KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Former Knoxville City Council member Lauren Rider announced today that she is running for Mayor of Knoxville in the 2027 election to succeed term-limited Mayor Indya Kincannon.
Rider, who served eight years on Knoxville City Council and previously worked as an educator and librarian at Pellissippi State Community College, said her campaign will focus on vibrant and safe neighborhoods, economic opportunity, housing and shelter, and greater public input in city decisions.
“Knoxville is a unique fabric of diverse neighborhoods, and the decisions we make in the years ahead will shape the kind of city we leave to the next generation,” Rider said. “We’re fortunate to be a thriving city that keeps attracting new neighbors. But that growth has brought real growing pains, from rising housing costs to more traffic on our roads, at a time when families and businesses are already feeling the weight of a nationwide affordability crisis.”
Rider said Knoxville must plan for continued growth while protecting affordability, strengthening city services and infrastructure, and making sure residents have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their communities.
“Growth should make Knoxville a better place to live, not a harder one,” Rider said. “That means safe neighborhoods, more housing and real pathways to homeownership, roads that get people where they need to go, and city services residents can depend on. We can do all of that while staying within budget and keeping the tax burden low, but not by sticking with the status quo.”
During her time on City Council, Rider worked with colleagues to pass land-use reforms that increased the supply of affordable housing, expanded shelter and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness, supported legislative changes to help local businesses, and backed stronger staffing and processes for city audits.
“Knoxville doesn’t need a mayor who has to learn on the job,” Rider said. “ I know how the budget works, where the bottlenecks are, and how to turn an idea into action. From my first day as mayor, I’ll be ready to lead the city’s more than 1,600 employees to make sure the basics get done well and deliver the services people count on.”
Gage Schmid will serve as Rider’s campaign manager, with Katherine Bike, chair of the Knox County Board of Education, as campaign treasurer.
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Rider is available for interviews regarding her campaign and announcement with additional information available at VoteLaurenRider.com.
Media Contact:
Gage Schmid
