Beau Hawk was raised by a single mother who earned a living cleaning houses, instilling in him the dignity of hard work.

Hawk, 34, is President of the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Central Labor Council. Leaders from over 30 unions representing thousands of workers – from KAT bus drivers, to grocery store workers, to symphony orchestra musicians, to postal workers – elected Hawk as President in 2023 to fight for the interest of their members and to preserve the rich history of organized labor in the region.

Organizing around East Tennessee for over 10 years, he has watched the opportunity to earn a living and thrive in Knox County steadily shrink. That reality motivates him as an advocate for organized labor; working every day to connect residents with good-paying union jobs that make it easier for families to live, work, and put down roots in Knox County.

Hawk is a proud member of the Ironworkers Local 384 and works as Business Representative for the Knoxville Building & Construction Trades Council.

He knows public service shouldn’t be about politics — it’s about showing up, doing the work, and standing up for regular people. But for nearly twenty years, the mayor’s office has been held by career politicians who treated it like a stepping stone instead of a responsibility. It’s time to take our county back, shock the system, and elect one of us as Knox County’s next mayor. This moment calls for new leadership focused on the real issues facing our residents.