Jacobs discusses future of Tennessee Republicans at Pachyderm Club
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs speaking with Hamilton County Republicans at this week’s Pachyderm Club meeting.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Hamilton County Republicans discussed what is next for the party after big election wins last week.
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs was the guest speaker at this week’s meeting.
He came to prominence as the WWE wrestler “Kane”, and has been the mayor of Knox County since 2018.
He came to Chattanooga to speak with the Hamilton County Pachyderm Club on how Republicans should continue to move forward in Tennessee.
Mayor Jacobs said, “We fuss about all of the people moving here. You know why all of these people are moving here? Because of how great it is. No one is putting a gun to their head and making them come here. The people I talk to that are coming here are conservative.”
Monday’s Pachyderm Club meeting was part celebration and part reflection on where the Republican Party stands following big wins last week, highlighted by the election of President-elect Donald Trump.
The club’s president, Kevin Roberts, reflected on the rise of President-elect Trump by saying, “A lot of people in this room, Donald Trump was not your first choice. He was not my first choice, but I think what we’ve witnessed is something we’ll never witness in our lifetime again.”
As for the future of the party, Mayor Jacobs says he believes Tennessee will be critical for its success given its seven point swing to the right in this election.
Mayor Jacobs said, “I think that now in Tennessee, we have the ability not just to be a firewall but actually to be a standard bearer that conservative principles work.”
He added that one of his biggest concerns is low voter turnout among Republicans during non-Presidential elections.
He cited that in Knox County, Republicans across the board dropped roughly 8 points between the 20-18 and 20-22 midterms.
Mayor Jacobs said, “It’s one of the things we need to emphasize a lot more. Democrats work hard, they’re organized, and they get out and vote in every election and that’s something Republicans need to realize. So we just have to do a better job of it, and just like on the football field we have to execute better.”
As for his future, we asked him if he was considering higher office in Tennessee.
We asked specifically if he was considering running for Governor, since Governor Bill Lee can’t run for re-election in 2026, and Mayor Jacobs can’t run for re-election in Knox County in that same year.
He said. “For me, I’m still basking in the victory. There’s a lot of things that’s going to shake out over the next several weeks up until the inauguration, so we’re just going to see.”
As of now, no one has thrown their name into the ring for the 2026 Tennessee Gubernatorial Race.
