Vivian Ship, candidate for Knox County Commission seat, outlines mental health, housing and education priorities

Vivian Ship, a candidate for Seat 11 at large on the Knox County Commission, said she is running to bring longtime local perspectives to county decision-making and outlined mental health, affordable housing and equitable education as her three top priorities. "Knox County is my home and I understand the needs and struggles of the county," she said.

Ship said she has deep local roots and a long record of public service, telling listeners she served "35 years with the U.S. Postal Service, and 25 of those years, I was the union president." She said she founded a Christian nonprofit serving vulnerable groups, serves on Tennessee's pre-arrest diversion board and is a board member of the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee.

She described recent local advocacy she said she had taken part in: saving Project Grad, helping shut down an elderly-abuse facility, building a safety center for people with mental illness, stopping the sale of public land at Chawi Park and defending "the freedom to read" for children.

From a six-month listening tour across the county, Ship said she identified three primary platforms: mental health services, affordable housing and education that is "fair and equitable to all our children." She said she also is concerned about "our infrastructure and public safety concerns as it pertains to building these data centers," supports expanding micro-transport options across the county and "strongly support[s] environmental protection as our county continues [to grow]."

Ship framed the at-large seat as giving all county voters the ability to select a representative for countywide issues and said electing her would put "your voice at the decision-making table." She closed by asking for voters' support and saying, "We rise together."