THE CEO AS POLITICIAN: Late last year, Knoxville businessman Mark Padgett announced his candidacy for city mayor. While a political newcomer, the registered Democrat managed to collect over $90,000 by Feb. 1 from both Democratic and Republican donors, surprising local pundits.

Ed. Note: This is the first in a series of profiles of Knoxville mayoral candidates.

Here’s what you probably don’t know about Mark Padgett:

He hates tomatoes. Like, he will pick every single piece of tomato out of his burrito at Soccer Taco. Nonetheless, he likes salsa quite a bit. In fact, his favorite food is Mexican.

He really likes Jimmy Buffet. Also Jack Johnson.

He enjoys wakeboarding.

He admits to watching the Real Housewives reality television franchise on occasion, although he claims it’s only because his wife has it on.

He met his wife Katie in 2004 at a Cinco de Mayo party in downtown Nashville.

He proposed to her on a surprise trip to the Virgin Islands, but the surprise was almost ruined when airport security found the engagement ring in his pocket.

He’s been a Boston Celtics fan since he was six, but he likes college basketball more than the NBA.

He has a torn ACL, which means he can’t play the basketball he loves so dearly. But he doesn’t have the time to recuperate from surgery to repair the injury right now, what with running his own company and taking care of his 14-month-old daughter Kirby and running for mayor.

Because if there’s one thing—and it very likely is the only thing—you know about Mark Padgett, it’s that he wants to be your next mayor.

To read the full story, please go to the Metro Pulse.