Ex-pro wrestler ‘Kane’ wins Knox County mayor primary; state Rep. Kane loses clerk race

Glenn Jacobs, a former professional wrestler known by the stage name “Kane,” won the Republican nomination as Knox County mayor Tuesday by 17 votes, according to final unofficial returns from the county election commission. He had 14,633 votes with runner-up Brad Angiers at 14,616 and third candidate, Bob Thomas, at 11,296.

State Rep. Roger Kane (R-Knoxville), who decided to seek election as Knox Country clerk rather than another term in the state House, lost to Sherry Witt, who is currently serving as county registrar of deeds. Witt had 23,168 votes to Kane’s 14,620.

From the News Sentinel report on Kane’s apparent primary victory in the race to succeed current Mayor Tim Burchett, who is running for Congress:

“(The results were) about the people of Knox County making a statement,” he (Jacobs) said. “You know, my opponents are fine men, but they’re in the government right now and I think someone like me coming in and bringing fresh perspectives and new ideas is something that people look forward to.”

Tuesday’s results have not been certified and will not be until May 21. The county will sift through 43 provisional ballots later this week, a count that could, at least theoretically, change the outcome of the election, but it is unlikely.

Jacobs made a career out of theatrics as the former WWE wrestler, Kane, and Tuesday’s finish was no different.

He was down 1 point when early voting came in and down 391 votes with just over 50 percent of the precincts reporting. But he turned it around and was up 108 votes when 87 of the 89 precincts had been counted. A few minutes later, the final two precincts were counted and he finished ahead.

After the totals came in Anders said he would have almost rather have lost by 1,000 votes as opposed to 17. He knows there will be second guessing in a race he knew would be close, although he admits, he thought it would be close between he and Thomas, not he and Jacobs.

“It doesn’t make it any easier or any harder,” he said about Glenn’s surprising win. “It’s just 17 votes and you’re going to spend the next few days trying to figure out where those 17-18 votes were.”

When asked if an ethics complaint, filed against him in the late stages of the campaign played a factor, he said you never know.

“You don’t know where they’re (the votes) are at,” he said. “I don’t know what impact that had. I’m sure it had some impact. The guy that filed it is a Glenn supporter so it probably helps them quite a bit in their celebration.”

…He (Jacobs) will be heavily favored in the August general election where he’ll face off against Democrat Linda Haney, who dispatched Rhonda “Mousie” Gallman by over 30 points in the Democratic primary. (4,284 votes to runner-up  Gallman’s 1,924. a third candidate,Rebecca Deloa, had 1,454 votes.)

Note: Full Knox County primary election results, as reported by the Knox County Election Commission, are HERE.