Ballot Project
Log in / Sign up

←All People

Betsy Henderson

born 1979-02-19 (Age 47)
Betsy Henderson
Knox County Schools Board District 6 elected 2022-08-04 2022-09-01 to 2026-09-01
Candidate for County Mayor (Republican Primary) Knox, TN 2026-05-05

Betsy Henderson is a Republican candidate running for Knox County Mayor in the May 5, 2026, primary election in Knox County, Tennessee [18]. She is currently serving as a member of the Knox County Board of Education, representing District 6, a seat she assumed in 2020 and won re-election to in August 2022 [1]. During her tenure on the school board, Henderson served as its chair [5]. She is a native East Tennessean who grew up in Louisville, Tennessee, attended Maryville City Schools, and graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville [6]. She resides in Hardin Valley with her husband, Scott, and their two children, Logan and Molly [6].

Henderson’s political career began after she moved to Washington, D.C., in the week following the September 11, 2001 attacks to work for Congressman Jimmy Duncan [11]. She later returned to Knox County, where she was elected to the school board in 2020 [6]. Her time on the board has been marked by conservative policy positions. She advocated for keeping schools open during the COVID-19 pandemic, opposing mask mandates, and supporting law enforcement presence in schools [4]. In January 2025, she testified before a Tennessee Senate committee in support of Governor Bill Lee’s universal school voucher plan [5]. While she identified herself as the board chair during testimony, she stated she was speaking in her individual capacity; this action drew criticism from Knox County Commissioner Terry Hill and prompted a petition with over 1,700 signatures calling for Henderson’s removal from the board [8].

Henderson officially launched her campaign for Knox County Mayor in May 2025, following the appointment of Zane Duncan as her campaign treasurer in March of that year [5]. Her platform emphasizes fiscal restraint, specifically pledging to oppose any tax increases on families [5]. She also prioritizes supporting small businesses, improving roads and schools, and protecting personal freedoms [4]. In the mayoral race, she faces Republican opponents Kim Frazier and Larsen Jay, as well as Democratic candidate Beau Hawk in the general election [11]. Henderson has claimed support from U.S. Representative Tim Burchett, though his campaign stated he had not made an official endorsement [16].

Sources

Public filings

Tennessee law requires candidates and officeholders to file campaign finance reports and a statement of interest. None of the state or county sites below supports direct links to an individual record — you'll need to search by last name on each.

Campaign finance

Statement of interest (conflict of interest)

Spotted an error or have a citation we should add? Suggest an edit →