When “Kane” isn’t Kane, and Hall isn’t Hall

For starters, let’s get a couple of things straight: “Kane” is not running for County Clerk, and Steve Hall is not running for Register of Deeds. In case you get your first glimpse of the ballot in the upcoming Knox County Primary Election, and think I’ve lost my marbles, allow me to explain.

The road to potential confusion started last summer when word began to circulate that the wrestler known as “Kane” was considering a run for County Mayor, the position soon to be vacated by current Mayor, and now congressional candidate Tim Burchett. Excitement was in the air, and not from the usual folks that get excited about politics. Rumblings of Kane’s potential run had wrestling fans giddy with the thought of voting for one of their cult heroes for the county’s top job.

When the former wrestler made his candidacy official a few months ago, it’s a safe bet a number of these folks made plans to go and cast their vote for Kane when the polls open for business on April 11. Only problem is, they won’t find that name anywhere near the race for County Mayor. That’s because “Kane” is running under his legal name, Glenn Jacobs (no doubt you’ve seen the big red signs).

Jacobs finds himself in a three-way match with outgoing commissioner and radio personality Bob Thomas, and former commission chair Brad Anders. Thomas has been running the longest, and seems to have assembled a substantial base, while the Anders campaign appears to be gaining momentum of late. Add the wild card of “Kane”…er, Jacobs….to the ring, and you might just have yourself an old-fashioned free-for-all in the Mayor’s race.

But that’s not where the confusion begins or ends. It just so happens that there actually is a Kane on the ballot – but it’s not the wrestler, and he’s not running for Mayor. It’s Roger Kane, the state legislator from the Karns area, who is running for County Clerk. Kane has his hands full in that race, facing off against Sherry Witt. Both candidates have held political office – Kane is on his third term in Nashville, while Witt is the current Register of Deeds.

Kane will hope to draw on the political experience of three legislative campaigns, while Witt’s record and popularity as a county officeholder should serve her well. Interestingly, Kane touts term limits as one of his campaign points, despite having served three terms in the State House. Members of the Legislature, the state’s top policy-making body, are not subject to term limits.

While it is true that Kane’s opponent is term limited as Register of Deeds, her tenure there has been a good one, as Witt has run one of the best offices in the courthouse since taking over for her predecessor. It is also true that in running for County Clerk, Kane himself is one of seven current or former officeholders that is seeking a new position. In any case, voters looking for Kane the wrestler won’t find him in this race. Still confused? You ain’t heard nothin’ yet.

Steve Hall is running for Register of Deeds. If you think that sounds like nothing new, you might want to think again. Chances are, it’s not who you think it is. While the name may sound familiar, it’s NOT the same Steve Hall that was elected Register eight times between 1980 and 2006. That Steve Hall is happily retired and enjoying his grandchildren. This Steve Hall – the one on the ballot – is actually the former city councilman and state legislator, who lost his re-election bid to the House a few years back, and has already failed in one attempt to regain his old seat.

Now the “other” Steve Hall is coming back for a third try, this time running for the office formerly held by his namesake. Hall’s opponent is longtime Register of Deeds employee Nick McBride, who is seeking political office for the first time. While he may not yet have household name recognition, ask most anyone who deals with property records, and they will tell you McBride is hands down the man for the job. This is one race where job qualification should easily out-poll name recognition.

So that’s my best shot at explaining the potentially confusing, albeit rather unique, name game swirling around this election. Call it doing my civic duty. No one wants their candidate to lose, but I’d certainly hate to see it happen to anyone over a mistaken identity. But soon we’ll all get a chance to have our say. We will all be afforded the opportunity to exercise our sacred right. So let the polls open; let the votes be counted; let our great political process run its course. And may the best woman – and the best man – come out on top.