Glenn Jacobs takes 17 more votes than Brad Anders in Knox County mayoral race

Glenn Jacobs has a slight edge over Brad Anders with every precinct reporting in the Knox County mayoral Republican primary.

Jacobs is leading Anders, 14,633-14,616, by a total of 17 votes. It is unlikely that the race will be called Tuesday night.

Bob Thomas, also on the GOP ticket, garnered 11,296 votes.

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On the Democratic side, Linda Haney has a comfortable lead over Rhonda “Mousie” Gallman, 4,250-1,912.

Unconventional Jacobs

If there’s a more unconventional path to the Republican nomination for the highest office in the county, Glenn Jacobs would like to know what it is.

On Tuesday night Jacobs wrestled away the party’s nomination for mayor from two Knox County commissioners, both of whom were favored over him, and he is in the driver’s seat, albeit barely, to become the county’s next mayor.

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The pro wrestler-turned-small-business owner and later candidate could hardly be considered an unknown; his alter-ego WWE character, Kane, has nearly 500,000 Twitter followers. But although an eloquent speaker and a sometimes guest on national broadcasts like Fox News, Jacobs was not a known commodity in political circles in the county.

The question for Jacobs’ camp was never if it could get enough attention — that was solved by the national outlets writing stories and getting WWE guest stars to come out to campaign rallies. Instead, it wondered if it could turn the attention into votes, prove to people that Jacobs was a serious candidate, not just a wrestler.

More: Unofficial Knox County Primary results

Haney rolls as Democrat choice

Haney has been involved in the local Democratic party for years and the support showed as she dispatched Gallman.

The number of Democratic primary voters shouldn’t necessarily be seen as a bellwether for how the party will do in the August general election, but it may not be far from it. In 2010, the last time there was no incumbent on the ballot, Tim Burchett, a Republican, won 88 percent of the county vote.

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The county general election is Aug. 2, which is the same day as the state election primary for governor, U.S. Congress and U.S. Senate.

August’s election is expected to draw plenty of interest and have high turnout rates.

More: 5 things to know about the Knox County Primary Election results