{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nVivian Underwood Shipe is the Democratic nominee for Knox County Commission At-Large Seat 11 in the August 6, 2026 general election, running against Republican Garrett Holt and independent David Velarde [1]. She has conducted months-long listening tours across all nine county districts [1]. Her priorities include expanding mental-health facilities and emergency psychiatric assessment centers, affordable housing using existing and empty buildings, education with trades programs and paid apprenticeships, a 24/7 county-wide \"micro\" green-bus transit system, and opposing data-center construction in Knox County [1]. \"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few,\" she says [1].\n\n## Background and education\nShipe, 70, is a graduate of Austin-East Magnet High School and earned an associate degree in marketing from Pellissippi State Community College [1][2].\n\n## Career\nShe was a public servant for 35 years with the U.S. Postal Service, 25 of them as union president [2].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\nFor more than 30 years Shipe has been a Knoxville community advocate; she is founder and director of the nonprofit I AM The Voice of the Voiceless, a founding member of the Faith Leaders Health Initiative, a Knoxville Utilities Board advocate, and a Tennessee Tribune journalist [2][3]. Her advocacy helped push the city, county, state and McNabb Center to open a Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center jail-diversion program for people with mental illness [2]. She serves on the boards of the East Tennessee Eye Bank and the League of Women Voters and is active with the East Knox Lions Club [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Knox County Commission At-Large Seat 11 voter's guide (Knox News)](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/knox-county-commission-large-seat-080720824.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Vivian Underwood Shipe: voice of the voiceless (Knox TN Today)](https://www.knoxtntoday.com/vivian-underwood-shipe-voice-of-the-voiceless/) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Vivian Underwood Shipe Runs for Office (The Tennessee Tribune)](https://tntribune.com/vivian-underwood-shipe-runs-for-office/) - accessed 2026-07-23","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_at_large_seat_11","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County Commission At-Large, Seat 11"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Vivian","fullname":"Vivian Underwood Shipe","lastname":"Shipe","middlename":"Underwood","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_at_large_seat_11","contest_title":"County Commission At-Large, Seat 11","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_at_large_seat_11","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission_at_large_seat_11","contest_title":"County Commission At-Large, Seat 11","county":"Knox","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"county_commission_at_large_seat_11","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"D","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission_at_large_seat_11","office_title":"County Commission At-Large, Seat 11","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Democratic nominee for Knox County Commission At-Large Seat 11; veteran Knoxville advocate and 'Voice of the Voiceless' founder focused on mental health, housing and transit.","terms":[],"token":"rt61XAyWFa"}