By Ken Lay
After a failed bid for city council and for the District 4 seat on the Knox County Commission, Garrett Holt is making a third attempt at public service.
Holt is back.
This year, he is making another run at Knox County Commission, running for At-Large Seat 11, a seat being vacated by Kim Frazier, who is seeking the Republican nomination for Knox County Mayor after being term-limited on the county commission.
Holt and his campaign hosted a meet-and-greet Wednesday night at Scrambled Jake’s in West Knoxville, where he saw plenty of familiar faces.
“I was going to come up here and tell you my name, but I feel like I already know everybody in this room,” Holt said to open his brief remarks to his supporters. “I’ve had a heart for public service since I was young, and there are a lot of people in this room who have had a big impact on me.”
On this night, Holt said he knows his third run could be even more difficult than the previous elections as he is one of six candidates seeking the at-large seat, which represents the entire county.
“When I ran for city council, it was the hardest thing that I’ve ever done in my life,” he said. “Then in 2024, I ran for county commission, and that was the hardest thing that I’ve ever done.
“Then three-and-a-half or four weeks ago, I had a big development in my life, and I decided to do this.”
Holt will face a Republican Primary on May 5, where he will have three opponents, including Michael Baer, Matthew Parsons and Liz Trombas. Should he prevail in the primary, he’ll face Democrat Vivian Shipe and Independent David Velarde in August.
“Looking at this, we think we have a pretty good chance,” he said.
While he didn’t directly address his stance on the issues on this night, Holt did discuss why he threw his hat into the ring for political office for a third time. And he emphasized that he is not a politician. Rather, he’s seeking to be a public servant who feels that it’s important for his supporters and him to participate in the process of local government.
“I am a product of this community and a product of Knox County, and I want our kids to have the same or a better county than we did,” he said. “People have asked me why I’m doing this again, and I tell them that I want to leave something better than I found it.
“We need good people. Knox County is a great place to live, but I want to make it better, and everything that happens to you when you leave this room is a result of local government. The roads, the infrastructure and education are all a result of local government, and Knox County is growing. We’re getting 5,000 or 6,000 new people every year.”
And he’s hoping for an opportunity to serve Knox County residents, both old and new.
“I am a public servant,” he said. “I am not a politician.”
