Primary voters in Knoxville City Council District 6 had no problems picking two finalists for the general election, but they were split fairly evenly between top choices Denzel Grant and Stan Johnson.

The 6th District is the city's only minority-majority district.

Grant garnered 36.31 percent of the vote, with Johnson close behind at 31.3 percent. Three other candidates carved up the remaining one-third of the vote. 

Grant and Johnson are battling for those voters and those who waited for the general election, which always sees a higher turnout than the primary. 

The city’s only minority-majority district, the 6th has elected a Black representative to Council every election since the district framework was put into place in 1969. That won’t change in 2025. The winner will succeed Councilwoman Gwen McKenzie, who is term limited.

The district encompasses East Knoxville, Downtown, Mechanicsville and Marble City as well. The 6th is the only district to share a boundary with every other district in the city, and some of its neighborhoods are among the city’s most economically challenged. 

In the primary, Grant and Johnson were the only candidates to win precincts, with Grant taking seven and Johnson winning in four. Grant’s strongest area was the heart of East Knoxville on either side of Magnolia Avenue; Johnson’s best showings were in Morningside, Downtown, Beaumont and Mechanicsville north of University Avenue.

Only 11.5 percent of the district’s 13,616 registered voters cast ballots in the primary. Aside from the customary surge in turnout for the general election, two issues could drive more voters to the polls in District 6.

The .5 percent sales-tax-increase referendum could bump up turnout citywide, though its impact is difficult to gauge at this point. The city’s recent failed effort to sell a portion of Chilhowee Park to Emerald Youth Foundation could also galvanize East Knoxville voters. In a recent candidate forum, Grant and Johnson agreed that the outcome gives East Knoxville residents the opportunity to engage in efforts to determine the area’s future.

Early voting in the general election runs Oct. 15-30. Election Day is Nov. 4.

These profiles are lightly edited updates from Compass’ primary coverage.

Denzel Grant

Denzel Grant says his experience as a military veteran, father of one, and executive director of the violence-interruption organization Turn Up Knox speaks volumes.

Born and raised in East Knoxville’s Austin Homes, while also having resided in New Jersey and now living in the Burlington neighborhood, Grant has spent the past several years working on the frontlines of gun-violence prevention and public safety. He says he’s running to bring accountability, transparency and true grassroots leadership to the city’s most diverse and historically neglected district.

“District 6 is the heartbeat of the city. I truly believe that,” Grant said in an interview at the downtown Crowne Plaza hotel. “It’s where diversity is at its peak racially, generationally, economically. And if we learn to see that as a strength instead of a division, we can build a Knoxville that works for everyone.”

Grant’s campaign message is centered on systemic change, especially for those on the margins – people without IDs, without GEDs and without access to basic services. “Nobody’s listening,” he said. “Not just to the Black community, but to the marginalized, the people who aren’t showing up to city meetings because they’re just trying to survive.”

He believes that his experience leading Turn Up Knox, an initiative rooted in community-based violence interruption, gave him both data and insight into what works, and what doesn’t, when addressing public safety.

“Violence interruption shouldn’t just be a strategy cities adopt when the numbers go up,” said Grant, who stepped down as executive director of Turn Up Knox to focus on his campaign. “It should be a way of life. And the numbers don’t lie; up until 2022, youth violence was increasing at a staggering rate. We helped change that.”

Though the city canceled its contract with Turn Up Knox in February, citing concerns about documentation and record keeping, Grant says the real story was more complicated.

“I was asked to change our reporting style in a way that, to me, compromised the integrity of the program and endangered the people we serve,” he explained. “I wasn’t willing to put my staff or our community at risk just to meet a checkbox.”

Despite the controversy, Grant insists the experience deepened his resolve to run, a dream he’s had ever since the late City Councilman Danny Mayfield came and knocked on his door when he was in grade school.

“What happened with the city didn’t break me. If anything, it made me stronger,” he said. “I was going to run for office anyway. But that experience clarified why we need more people with direct community ties in positions of power.”

Grant’s military background after high school, including three years in the Army, also shaped his approach to leadership. “The discipline, the teamwork, the sense of mission – it stuck with me,” he said. “And I’ve carried that into everything I’ve done since.”

Grant says his top priorities if elected will include redefining and expanding access to affordable housing, continued violence interruption, and improving education in its broadest sense by ensuring that residents are resourced, not just informed.

“When I say education, I don’t just mean schools,” he said. “I mean helping people understand how to navigate systems, how to access services, how to advocate for themselves.”

He’s also a vocal opponent of Mayor Kincannon’s proposed sales-tax increase. “People are struggling,” he said. “A few cents on a backpack might not sound like much, but when folks are trying to figure out how to put gas in their car, any extra expense is too much. I’ve knocked on doors across the district, and the message is clear: They can’t afford it, and they really don’t want it.”

While his campaign is faring well in terms of door knocking and fundraising, Grant is leaning on sweat equity. “I won’t be outworked. We have knocked over a thousand doors and are working on a thousand more,” he said. “The man-hours I’m putting in, the community support, the trust I’ve built, it’s real.”

He believes his age and generational perspective are strengths, especially when it comes to youth engagement. “I’ve been where a lot of our young people are,” Grant said. “I’ve lost friends. I’ve served my country. I’ve fought to build something in this community. And I’ve had to do it all under a microscope.”

For Grant, leadership means more than policy – it’s about presence.

“I’ve been with people at their lowest, when they’ve lost loved ones to violence, when they didn’t know where their next meal was coming from,” he said. “That changes you. That humbles you. And that’s what sets me apart.”

He adds, “A vote for me is a vote for your children, your grandchildren, for future generations. Because I’m not just running to be on Council, I’m running to build something lasting.”

Grant emphasized that for far too long, internal division within the community has stifled progress in the district. He said he wants to see the community come together across generational, racial and economic lines.

“We’ve been divided, and it’s held us back. We haven’t seen the progress we deserve, and not enough has changed,” he said. “I am the only candidate who can truly unify this district across age, race, background and income.”

Stan Johnson

When Stan Johnson arrived in Knoxville in 1989 to attend Knoxville College, he says, that Historic Black College and University (HBCU) experience prepared him for a lifetime of leadership.

Originally from Black River, Jamaica, Johnson came to the United States as a migrant worker, picking fruit in Florida and up and down the East Coast before pursuing higher education at the historic college.

“I was today’s dreamer, as they would call it,” Johnson said.

Now, the executive director of SEEED (Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development), father of four and grandfather of four hopes to bring his decades of business experience, grassroots organizing and environmental-justice work to the 6th District.

“I came here to get an education, met my wife of 28 years, raised my family here and made this city home,” he said.

Johnson’s career spans both the private and nonprofit sectors. After graduating from college in 1995, he combined his academic background with a passion for cars to begin a career at Ted Russell Nissan in Knoxville. Starting as a car salesman and later advancing to finance manager, he worked there from 1995 to 2002. During this time, he also invested in real estate and helped relocate his mother and siblings to Knoxville, laying the groundwork for their future.

In 2002, Johnson launched the Stan Johnson Super Auto Center on Magnolia Avenue in East Knoxville, co-founding the business with his brother and longtime friend JD Jackson. The dealership quickly became more than just a business — it became a space for community, hosting classes on financial literacy, car maintenance and college preparation.

But it was a spiritual calling and the urging of a friend that led him into community work full-time. Though his earlier bid for Knox County Commission was unsuccessful, the loss didn’t deter him. He went on to serve for eight years on the Metropolitan Planning Commission (now the Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission).

“I really thought I was done after selling my dealership,” he recalled. “Then the Lord came calling.”

That call led Johnson to Tribe One, an inner-city nonprofit started by former city councilmen – the late Danny Mayfield and Chris Woodhull – supporting young people in East Knoxville. He later co-founded SEEED in 2009 — an organization that now provides green-jobs training, solar-home construction and weatherization services, all while mentoring youth and promoting sustainability.

SEEED was inspired by national models like Van Jones’ green-jobs movement and Homeboy Industries. Johnson envisioned a local pathway that could help young people earn a living wage, reduce crime and strengthen neighborhoods, all while addressing housing inequities and lowering energy burdens.

“I’ve been saying it for years … nothing stops a bullet like a job,” Johnson said. “If you have a job that pays well, you’re not out hanging around at 2 a.m. looking for trouble. I wanted to help young people be able to be a part of what I would call America, right? Without them having to conform to the American capitalistic society. And that’s by learning a trade. A trade that could turn into a career, that could turn into a business, where you’re the one that actually owns it, and you’re the one that’s employing other people.”

If elected, Johnson said, he will continue to prioritize affordable housing, youth opportunities and public safety, the same issues he has addressed for nearly two decades through SEEED. He also shared his role in helping Knoxville Utilities Board launch its Round It Up program, which now generates over $1 million annually for weatherization services matched by TVA.

“That’s a big win, and we helped make that happen by working together with the city and utilities,” he said.

His long-range vision includes building sustainable, energy-efficient homes on vacant lots, especially in East Knoxville.

“People thought I was crazy. I’m sitting up here as a car guy, a capitalist. They said, ‘You’re going into nonprofit work, you’re going to help kids, and you’re going to do what?’” he said. “And it wasn’t just a vision of helping young adults. It was about helping the community understand that we’re in an energy-burden situation. That’s what’s making housing costs rise so much. The housing stock that we can afford comes with utility bills so high that you’ve put yourself in an unaffordable situation. And I knew we could help change that.”

Johnson also said he is deeply opposed to the displacement of longtime East Knoxville residents and is a strong advocate for keeping generational property in the community.

“I always say: Don’t sell grandma’s house. We’ve gotta buy back the ’hood,” he said. “We need to teach people the process, how to get a city lot, how to build a home, how to keep wealth in the community.”

Despite his community-first approach, Johnson said he never envisioned running for office until District 6 Councilwoman Gwen McKenzie asked him to pray about it.

“She planted the seed,” Johnson said. “Then my wife was supportive, my pastor Daryl Arnold told me I had been ignoring God’s voice, and I knew it was time.”

In a district facing deep challenges in housing, safety and equity, Johnson says his story, from migrant worker to business owner to nonprofit leader, is proof that transformational change is possible. And he is clear that it’s about working together.

“I’m proud that four Black men are running. That’s historic,” he said of the primary. “We need to elevate each other, but we also need people who are willing to serve, not just talk.”

With nearly 20 years of on-the-ground experience, Johnson said he’s ready to get to work on day one.

“Land use, zoning, development — those are 70 percent of what City Council does, and I’ve already been doing what others are promising they’ll do,” he said.

When asked what separates him as a candidate, Johnson pointed to his track record.

“I’ve built homes, created jobs and worked with every level of government,” he said. “You don’t want your surgeon’s first operation to be on you; you want someone who knows what they’re doing.”