Ellen Zavisca, a community advocate and former Knoxville-Knox County Planning staffer, is running to succeed term-limited Knoxville Councilmember Lynne Fugate in 2027. Zavisca is the first person to announce a candidacy for next year's election.
Zavisca is currently the director of planning and research for the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, a nonprofit that supports transportation planning agencies around the country. She is running for the at-large councilmember position, which serves the whole city.
“Knoxville is growing, and we have a choice about who gets to thrive in the city we’re building,” Zavisca said in a news release. “I’m running because I believe everyone deserves a safe, affordable place to call home, regardless
of their ZIP code or income."
Zavisca's campaign is managed by Jack Vaughan, who ran the campaigns of former councilmembers Andrew Roberto and Tommy Smith, school board member Katherine Bike, municipal Judge Tyler Caviness, Knox County Commissioners Shane Jackson and Damon Rawls, Councilmembers Karyn Adams and Matthew DeBardelaben, and Knox County Commissioner-elect Brandon Huckaby. Former councilmember Seema Singh will manage the campaign's finances.
"Ellen is running for City Council because she believes the city's future should be shaped by the people who live here — not just those with the loudest voices or the deepest pockets," her website says. "She brings a planner’s eye for the data, a neighbor’s understanding of community, and a mom’s determination to build a city that works for the next generation."
Voters will select the winners for mayor, municipal judge, three citywide council seats and one district council seat in 2027. Candidates have until May 20 to file paperwork to run. The primary election is Aug. 31 and the regular election is Nov. 2.
There are six district-level councilmembers and three citywide councilmembers. District-level councilmemebrs are elected only by voters who live in their geographical districts while the whole city votes on citywide councilmembers. Candidates can choose which citywide seat they want to run for.
Allie Feinberg is the politics reporter for Knox News. Email: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com; Reddit: u/KnoxNewsAllie
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Ellen Zavisca is running for Knoxville City Council
