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WWE wrestler known as Kane wins mayor's race in Tennessee

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 15: ECW Champion Kane walks to the ring during WWE Smackdown at Acer Arena on June 15, 2008 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Gaye Gerard/Getty Images)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Glenn Jacobs, the WWE wrestler known as Kane, has won the bout for mayor in Tennessee's third-largest county.

Jacobs, a Republican who also runs an insurance and real estate company, was leading Democrat Linda Haney on Thursday by a large margin with most of the votes counted in Knox County.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reports Jacobs claimed victory at his watch party, saying his decision to seek the mayor's job was met at first with "pretty resounding laughter" from some politicians.

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The WWE community has been loud and proud over the past 24 hours, with well-wishes coming from all over.

Jacobs won a close primary in May. Results of the primary were delayed when the county's election reporting website crashed after a concerted cyberattack that experts deemed "malicious."

Haney ran small businesses with her husband before she retired. She was considered an underdog in the solidly Republican county.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cox Media Group

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