henderson testified before a Tennessee Senate committee in support of Gov. Bill Lee's universal school voucher proposal, identifying herself as the Knox County Board of Education chair while saying she was speaking in her "personal capacity" - despite the board itself having voted not to support the voucher plan ⁷. Knox County Commissioner Terry Hill, a former Knox County Schools board chair, said Henderson may have violated the board's code of ethics by touting the proposal in that setting ⁸. A Change.org petition calling for her removal from the board drew more than 1,700 signatures, arguing she "did not represent the Knox County community and did not value the input of the community" ⁹. Henderson said she had no intention of leaving the board regardless of the petition ⁷.

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