VUMC CLINIC
BELMONT TOWER
JUNE 22, 2023 | VOLUME 35 | NUMBER 25
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A look at some of the most competitive Metro Council races BY D. PATRICK RODGERS
Mayoral candidate Heidi Campbell is interviewed by Nashville Post editor Stephen Elliott and Nashville Banner reporter Demetria Kalodimos at the Post/Banner/ Nashville Scene mayoral forum on June 13. PHOTO BY MATT MASTERS
Mayoral candidates talk housing, police and development at Scene/Post/ Banner Forum BY CONNOR DARYANI, NASHVILLE BANNER
This story is a partnership between the Nashville Banner and The News. The Banner is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization focused on civic news and will launch later this year. For more information, visit NashvilleBanner.com. The Nashville Banner, the Nashville Post and the Nashville Scene co-hosted a mayoral forum Tuesday night featuring the main mayoral candidates. Eight were invited: Heidi Campbell, Sharon Hurt, Vivian Wilhoite, Jim Gingrich, Alice Rolli, Jeff Yarbro, Freddie O’Connell and Matt Wiltshire. Rather than the typical format, this event featured each candidate onstage individually for a 10-minute interview with either the Post’s Stephen Elliott or the Banner’s Demetria Kalodimos. Here’s some of what the candidates had to say. Heidi Campbell, who promptly kicked
During this year’s session, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill capping metropolitan legislative bodies at 20 members. As written, the law — signed in March by Gov. Bill Lee — applies statewide. Nashville is the only metropolitan government in Tennessee with more than 20 councilmembers, and therefore the only city affected. After a scramble to put together maps slashing the number of Metro Council districts in half (at 40 members, Nashville’s is the third-largest city council in the country), a three-judge panel ruled in April
that the law cannot go into effect before the city’s Aug. 3 election. So for now, the council holds firm at 40 — 35 district seats and five citywide at-large seats, all of them up for reelection. While we couldn’t fit stories on every race into this issue, what follows is a rundown of the at-large race, and stories on some of the city’s most competitive district races. The voter registration deadline is July 5, and early voting begins on July 14. This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Scene.
Metro Council District Races Robertson County
Sumner County
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Cheatham County
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her shoes off upon sitting down and took advantage of the casual atmosphere, just released a 15-page plan for what she will do as mayor. When asked how she would pay for the priorities in her administration, such as sustainability and affordable housing, she spoke about inefficiencies in Metro government and how there is an opportunity cost with everything. When asked about her letter to the Metro Council in May asking to defer a vote on the Belle Meade Plaza development, she said that she was not necessarily against the plan, but was just representing her constituents. She placed a large priority on making sure future development in the city is sustainable. Sharon Hurt debuted a new anecdote involving Elvis, Memphis and buses. With the Nashville General Hospital deal at Meharry ending in 2027, she was asked >> PAGE 3 where she believes Nashville
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16 35
Wilson County
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Williamson County
Legend | THENEWSTN.COM THENEWS @ FWPUBLISHING.COM | Map 615.298.1500 Races with incumbent - contested TICKED OFF: tickedoff@fwpublishing.com
Races with incumbent - uncontested Races without incumbent - contested
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Rutherford County
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DID YOU KNOW?
There are 21 CANDIDATES competing for five Metro Council
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