Council At Large

from Davidson College and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia. Her career as a mechanical engineer includes working in energy systems and air pollution control.

Allen has held various positions on community boards and volunteered with groups such as Rebuilding Together Nashville, Nashville Organized for Action and Hope, and Meals on Wheels. Allen has also held executive positions in professional organizations and her church.

Tony Chapman is a Nashville native who currently lives in Antioch. Chapman works at Krispy Kreme in customer service and previously worked for Christian Network International as a packing lead for retail Christian products. He cites his career as an “average working person” as a key qualification for representing the “run of the mill” Nashvillian.

California, where he was student body president. He then joined the Army Rangers and served in Kuwait and Afghanistan. Post-military, he earned master’s degrees in public policy and business administration from Harvard University.

Allen has served as a council member since 2011. During her council terms, Allen passed legislation that included lowering speed limits, improving bike parking, allocating funding for affordable housing, and creating a tax incentive for real estate developers to set aside units for median income Nashvillians. She supports spending a majority of the city budget on public schools and public safety. She wants to develop more public private partnerships to improve affordable housing options.

Chapman’s priorities include helping to make streets safer, ensuring affordable housing, and addressing homelessness. If elected, he aims to build more affordable housing and convert older buildings that aren’t in use to affordable units. He also suggests strengthening partnerships with nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity.

efit small business owners.

Stephen Downs was raised in East Nashville. After joining the military, he attended American Baptist College and received a bache- lor’s degree in sociology from Tennessee State University. He earned a paralegal certificate from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and is pursuing a master’s in healthcare management through Western Governors University. Downs is a retired social worker and freelance paralegal. His volunteer experience includes coaching football and basketball, and teaching adult literacy. He is open about his Christian beliefs and his website describes him as pro-life.

Downs seeks to increase collaboration between Tennessee’s state legislature and Metro Council. If elected, he hopes to engage housing developers to set aside affordable units. He believes corporations coming to Nashville must help the infrastructure and neighborhoods that they impact, such as putting in new sidewalks and developing bikeways. Downs wants to slow down investments downtown and invest in city wide infrastructure needs such as traffic and parking, transportation, safety and waste management. borhood Association.

Evans Segall’s professional career began clerking for federal judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove, appointed in 2006 by President George W. Bush. She then practiced law with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP in Alabama.

Chris Cheng is a Nashville native. He received bachelor’s degree in international relations and global business from the University of Southern

Cheng currently owns Hot Sauce Nashville with his wife, Chelsea. As a small business owner, he feels he is keenly aware of the small business community’s needs. He pledges to vote on tax policies, zoning requirements, permits, and infrastructure investments that would ben- the Associated Press in New York in the 1990’s. He lived in Nashville from 2001-2014, and then returned in 2022.

Cheng plans to prioritize community investments such as parks and recreational areas. His goal is to partner with local sustainability organizations to build a cleaner environment, and strengthen our land and waterways to mitigate the impact of extreme weather. He will also advocate for improved infrastructure. To address Nashville’s housing issues, he supports increasing mixed-use developments and multi-family units, as well as transitional housing for the homeless.

Quin Evans Segall is a native Nashvillian who attended the University of Alabama for both her undergraduate and law school education.

Today she is an attorney and co-owner of City House Title. She currently serves as a member of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center Foundation Board, the Nashville Industrial Development Board and is the beautification chair of the Belmont-Hillsboro Neigh-

Ronnie E. Greer, Sr. is a native Nashvillian who currently lives in Madison. Greer describes his work experience as “waiter by trade, youth counselor by training.” He represented District 17 in Metro Council from 1999 to 2007 and previously ran for an at-large seat in 2015.

Greer is entering the race due to concerns about the city’s finances and the future of minority representation on the council in the wake of pressures from the state legislature. Greer also wants to make sure that publicly owned land is used for affordable housing rather than being sold for profits. He has also labeled restoring “decorum” in the council chambers as a top priority.

If elected, Evans Segall says she will focus on changing the way the Metro government functions to create more resilient and efficient systems to meet the needs of Nashvillians. She hopes to push to change zoning codes to build more affordable housing faster and update the budget process to account for long term needs. Evans Segall prioritizes access to affordable childcare as a campaign issue and has advocated using public financing to build daycare centers.

Chris Crofton is originally from Connecticut. He received a degree in art history from Trinity College in Hartford and worked for

Crofton is a writer, musician, and comedian. He has written a popular advice column for the Nashville Scene called The Advice King since 2014 and Vanderbilt University Press published a selection of his columns as an anthology. His artistic work often provides commentary on political issues.

His top three priorities are making sure economic growth includes all Nash- villians; listening to the community, not lobbyists; and returning empathy to local political discourse. If elected, he would advocate for more affordable housing. When asked about filling more Metro Nashville Police Department positions, Crofton replied he would rather focus Nashville’s budget on comprehensive health care, well-funded public education and better wages for workers. His vision for downtown also includes better public transportation, and more non-alcohol related entertainment. kegee University, Belmont University and Vanderbilt University. Hayes worked as a manager at Nashville’s Ford Motor Company plant and taught 7th grade math at Metro Nashville Public Schools after retiring. He currently serves on the board of local and statewide NAACP Executive Committees as well as a State Regional Moderator for the Disciples of Christ Church.

Hayes says he is running in part because he saw firsthand the city’s budgeting and spending priorities while serving as the chair of the Metro Community Oversight Board. He is disappointed in statewide legislation that weakened the COB, and he says his top three priorities in office will be “fighting for the underserved,” making Nashville safer, and affordable housing. Hayes supports increases in mental health funding for co-response emergency assistance.

Brian Hellwig is an Ohio native who moved to Nash- ville in 2019. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Heidelberg University and a master’s in higher education administration from Kent State, where he also worked in various management and security positions for twenty years. Currently Hellwig works as a security officer for Home Depot.

Hellwig is motivated to run for office due to frustrations around the “lack of accountability in our court systems” and a desire to improve community members’ lives. Hellwig’s campaign priorities are safety and security. Hellwig notes that he has worked closely with law enforcement, observing insufficient responses to retail theft and other related crimes. Hellwig also hopes to establish bike lanes and sidewalks in more of Nashville’s neighborhoods and to raise teacher pay. mentor at Vanderbilt’s Wond’ry Innovation Center.

Week. Masulla also founded a nonprofit called Tiny But Mighty that raises money for the Nashville Humane Society and awards to local animal activists. She also sits on several boards, including those of the Belcourt Theater, the Nashville Arts & Business Council, the YWCA, Inclusion Tennessee, and others.

Olivia Hill is a native Nashvillian who spent 10 years as a gas turbine specialist in the U.S. Navy, including serving in combat during Operation Desert Storm. She then worked for 26 years in the power plant at Vanderbilt University. After retiring in 2021 as assistant manager of the plant, Hill brought and won a lawsuit against her former employer on the basis of sex, gender identity and disability discrimination in the workplace. Hill is the first-ever known trans candidate for Metro Council.

Hill was the winner of Vanderbilt University’s LGBTQIA Advocate of the year award in 2020. She has nessee State University as well as a master’s in public service management from Cumberland University. Hockett is a mother of one son and a member of Watson Grove Missionary Baptist Church. been a mentor and volunteer with the University’s Trans Buddy program for four years She also serves on the board of the Nashville LGBT Chamber. uses. Additionally, Hockett serves on the Board of Directors for Rebuilding Together Nashville, an organization that helps repair and rebuild homes for citizens in need.

Her platform is committed to equitable growth for all voices as Nashville expands. She believes the license plate reader program approved by Metro Council is prone to mistakes and disproportionately harms minorities. She has promised to make the budget process more transparent and to fight for affordable housing.

Marcia Masulla is from St. Louis and moved to Nashville in 2008. She runs a PR firm called Roar Nashville and co-founded Nashville Fashion

Masulla was honored at the 2015 Nashville Emerging Leaders Awards (NELAs), among several other awards for community action, animal welfare work, and business leadership. Since 2018, she has served as a member of Nashville’s Metro Council in a special election in 2019, representing District 29. She is the current chair of the Minority Caucus, and vice chair of the Public Health and Safety Committee. She previously served as the chair of the Education Committee and Vice Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee. former state co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ presidential bid.

She has not run for public office before, but she served as the director of outreach for Mayor John Cooper’s office from June 2022 to April 2023. She believes where the license plate reader program ended up is “where we need to be” and described the Titan’s stadium deal as “exciting,” with many benefits for Nashvillians. As a candidate, she is prioritizing public safety in neighborhoods, small businesses, affordable housing and responsible growth.

Yolanda Hockett is a native Nashvillian with 29 years of experience in juvenile corrections. She received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Ten-

Hockett has not yet held public office but previously ran for Metro Council District 2 in 2019. She has served as president of the Haynes-Trinity Neighborhood Coalition and opposed a budget-driven proposal by the city to sell a large portion of land, which was ultimately retained for community

University. He is a senior pastor at Fairfield Baptist Church and owner of Kingdom Cafe and Grill. He was previously the assistant principal at John F. Kennedy Middle School.

If elected, Hockett wants Metro Council to focus on youth education and recreation. She believes housing is a central responsibility of Metro Council and that policies should be in place to prevent gentrification and regulate rental prices. One of her goals is to incentivize what she calls “sustainable employers” to open businesses in Nashville.

Rally” at the capital.

Delishia Porterfield is a Nashville native and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Tennessee State University. She is a special education coach and became a

Porterfield serves on multiple boards of directors, including Ignite Her Pursuit, the Destiny Theatre Experience, and eMpowerment. She is currently the director of leadership and advocacy for Stand Up Nashville. Porterfield is a sity. Pulley was a police officer and a state trooper before becoming a law enforcement officer with the FBI. He worked for the U.S. Department of Justice for 41 years until he retired.

Porterfield advocates dedicated funding to WeGo, as well as extending hours, adding bus routes and providing sidewalks and sheltered locations at bus stops. She opposed the Titans stadium financing bill and license plate readers. She thinks increasing inventory overall, working with developers and community organizations to incentivize the construction of affordable housing, and advocating for living wages are possible solutions to Nashville’s housing problems.

Howard Jones was born in Whites Creek and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tennessee State University. Jones also earned a doctorate in education from Trevecca

Jones has had several bids for public office including running for Tennessee State Senate in 2018, Metro Council at-large in 2019 and Davidson County Clerk in 2022. During his run for Tennessee State Senate, he violated Metro Nashville Public Schools policy by signing up MNPS employees for campaign email blasts. In May 2023, he attended the “Protect Kids Not Guns

His priorities include improving access to opportunities for economic growth in lower-income sectors of the community, expanding and preserving the city’s parks, dedicated funding for WeGo, and investing in a transit system that prioritizes public transport, walking, and biking. He is opposed to the Titans stadium financing bill and says, “The Council conceived a two billion dollar plan for football and I believe that we can conceive at least one billion dollar plan to create affordable housing for all.”

Russ Pulley moved to Nashville in 1985 and has a bachelor’s degree in governmental administration from Christopher Newport Univer-

Pulley was elected to represent Metro Council District 25 in 2015. He serves on the Budget and Finance, Codes, and Public Safety committees. Pulley is the chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure committee and the vice chair of both the Education and Rules committees.

Pulley’s platform includes incentivizing private devel- partment in 2006, where he served as the liaison for Hispanic/Latino and minority communities as a part of a program called El Protector. He was decommissioned in 2019 after an investigation revealed he was charging a $25 per child fee to attend El Protector camps without permission from the department.

He served on the board of Nashville Cares, an organization dedicated to HIV/AIDS research. Ramirez currently opers to absorb a significant portion of infrastructure cost related to the new Titans stadium and investing in affordable housing through the funding of sources like the Barnes Fund. Pulley advocates investing in the deconcentration of poverty and mental health services, but not at the expense of the police. He voted in favor of the new Titan’s stadium legislation. He believes that without the new deal, the city was responsible for a larger public subsidy that would come from taxpayer funds to renovate the old stadium. serves as the president of the Filipino American Association of Tennessee.

Ramirez’s platform includes improving existing traffic infrastructure and building pedestrian and bike-friendly sidewalks, reallocating property taxes without raising them, implementing zoning policies that ensure development of affordable housing, and addressing shortages in Metro Nashville’s safety departments.

Indrani Ray has lived in Nashville since 2005. She received a master’s degree in economics from Vanderbilt University and has previously worked for TennCare and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Ray currently runs Harpeth & Blair LLC, a data analytics company.

Ray’s top priority is to bring responsibility and prudence to the budget process. She believes Nashville spends too much money on debt servicing and not enough on social services.

She hopes to be an advocate for law enforcement and to explore policies to stop crime. Ray believes the affordability crisis in Nashville is driven by poor policies, high taxes and real estate speculations. She proposes leveraging vacant housing units to increase supply and public-private partnerships to increase availability of affordable housing. Ray believes that the Titan’s stadium financing deal, “exhibits a worrisome lack of commitment to Nashville by all the participating entities.”

State University. This is his first run for public office. He has volunteered for several community organizations including Urban League Young Professionals of Middle Tennessee, the Nashville African Street Festival, and the NAACP Nashville Branch.

Deloris Vandivort has been a Nashville resident since 1999. She has worked for more than 35 years as a registered nurse and considers herself a “political outsider.” Vandivort served on the school board in Missouri’s Wentzville School District. She taught CPR and was involved with youth training at her church.

Vandivort is running for office to address the concerns she has with Nashville’s growth, notably drugs and overbuilding. She does not believe council members should receive benefits while in or out of office. She cites the tax hikes over the last five years forcing some to be priced out of their neighborhoods.

Vandivort believes “shutting the city down was a huge mistake in 2020,” and believes the council should have voted to allow the Republican National Convention in Nashville if it would have brought in revenue. Vandivort is concerned about the lack of oversight in building codes, poor road conditions, strain on our electric grid, building in areas with increased risk of flooding, and a lack of affordable housing for young families.

Jonathon Williamson is a third-generation Nashville native. He attended Metro Nashville Public Schools and received a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee

Williamson has more than a decade of experience as a business systems analyst and currently works for Marriott Hotels. He supports creating a dedicated funding source for WeGo public transportation. He wants to expand access to affordable housing and have a safe and accessible downtown for all. When asked how he would mandate resources for renters with pushback from the state and courts, he explained, “It would have to be something in the fine print.” Williamson lists public health policy as a key priority, and he is open about his unvaccinated status.

In an interview with the Nashville Scene, Williamson was confronted about repeated antisemitic and anti-immigrant tweets he posted in 2022. He responded saying, “a lot of people laughed all that stuff off” and he didn’t “even remember the tweet.” to work with several local governments. Suara is currently employed as the executive director of grants and contracts at Meharry Medical College.

Jeff Syracuse moved to Nashville in 1998 to attend Middle Tennessee State University. After receiving his bachelor’s, he earned an MBA from University of Phoenix in Nashville. Syracuse has been an active member of the Donelson community, serving on the Donelson Hills Neighborhood Watch and Neighborhood Association. He has served as president of the Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce,

Zulfat Suara immigrated from Nigeria in 1993 and has lived in Tennessee since 1999. She opened her own accounting firm and was contracted and led projects for Donelson Gateway Project and Hip Donelson.

In addition to 25 years working for BMI, Syracuse has also worked with Music Makes Us and the Blues Foundation and established the “Music at the Mansion” series while serv-

Suara was elected as an atlarge council member in 2019, becoming the first Muslim to be elected to Metro Council. She has served as chair of both the Affordable Housing committee and the Education committee. She has served as vice chair of the Budget committee and as a member of the Personnel/Public Relations committee.

As a council member, ing as president of Friends of Two Rivers Mansion.

Syracuse has served on the council since 2015 with neighborhood safety and sustainable growth of Nashville as his key priorities. He has campaigned on protecting Music City’s music ecosystem. He voted in favor of license plate readers and the Titans stadium financing bill, and he supports more funding for transit. Syracuse led a meeting series called “Safe Schools and Communities: Addressing the Gun Violence Epidemic” in the wake of the Covenant school shootings.

Suara sponsored a bill that would put 50 percent of future Oracle taxes into affordable housing. She also sponsored a bill providing resources and legal representation to Nashvillians facing eviction. Suara supported budget amendments that increased pay for teachers and education support staff. She voted against license plate readers and in favor of the Titans stadium financing bill, describing it as “the better of two bad options.” Suara lists her priorities as housing, education and budgeting.

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Some races were uncontested and do not appear in the printed version of this guide. They can be viewed in our digital issue at www.issuu.com/the-contributor-live

Ruby Baker is a Nashville native who graduated from Nashville State Community College. She retired after 18 years working for the state,

Council District 1

managing the fiscal budget. Baker previously ran for Metro Council in 2015 and 2018. She has served more than 15 years as president of the Bordeaux Hills Residential Association. She advocated for the installation of speed bumps on Hinkle Drive in 2021.

Baker values community engagement, guaranteeing locals are informed and have a voice. She is committed to environmental preservation, pushing to protect the White Creek Watershed and tree canopy. Looking to invest in better stormwater man- nessee. Dailey then returned to Lipscomb University for a master’s degree in civic leadership. agement to protect against floods and toxic runoff, Baker helped shepard in $3 million in funding for flood mitigation efforts. administration and finance from Clark Atlanta University. While working on his MBA at Tennessee State University, Harris interned for the Metro Assessor of Property’s office.

Affordable housing is a key concern for Baker, who helped create a $15 million workforce housing project. If elected, she hopes for additional equitable development initiatives that benefit the community. Baker hopes to minimize gentrification and protect the neighborhood’s character; she also supports dedicated funding and additional routes for WeGo.

Correction. He was chairman for the Metro Southeast Community Health Fair.

Sean Dailey has lived in Nashville his whole life. He served in the Tennessee Army National Guard after graduating from the University of Ten-

A self-proclaimed “political outsider,” Sean has more than 13 years of experience in workforce development for the construction industry. He’s a committee member of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Middle TN. Dailey has also worked for Project Return, a nonprofit that assists formerly incarcerated people as they re-enter the community, for four years.

If elected, he wants to invest in education programs for all ages while seeking fair compensation for teachers, firefighters and police officers. Dailey wants more green spaces and community gardens, and he is opposed to additional dump sites in District 1. He wants to help create affordable housing and also wants criminal justice reform to address systemic issues and reduce the number of people incarcerated. Dailey believes the benefits of the Titans stadium financing bill outweighed the costs, and supports the use of license plate reader technology with privacy safeguards.

Some races were uncontested and do not appear in the printed version of this guide. They can be viewed in our digital issue at www.issuu.com/the-contributor-live

Rob Harris is a native Nashvillian. Harris earned his bachelor’s degree in business

Harris has been employed in several positions with Metro and the Mayor’s Office, including working on the 2020 Census, with the Mayor’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and as Mayor Cooper’s council liaison. Harris currently works as a procurement officer for the Tennessee Department of

University, and her master’s degree at Cumberland University. In 2005, Kimbrough graduated from Southern University Law Center with her Juris Doctor degree.

If elected, Harris seeks to ensure a healthy future for all through equitable investment in infrastructure and education, protecting green spaces, and encouraging civic involvement. While Harris is not explicitly running on his experience working for the Mayor, he believes his experience seeing “how the sausage is made” has prepared him to serve on Metro Council.

NAACP’s Legacy Award, and Women of Legend and Merit award from Tennessee State University.

Davette Blalock has lived in District 4 for more than 30 years. Block worked as an insurance agent for more than 20 years, and is now a realtor and runs the Blalock Realty Group.

Blalock previously served two terms representing District 27 in Metro Council from 2011 to 2019. She pushed for longer term limits for council members, sponsored legislation to limit single use plastic bags in Nashville, and created a new design overlay on No -

Mike Cortese

Mike Cortese has lived in Nashville since attending Belmont University. He received his bachelor’s degree in music business from Bel-

Joy Smith Kimbrough was raised in the Bordeaux neighborhood of Nashville. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Tennessee State

Council District 4

lensville Road. She supports adding traffic calming measures in her district as well as increasing penalties for reckless driving.

Blalock believes in environmentally responsible city development and fully funding police and fire departments. She hopes to leverage her relationships with state and city elected officials to benefit Nashvillians.

mont in 2004 and received a master’s degree in education from Belmont in 2019. He is currently an adjunct professor at Belmont and provides team building services with his company Elevate Training & Consulting. Previously, he worked for the artist

Brian “Sully” Sullivan has lived in the Nashville area for management firm Sports Entertainment Group.

In 2019, Cortese ran for Metro Council District 4 and was defeated by current councilmember Robert Swope. He is running in part because he believes there was not strong communication

Kimbrough is a civil rights attorney at her own law practice, where she has represented families of Nashvillians killed by police officers. Previously, Kimbrough served as a Metro park ranger and a Fulton County police officer in Georgia. Kimbrough has received various accolades throughout her career, including Nashville

Timothy Thompson

Timothy Thompson is a barber, event planner, and founder of Thompson Place

14 years. He runs a public relations firm specializing in branding for nonprofits.

Sullivan has also worked in public relations at Addiction Campuses, a nationwide substance abuse recovery network. Prior to his work in public relations, Sullivan was a journalist. He is a board member of the Prevention Alliance of Tennessee and has worked as communications director for the Tennessee Equality Project.

Sullivan’s platform focuses between residents and Swope. He hopes to increase engagement and improve quality of life for his community.

He believes the new Titans stadium financing legislation will benefit Nashville, and while he has personal privacy concerns about li - on the issues of equality; public safety; and strengthening public resources such as public schools, police, and EMS services. Sullivan believes in fixing the current officer shortages to reduce crime but does not support the use of license plate readers. He believes that reflecting the voices of his district is the most important way to govern, and that good leaders should value human rights, equity, and inclusivity most highly. cense plate readers he believes the program is valuable for law enforcement.

Kimbrough is committed to social justice, education, and labor rights. She decided to run for Metro Council after seeing another candidate in a photo with a developer. She says she doesn’t oppose all development, but wants to focus on “smart growth.” If elected, she is committed to holding regular community meetings and advocating for her district during the city budgeting process.

Golf, a golf development program and community center that hosts events and fundraisers in North Nashville. Thompson did not respond to our inquiries and no other information was available online.

Cortese has volunteered at Room in the Inn, an organization that provides resources and rooms to the unhoused and Nashville Rescue Mission.

Nashville native Clay Capp graduated from Harvard University in 2006 and

Council District 5

Sean Parker

Sean Parker has lived in Nashville most of his life. Parker is an avid cyclist and has worked in bike shops and as a the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2010. Capp has served as legal director for the Tennessee Justice Center and was most recently a staff attorney at the public defender’s office, however he has taken leave for the campaign season.

If elected, Capp — whose Eagle Scout service project was to plant trees and improve signage at Centennial Park — hopes to be a strong advocate for Metro Parks. He is on the board of the Lockeland Springs

Daniel Mcdonell

Daniel McDonell, a Memphis native, has lived in Nashville for nine years. He received a bachelor’s degree in religion and geography from Northwestern Univer- bike messenger. He frequently advocates for bike and pedestrian safety at neighborhood association meetings.

Parker is a member of the Planning, Zoning and Historical committee; the Affordable Housing committee; and the Traffic, Parking and Transportation committee. If re-elected he hopes to continue improving services for his constituents.

He believes the most pressing topics in District 5 are affordability, gentrification,

Council District 6

Neighborhood Association and is a member of Friends of Shelby Park and Bottoms.

Capp believes the East Bank is a rare opportunity to develop city land with residents in mind, not tourists. Had he been on council in the previous term, he would not have supported the license plate reader and Titans stadium financing bills. Capp believes the city needs more housing and supports the Barnes Fund and other affordable housing initiatives in town.

sity and a master’s degree in environment and sustainable development from the University of Glasgow. He has worked in environmental sustainability consulting for Hands on Nashville and Walk Bike Nashville. He is currently the urban planner managing the Multimod -

University and currently works in real estate.

Benedict serves on Metro Council’s Affordable Housing Committee and helped establish the Office of Affordable Housing. She works to connect potential homebuyers to supportive programs and education.

BRANDES B. HOLCOMB

Brandes B. Holcomb has been a Nashville resident for 24 years. He received a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Tennessee at Martin and Juris Doctor degree from Nashville School of Law. Holcomb previously worked in IT for Vanderbilt and Belmont Universities and currently works as an attorney at Martin Sir al Planning Office at the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

McDonell serves as board president for the Shelby Hills Neighborhood Association and has volunteered on several Nashville-based committees, including the East Bank Plan Steering Committee and the

Council District 7

and displacement. Parker supported two affordable housing initiatives and legalized shared housing. He also led the effort to freeze property tax rates based on income limits, and he voted against the license plate reader bill and the Titans stadium financing bill. Parker believes that improvements to Metro Police don’t come from increased hiring but rather changing the focus to mental health programs and adding social workers to provide a different expertise on crime.

& Associates, specializing in family law. He has periodically volunteered for Room in the Inn, a nonprofit that helps unhoused Nashvillians.

If elected, Holcomb’s top priority will be to make it easier for residents to understand what’s behind decisions that affect their neighborhood. He believes there should be more incentives to build affordable housing and wants to increase bus routes. He believes it is “inevitable” that police would have access

Downtown Connect Taskforce.

McDonell hopes to advocate for safer streets in Nashville and supports dedicated funding for all sustainable public transportation. He proposes learning from the Envision Cayce process which is increasing housing availability to license plate reader technology and that Metro should have privacy safeguards in place. He comments that he would have voted for the Titans stadium financing bill if there was no other option, but he feels a better bill could have been developed.

Emily Benedict has lived in East Nashville since 1999. Benedict received her bachelor’s degree in geography from Western Michigan

Benedict has served on the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce, the board of Nashville Pride, and the Tri-State Minority Supplier Development Council which works to correct unequal access to wealth-building opportunities.

Benedict is running again to continue to advance city policies to fully fund schools, prioritize projects that calm traffic and create pedestrian friendly neighborhoods, create affordable housing, and build coalitions that ensure that residential development aligns with neighborhood values. She voted against the license plate reader bill in 2022. Benedict strongly supports creating a dedicated revenue stream for WeGo Public Transit, and did not support the Titans stadium financing bill. Now that it is moving forward, she is turning her attention towards ensuring that communities receive the promised community benefits from the stadium deal.

Martez Coleman currently works as a mortgage loan officer for Renasant Mortgage. Coleman has been involved with Nashville Inner City Ministry, a Christian ministry that helps at-risk youth and their families. He previously ran for Metro Council in 2017 and 2019.

Council District 8

Coleman’s priorities include better infrastructure. Coleman also hopes to address increasing traffic in Nashville and the community’s widespread growth. Coleman believes that elected officials need to be willing to listen, understand and work well with others.

Nashville native Danny Williams is a retired Nashville Metro Police Department officer. He has previously run for Metro Council in East Nashville, believing that it can be a national model that demonstrates mixed-income, non-displacement and high-quality density. McDonnell advocates funding public schools and feels that families should have great schools in thei ar neighborhoods and not have to travel across town. in 2015 and 2019.

Williams has no campaign website and little information is available about him online, but in his previous runs for office he has stated his interest in shifting funding away from projects he calls “wasteful” such as the “Bison on Dickerson Road.” He wants to work hard for residents of District 7, which he believes the current council member is not doing. When asked about fully funding Metro Nashville Public Schools, Williams explained he has “ideas for funding but would like to explore the government’s treasury and what is being paid out now.”

Deonté Harrell is a former EMT, volunteer firefighter and program coordinator at HCA and hospital bill auditor at Parallon. Following his career in healthcare, Harrell became a licensed realtor with Berkshire Hathaway in March 2022.

In 2021 he became the beautification commissioner for District 33, organizing lit- ter walks and district cleanups. He has not previously run for public office.

Harrell did not respond to our inquiries for more information on his policy priorities, however his website says he hopes to make the community a better place with “E.A.S.E. - Equity, Affordability, Safety, and Education.”

Stephanie Montenegro has been a resident of Nashville since she was 10 years old and is currently pursuing a degree in Urban Studies at

Council District 9

Tennessee State University. She volunteers as a Parent Outreach Translator for Metro Schools and works as a paralegal and a Multicultural Relations Specialist at On Demand Solutions, a bilingual HR services company.

Montenegro’s campaign priorities include increasing affordable housing by incentivizing development that prioritizes the well-being of Madison residents, fully funding the Barnes Fund, and recruiting landlords that accept Section 8 vouchers. She would like to ensure

University with a marketing degree. She worked at her family business, Bob Frensley Chevrolet, from a young age until 2019, when the family sold their business.

Jennifer Frensley Webb

Jennifer Frensley Webb was born and raised in Goodlettsville where she still lives. She graduated from Belmont

At Bob Frensley Chevrolet, she started a charitable organization called “Strive to Drive,” which awards a car every year to one senior high school student who meets academic standards. After selling the family business, Webb and her husband started a construction business with their two sons. She currently holds a contract- crosswalks are properly marked, create sidewalks for pedestrians, implement traffic calming measures, build bus shelters and increase connectivity into the current WeGo infrastructure. Montenegro supports fully funding our local public schools to increase teacher and support staff pay. uate studies, she obtained her MBA at Webster University. In 2020, she earned a certificate from Georgetown University in education finance, finance strategy, policy and leadership.

State in Bulgaria.

Jeff Eslick grew up in Nashville and received a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State Univer-

Joe DeLucas was born in Pennsylvania and has lived in Nashville since 2018. He has mostly worked in retail and restaurants, and he is a musician and actor. DeLucas has volunteered for his homeowner’s association and the Tennessee Songwriters Association International.

This is DeLucas’s first run sity. He currently resides in Old Hickory and runs an advertising agency.

If elected, Eslick’s top priorities will be investing in public safety by expanding the police force and increasing the number of School Resource Officers, managing the city’s growth by making sure new developments respect current residents and neighbors, and responding to Nashville’s homelessness issue by reducing the number of homeless encampments. He believes it is important to ing license.

As a council member, Webb hopes to focus on improving community services and promoting growth in her district. Her priorities would be community housing, providing resources to the Nashville Fire Department and Police Department, and serving the needs of residents. When asked about license plate readers, the Titans stadium financing bill, and dedicated funding for WeGo, Webb expressed that she did not have enough information to have a position on those issues.

Tonya Hancock attended the University of Tennessee and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and statistics. Following her undergrad-

Council District 10

Tonya Hancock Zach Young

Zach Young is a lifelong resident of Goodlettsville and a graduate of Belmont University. He currently works

Council District 11

for public office. He is concerned about rising crime related to overpopulation and limited police presence. He supports police using license plate reader technology. When asked about the Titans stadium financing bill and dedicated funding for WeGo, he expressed he would need to look into the issues more closely.

continue cultivating tourism by investing in downtown Nashville and favors the new Titan Stadium deal.

Eslick is not in favor of increased property taxes and believes that once the requirements of the Metro Council’s Financial Reserve Policies are met, current tax rates should be lowered.

Hancock has worked in several career fields including as a sales consultant at Texas Instruments, an account manager at Oiselle, and she is currently a senior customer advisor at Amazon Business. From 2014 to 2018 she worked as a foreign service economic officer for the United States Department of as a realtor for the Wilson Group. Since 2012, Young has served as City Commissioner of Goodlettsville.

Elected to Metro Council in 2019, Young has served as a member of the Codes, Fair and Farmers’ Market committee; the Personnel, Public Information, Human Relations committee; and the Public Works committee. Young has also been a part of several civic and community organizations including Rachel’s Garden Fundraising Committee,

As a council member, she sponsored legislation to end lifetime healthcare benefits for Metro Council members. During her first term, she also started a veteran’s caucus and championed the extension of Neely’s Bend to improve accessibility in Madison. Hancock voted for the license plate reader bill and the Titans stadium financing bill. Her current platform focuses on three areas: improving public education, making clean and safe neighborhoods and protecting parks and open spaces.

Madison-Rivergate Chamber of Commerce, and the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

Young is proud of his work to ensure Nashville teachers are the highest paid in Tennessee and passing the Titans stadium financing bill. He also voted in favor of license plate readers. His current priorities are delivering tax dollars to District 10, creating strong public institutions, and ensuring fiscal health and balanced growth of a modern Nashville.

Sherard Edington was born in Mobile, Ala., and has lived in Old Hickory for 27 years. He received a bachelor’s degree from Rhodes College in Memphis and a Masters of Divinity from Yale Divinity School. He was ordained as a minister 1991 and currently serves as the pastor of Old Hickory Presbyterian Church.

In 2003, Edington spoke in opposition at the Sol- firm. Patton has previously held minor roles in political campaigns and volunteered with the Human Rights Campaign. He is currently on campaign leave from the local Old Hickory Neighborhood Association. Patton is an active member of Belmont United Methodist Church. id Waste Region Board of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County’s hearing considering constructing a landfill in Old Hickory. Edington prioritizes public safety and wants to work with the Metro Nashville Police Department to find creative ways to retain police officers. According to his Facebook page, he is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police.

Eric Patton has lived in Nashville for 13 years. He works as director of client relations at an accounting

If elected, Patton’s priorities are safer, well-funded schools, improved city services, and support for local small businesses. Patton opposed the Titans stadium financing bill and spoke at the public hearing on the issue. He described his position on license plate readers as “mixed,” saying it’s reasonable technology for the police to have as long as it is used responsibly. Patton believes there are “nowhere near” enough police officers in Nashville and that it is dangerous to have an understaffed police department. He believes the Metro Council should focus on everyday issues, including growing homelessness and providing dedicated funding for WeGo.

Jordan Huffman has lived in Nashville for 13 years. He attended East Tennessee State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and criminal justice in

Council District 14

2009. Huffman has worked in campaign management and healthcare informatics. He is currently the Director of Product Management for I2I Population Health, a health technology company.

Huffman is the President of the Donelson-Hermitage Neighborhood Alliance, board member of Neighbor 2 Neighbor, and Metro Nashville Police Department Community Advisory Board. He is also part of the 2023 Good Neighbor Day Festival and a Steering Committee Member for the Greater Nashville Litter Cleanup. He is a member of the Donelson-Hermitage Exchange Club and Chamber of Commerce.

He is running on the premise of controlling incoming development, combatting homelessness, and promoting community safety. He wants to prioritize opening the Antioch MNPD precinct and supports the use of license plate readers. He believes Nashville would benefit from hosting a large event such as a Super Bowl or World Cup, but he would have explored other options besides the Titans stadium financing bill passed in 2023.

R.J. MAMULA

RJ Mamula has lived in Nashville for eight years. He attended Purdue University, earning a bachelor’s degree in social studies education and a master’s degree in history.

Council District 15

Nashville for 27 years and currently serves as the executive director at Lantern Lane Farm. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Aquinas College, a master’s degree in Family Therapy from Trevecca Nazarene University, and an MBA from Amberton University.

Association and a board member of the Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce.

Mamula worked as a tutor and a substitute teacher before his current career as an inventory auditor Under Armor and seasonal accountant for H&R Block. He is a member of the Donelson Lions Club and has also volunteered for the Donelson Gateway Project. Mamula also volunteers with Room In The Inn. He represents his district on the Davidson County Democratic Party Executive Committee and serves as the party secretary.

As a member of the DCDP Executive Committee, he introduced a resolu- tion to allow disenfranchised felons to vote in Democratic primaries. His platform focuses on increasing access to job placement and housing for the homeless population. He wants to expand transit making Nashville, “designed for people not cars.” Mamula opposes license plate readers, the Titans stadium financing bill and tax abatements for corporations.

Jeff Gregg has lived in

He has been the board chair for Nashville Public Television, board chair of the Donelson Hills Neighborhood

If elected, Gregg says he will focus on Nashville’s traffic and infrastructure problems. He plans to support equitable economic development, revitalization and improved transit. He also believes Metro needs more police, fire, and paramedics on the force. He supports the Titans stadium financing bill and license plate readers.

Dan Jones is a U.S. Navy

Council District 16

ba instructor for 12 years. Little has a master’s degree in education from Tennessee State University and has taught adult community education classes for over a decade. She volunteered with Hands On Nashville and Habitat for Humanity.

Alexa Little is a Nashville native who runs a property management company called Another You. She has been a Zum -

Little’s top priority is traffic calming in District 16. She plans to work with the Civic Design Center to create a plan for safer walkways, seeing a need for crosswalks, sidewalks, bike lanes and safe medians. Citywide, she would work

Tonya Esquibel

to secure dedicated funding to WeGO, more buses with 24/7 service. Little would not have voted for the Titan’s stadium financing bill in 2023. Little would like to see the development of affordable housing that “the working class can actually afford.” veteran who has lived in Nashville for three years. He currently works as the marketing director for GlockStore, a manufacturer and distributor of parts for Glock semi-automatic pistols. He received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern State University.

Jones describes himself as a “common sense conservative with a rock ‘n’ roll soul.” He feels that the biggest issue currently facing his district is road conditions. He would not have voted to approve the new Titans stadium financing. Jones believes Metro needs more police officers beyond the currently unfilled positions, and believes that the council does have a role in working toward affordable housing for Nashvillians.

Ginny Welsch

Ginny Welsch has lived in Nashville since 1985. She received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Tennessee State University and

Council District 17

Cross Country Mortgage and has been in the home mortgage industry since 1995. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Christian leadership at Trevecca Nazarene University. Esquibel is involved with several local charities including End Slavery and Youth Life Learning Center.

Esquibel believes her work experience will help make affordable housing a

COUNCIL DISTRICT 17 CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 is passionate about radio. She is a former on-air personality and news director at Lightning 100 and she founded Radio Free Nashville.

Welsch has served on and been the chair of multiple boards, including Nashville Peace and Justice Center and Americans United. She has also volunteered with organizations such as Walk Bike Nashville, Remote Area Medical Clinic and the Rape and Sexual Abuse Center.

Welsch’s top priorities are homelessness, affordable housing, and language equity, and she believes the most significant issues facing her district are drag racing and speeding, noise and loud music, and lack of sidewalks. During her time in office, she has participated in the Mill Creek Cleanup and worked to add sidewalks and bike lanes. She voted against license plate readers and the Titans stadium financing bill. Welsch believes that her job is to listen, assess, and then make the best decision for the district and city because “everything is interconnected.” reality for Nashvillians. She hopes to prioritize funding and resources for schools and build better community transit and roads. She believes the Titans stadium financing bill provides long- term benefits to the city and supports license plate reader technology. She hopes to ensure decisions about the fairgrounds are made with the district’s best interests in mind.

Teaka Jackson is a

Court Rule 31 civil and victim-offender mediator. She is certified in suicide prevention by the Department of Mental

Ballot

Council District 17 Continued From Previous Page

Health, and is a notary public for Tennessee. She received her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and psychology from Tennessee State University.

Jackson founded Love Thy Neighbors, an organization that provides marginalized groups with education, tools and resources. She is a member of Music City Young Professionals and the NAACP. She has also won numerous awards, including the 2021 Mary Catherine Strobel Award from Hands on Nashville and the 2021 Women of Influence Award from The Nashville Business Journal.

Jackson hopes to improve her district with sidewalks and bike connectivity, traffic calming measures, and pedestrian enhancements. She wants to protect the unique culture of her neighborhood and support investments in affordable housing. Jackson wants to collaborate with community based organizations to combat violence, increase support funding for crisis response, and mental health counseling for officers and the communities they serve. She does not support the current framework around license plate readers, saying it poses too many privacy concerns.

Terry Vo

A Nashville resident for 14 years, Terry Vo received a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Arkansas and a master’s of governance and public

Council District 18

bachelor’s degree in english from the University of Tennessee Knoxville and his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Middle Tennessee State University.

After college, Cash returned to Nashville to teach English and government at Hillsboro and Hume-Fogg high schools. Cash is the president of the Hillsboro-West End Neighborhood Association.

Tom Cash is a lifelong Nashvillian. He earned his

Cash’s top priorities include supporting public schools and improving infrastructure for people walking and biking. If elected to a second term he hopes to make safer crossings at 21st Avenue and West End, fill sidewalk gaps, maintain increased funding for schools, and earmark funds for social-emotional learning efforts and restorative practices. Cash voted against the Titans stadium financing bill in 2023 and for license plate readers in 2022.

A native Nashvillian, Angus Purdy received a

Council District 19

State University before moving to Nashville. Hendricks is the CEO of Black Legislative Leaders Network and chief strategy officer for Social Strategies, LLC. He currently serves as vice chair of the Metropolitan Nashville Fair Board and on the board of directors for the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health.

regional, national, and global news that highlights the voices and opinions of the Black community and Southern voices and opinions.

policy from the University of Queensland. Vo is currently a community affairs consultant and has served as an external affairs manager for Comcast.

Vo hosts Asian and Pacific Islander (API) nights for the Nashville Soccer Club and Nashville Predators. She is the founder of API Middle Tennessee and board president of the Chestnut Hill Neighborhood Association and the Tennessee Pride Chamber. Vo has also served Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee, Dismas House, Knoxville Area Urban League, Tennessee Immigrant bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University.

& Refugee Rights Coalition, Young Leaders and Make a Wish Middle Tennessee. Vo seeks to promote public safety by creating impactful neighborhood events and by providing community groups with supportive resources. She does not support the Titans stadium financing bill or license plate readers. Vo proposes a revision of the property tax to be more equitable, expansion of housing options across price ranges to increase homeownership, fully funding our schools, and addressing failing infrastructure.

Purdy currently owns and operates a courier business. He volunteers with the Nashville People’s Budget Coalition and Walk Bike Nashville and he participated in the People’s Plaza occupation.

Purdy wants to “focus less on the tourists and more on our neighbors.”

His priorities if elected would be affordable hous - ing, supporting small, locally owned businesses downtown, more funding for public transit and education, specifically for District 18. He wants to explore innovative tools for traffic calming to improve safety for people walking and biking. Purdy has stated that if he had been on Council at the time, he would not have approved the Titans stadium deal or license plate readers.

He received degrees in music business and entrepreneurship from Belmont University.

Group.

Jasper Hendricks III is originally from Virginia, and he graduated with a degree in political science at Norfolk

Previously, Jasper served as an outreach adviser on presidential and congressional campaigns. Jasper is a co-host of the Funky Politics Podcast, a news talk podcast that covers

Jonathon Turner

Jonathan Turner is a multigenerational Nashville native who graduated from Belmont University in 1987. After graduating, he became a policy analyst for Douglas

Jasper hopes to prioritize public safety, including community-based programming to deter violence and maintaining a fun and safe downtown Nashville. He will also seek to grow Nashville in a way that connects neighborhoods and is safe for walking and biking. He believes the Titans stadium financing bill was the best possible deal for the city.

Henry, the longest serving member of the Tennessee legislature. He is the current chair of the Tennessee Waltz Auction Committee, the fundraising organization for the state museum.

Turner works at EllisAmerica, a marketing and sales firm that specializes in pro and collegiate level sports. However, a 2023 report in the Nashville Scene found no public facing evidence of this company beyond a PPP loan and business registration documents. The same Nashville Scene report centered around Turner’s tenure as president of the Bennie

Originally from New York, Jacob Kupin moved to Nashville 10 years ago to work in the music industry.

Kupin is founder and team lead at the Kupin Group of Realtors at Bradford Real Estate. He has served on the Participatory Budget Steering Committee and as president of the historic Buena Vista neighborhood association. Jacob volunteers with animal rescue and the Nashville Jewish community, serving as co-chair of the Nashville Young Jewish Professional

Dillon condominium association. Turner was behind on dues and accused of mismanaging the association’s financial reserves, spending money on lounge remodels and ignoring roof repairs. He was ultimately removed as president following a lawsuit in 2021.

Jacob’s priorities for council include improving public transit, income-aligned housing, and residential service needs. He hopes to navigate growth in a smart way and with supportive infrastructure. He believes there are benefits and costs to the license plate reader bill approved by Metro Council in 2022.

Turner’s policy stances revolve around fiscal responsibility in the face of Nashville’s booming economic growth. He supports an expansion of WeGo bus routes, more police officers beyond current vacancies and believes license plate readers combat human trafficking.

Rollin Horton

Council District 20

Rollin Horton has lived in Nashville for four years. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Illinois State University and his law degree from the University of Connecticut. Currently, Horton works as legal counsel for a bank. In the past he served as a law clerk for a United States Senator. Horton is a board member of the Nations

Neighborhood Association and an officer and the regional vice chair of the Davidson County Democratic Party. This is Horton’s first run for public office. His campaign is focused on affordable housing and public safety. He states that the biggest issue in his district is the lack of, “sidewalks, crosswalks, and traffic calming features.” He believes that council has a key role in ensuring that housing remains affordable by building high density housing. When asked about how he would have voted on license plate readers and the Titans stadium bill, Horton said he would have been guided by his principles, keeping costs to a minimum, and safeguarding the privacy of Nashvillians.

Council District 21

ing Nashville Forward and a co-founder of the Black Nashville Assembly and the Southern Movement Committee. He previously held leadership positions at Gideon’s Army. In 2019, Campbell-Gooch successfully ran for a vacancy in the newly created Community Oversight Board and remained a member until 2022.

Lifelong Nashvillian Jamel

R. Campbell-Gooch earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Tennessee State University and is the founder of Mov-

As a resident of North Nashville, Campbell-Gooch is dedicating his campaign to bringing stability to, in his words, an underinvested community. He is advocating for safe and affordable housing as a human right, policing alternatives such as citizen mediation, and fully-funded public education as a means to combat criminality. Campbell-Gooch does not support the Titans stadium bill or license plate readers. He believes that a council member’s duty is both as the voice of his constituency and a leader who knows policies inside and out. His organizations are focused on racial justice, community solutions and securing specific goals such as a guaranteed basic income for Nashville residents.

Scott Gillihan

Scott Gillihan has been a resident of Nashville for 45 years. Gillihan currently works in tree maintenance with the Cumberland River Compact, is a volunteer planting captain with Root Nashville, and is a member of the Nations Neighbor- hood Association. He formerly worked in the warehouse at Gibson Guitars. If elected, Gillihan’s main priorities will be improving public buildings, buying up land prone to flooding, and combating gentrification through affordable housing and proper zoning laws.

Taylor worked as the director of major gifts for the Nashville Rescue Mission and as a senior development officer at Meharry Medical College.

Thom Druffel received his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and an MBA from California State University. He is currently working on a doctoral degree in educational leadership at Middle Tennessee State University. Druffel works as a director of hospitality and instructor at Nashville State Community College. Before that, Druffel worked in the hospitality industry and as adjunct professor at Tennessee State University.

Elected to Metro Council in 2019, he has served on the Budget and Finance, Home-

Native Nashvillian Brandon Taylor received his bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Memphis. Before serving on Metro Council,

Council District 23

less Oversight, and the Education committees. He also serves as a lector and usher at St. Ann Church and is a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Druffel’s top priority is for his district to retain its character. He believes in increasing government transparency and accountability, and funding workforce and career training for at-risk youth. Druffel voted in favor of the Titans stadium financing bill and license plate readers.

Lisa Williams moved from Memphis to Nashville in 2007 and received a degree

Council District 25

Chattanooga and Atlanta. He has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Freed-Hardeman University, and a master’s degree from Vanderbilt University in Computer Science. Ackerman has been a consultant for most of his professional career. He is currently a project manager at Ellucian, a cloud-based software provider.

grew

Nashville,

Since his election in 2019, Taylor has been on the Public Safety, Beer and Regulated Beverages committee, the Affordable Housing committee, and is the vice chair of the Personnel, Public Information and Human Relations committee. He is a board member of Nashville Emerging Leaders and Friends of Hubbard House at Meharry College.

In the most recent legis- lative session, Taylor voted no on the Titans stadium financing bill and attempted to pass an amendment that would have increased taxes on non-NFL events in order to bolster the city’s general fund. He also voted against license plate readers. Taylor’s present focus is making District 21 a safer place to live by making the same infrastructure improvements that were part of the East Bank deal in his community, combating illegal dumping, and through community involvement in development and policing. in biology from Crichton College. Currently a stay-at-home mom, Williams has worked as a medical researcher at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and a tech transfer at NASA Ames Research Center.

Williams currently serves as a board member for Friends of Fort Nashborough, second vice regent of her chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, and a member of the Junior League of Nashville and the National Society of The Colonial Dames of

America.

Williams’s main priority is ensuring Nashville’s aging infrastructure keeps pace with its growth.

She feels that if we make transportation more accessible, citizens will be able to attain more affordable housing further outside of the city center. She hopes to work to expand The Barnes Housing Trust Fund. She believes license plate reader technology is showing good results and should be used carefully.

He has served on the board of the Nashville chapter of Project Management Institute and Prevent Blindness Tennessee. He also volunteered with Tennessee Prison Outreach Ministry and is a deacon at his church. Ackerman would prioritize traffic infrastructure, walkability, public safety and police visibility in areas outside of the downtown district, and recruit to fill open positions in Metro Nashville Police Department.

Jeff Preptit is a civil rights attorney for ACLU-TN. A Ten-

COUNCIL DISTRICT 25 CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 nessee native, Preptit attended Milligan College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. After college, Preptit worked with the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism as an open source intelligence analyst. He attended law school at Lincoln Memorial University.

Preptit then went to work with the Nashville Public Defender’s Office. He is a board member of the Davidson Coun- ty Young Democrats and volunteers with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition.

His top priority is supporting local businesses through an urban development plan based on community needs. He also feels that affordable housing is crucial for ensuring that our city be a sustainable center of commerce, and would support partnerships with non-governmental entities to invest in more accessible housing.

Council District 25 Continued From Previous Page

Rolando Toyos

Rolando Toyos is an ophthalmologist and medical director. He received a bachelor’s degree from University of California Berkeley and a master’s degree from Stanford University. He worked as a teacher and basketball coach until attending the University of Illinois College of Medicine. Toyos went on to study ophthalmology at Northwestern University. In the late 1990s, Toyos moved to Tennessee to direct a neonatal intensive care unit at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. Shortly after, he established his own practice called Toyos Clinic.

In 2018, Toyos was briefly a candidate for U.S. Senate in Tennessee but did not appear

Council District 28

a pharmacist in Nashville for 31 years. David is vice president of the Ransom Place HomeOwners’ Association and Davidson County Democratic Party Executive Committeeman for District 17.

Benton feels we need more police officers, teachers, firefighters, emergency dispatchers and public workers to keep pace with our city’s growth.

on the ballot due to a law that required him to have voted in the four most recent statewide Republican primaries. Toyos describes himself as a “Reagan Republican” and is active within the Tennessee GOP.

He believes that Nash - ville’s rapid growth has led to unintended consequences, such as crime, which need to be addressed. If elected, Toyos first priority will be to connect with local law enforcement leaders to determine what can “bring more order to our district.” where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. He currently works as a financial operations analyst for WonderBrands, a baked goods manufacturer.

David Benton has lived in Nashville for 34 years. After graduating from the University of Louisiana Monroe School of Pharmacy, he was

Benton’s focus for District 28 is equitable education, public safety, infrastructure, small business development, and neighborhood preservation. His vision for public safety focuses on reducing excessive speeding, car thefts and emergency response time. He is supportive of the new Southeast Police Precinct.

He plans to encourage his constituents to use hub. nashville.gov as a way to organize and connect neighbors to Metro departments for direct services. When asked how he would have voted on the Titans stadium financing deal, Benton said he would have asked himself how it benefited his district and how it benefited Nashville as a whole.

David Benton Travis London

Travis London was born and raised in Glasgow, Ky., and has lived in Nashville since 2017. Travis attended Campbellsville University

Council District 29

ness administration from Tennessee State University and an MBA from Trevecca Nazarene University. Ellis is the founder of Ellis Strategies, a company that runs direct mail campaigns for political parties. Her employment history includes time with the Tennessee Democratic Party as well as roles in operations and communications.

a board member for the 260 Change Fund, and a mentor for TnAchieves.

London has previously been a campaign manager for Democratic campaigns for statewide office. He worked as a field organizer in Tennessee for Mike Bloomberg’s presidential campaign.

The most important issues to London are public transportation expansion, walkable neighborhoods, and efficient citywide services. London would like to see development and infrastructure investments in Nashville’s neighborhoods, like southeast Davidson county, instead of downtown for only tourists to enjoy. London would not have approved the Titan’s stadium financing bill, explaining that an amendment allowing Metro to collect a consistent revenue stream might have persuaded him to consider approving.

Tasha Ellis has lived in the Nashville area for 21 years. She received a bachelor’s degree in busi -

She has served as treasurer of Davidson County Democratic Party and Davidson County Democratic Women, ence from University of Tennessee at Martin. He currently works as a political consultant with Roundtable Consulting. the Art Institute of Tennessee-Nashville.

Ellis wants to work alongside Metro’s police chief to address infrequent patrolling, and supports increased police staffing to address public safety. She also hopes to address homelessness and youth and early childhood development. When asked how she would have voted on the Titans stadium financing bill and license plate readers, Ellis said she would need more information.

John Reed received a bachelor’s degree in political sci-

Reed got his start working with Howard Gentry’s Nashville mayoral campaign in 2015 and since has been involved in managing, consulting and field organizing campaigns at local and state levels. He was also a data analyst in South Carolina for Senator Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign.

Reed wants his district to have walkable communities that are well-equipped to support thriving local businesses. Reed actively supports efforts to raise the minimum wage and would invest in public education and common-sense gun laws. He’s an advocate for reproductive justice and LGBTQIA+ rights. He believes everyone deserves to live no further than a 15-minute walk from a park or recreation area and wants to protect green spaces.

Jama Mohamed is an artist and software engineer with a bachelor’s degree in digital filmmaking from

Having both a parent and a child with disabilities, the rights of people who are disabled is a top priority for Mohamed. While a Youth Program Coordinator at Family Voices of Tennessee, he developed inclusive youth programming and created a youth advisory council to support children and youth with disabilities. He participated in the People’s Plaza protest.

He believes that public safety would be improved by

There is little information available about Vetter’s education, work experience or volunteer experience.

On her website, Vetter describes the explosive growth of her neighborhood and the challenges it created including homelessness, lack of affordable housing and an infrastructure breakdown.

If elected, she plans to focus on crime prevention, stating on her website that she “will work with law enforce- focusing resources on health and social services that prevent police involvement and creating safer, pedestrian friendly streets. He hopes to prioritize funding public schools, rent stabilization and inclusionary zoning. ment and the community to develop activities and programs that will help take our neighborhoods back from the criminal element.”

Mohamed has questions about the Titans stadium financing bill given the team’s struggles on the field, and he describes himself as “not a fan” of license plate reader technology. He hopes to work on improving Nashville’s transit system.

Dia Hart is originally from Chicago and has lived in Nashville for six years. She earned her bachelor’s

Council District 31

degree in computer information systems from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta and her master’s degree in public service management from DePaul University. Hart currently works in information technology at HCA Healthcare.

Hart worked for the Peace Corps for two years in Haiti before working for Rotary International. She has volunteered with United Way.

Hart’s campaign prioritizes responsible develop - ment, supporting law enforcement to increase public safety, and good stewardship of county resources. She hopes to work on legislation that will honor the rule of law and strengthen election integrity, and she believes Nashville is safer for having implemented license plate reader technology. Hart supports housing programs that present opportunities to rent and purchase property.

John Rutherford has lived in Nashville for over 25 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in public administration

Council District 34

Tennessee Director of the Tennessee College Republicans. He worked for mayoral candidate Jeremy Kane’s campaign in 2015 and was the campaign manager and treasurer for Ron McDow’s run for state senate in 2016. He currently works as an finance operations analyst at UBS. He is an active member at Woodmont Christian Church.

Luke Austin Elliott is a Nashville native who attended University of Tennessee Knoxville and has not yet completed a degree. While in college, he was the East

Elliott’s top priorities include addressing crime and allocating more resources to law enforcement and community programs, controlling tourism, pro - tecting Nashville’s identity, and being fiscally responsible. When asked about the Titans stadium financing bill, Elliott said he would have fought for more money from the Titans. Regarding license plate readers, he believes they should only be used for violent criminals. Elliott would like to use zoning codes to limit new construction profits, control traffic through traffic light sensors and get rid of unused bike lanes.

Sandy Ewing has lived in Nashville for 20 years and holds a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in environmental management and sustainability. Ewing has managed

Council District 35

Jason Spain, a lifelong resident of Bellevue, received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration from the University of Tennessee. Ja- son formerly worked for Congressman Bob Clement as a legislative aide and then joined Governor Phil Bredesen’s administration, where he focused on legislation and policy. Since 2010 he has been executive director of the Tennessee Public Transportation Association, from the University of Tennessee at Martin and a master’s in policy from American Military University. Rutherford served in the U.S. Air Force before working in defense contracting. He currently works in the nonprofit sector. large environmental policy and technology projects and currently works in the private sector developing sustainable military housing.

Elected to Metro Council in 2019, his current committee assignments include the Planning and Zoning committee; the Rules, Confirmations, and Public Elections committee, and the Human Services committee. He also co-chairs the Veterans Caucus.

His goals include protecting the rural areas of Southeast Nashville, connecting homeless veterans with veteran services organizations, building a new fire station, and hiring more police officers to improve response times. He believes WeGo must look at ways to offer service to extend service and believes this can be accomplished with the current funding model. Rutherford voted for and co-sponsored the license plate reader legislation and the Titans stadium financing bill.

Ewing’s priorities relate to environmental and social sustainability including affordable housing options in development projects and making sure that developers adhere to the city’s Low Impact Development standards. Ewing advocates building 3,000 more units per year to begin making up the current affordable housing deficit and dedicating a stream of revenue for the Barnes Housing Trust a statewide agency which focuses on improving access to public transit through advocacy with Congress and the Tennessee General Assembly, as well as other state and federal government agencies.

Fund. She prioritizes protecting green spaces and canopy cover to keep the city cool as the climate warms.

As the parent of a child with intellectual disabilities, Sandy has remained involved with the Metro Nashville Public School system and is also a member of the Tennessee Advisory Council for Access to Technology. Sandy believes that in order for Nashville to retain its status as an “it city,” Nashville must invest in its own resilience through protecting water resources, maintaining infrastructure and developing transportation options.

As a council member, Jason intends to advocate for de- veloping a multimodal transportation network in Bellevue, which would enable access to downtown while still retaining the area’s distinct character.

Jason also plans to prioritize school safety and supports raising the starting salary for police officers in order to fill vacant positions. He feels we should increase resources to the Barnes Fund and promote innovative solutions to housing affordability by piloting tools like guaranteed basic income. Spain says he would have voted in favor of the new Titan’s stadium financing.

Kyonzte Toombs

Kyonzté Toombs is an attorney, community leader, and PTA president. She is also the president of the Equity Alliance Fund and director of the Lawyers As -

Jennifer Gamble

Chicago native Jennifer Gamble has lived in Nashville for over 30 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Fisk University and a master’s degree in mass com-

Erin Evans

Erin Evans has been a resident of Davidson County since 1996. She has worked as a legislative assistant in the Tennessee General As -

Council District 2

sociation for Women. After completing her bachelor’s degree in African American studies at Vanderbilt University in 2001, Toombs earned her doctorate from Vanderbilt University Law School and an MBA from Emory University.

Toombs is a founding member of The Equity Alliance, a grassroots organization that provides civic engagement for Black communities to educate and mobilize voters, develop civic leaders and monitor legislation. Elected to Metro Council representing District 2 in 2019, Toombs

Council District 3

munications from Middle Tennessee State University. She runs a public relations business called Nelson PR and Communication Strategies.

In 2003, Gamble served as then-Councilmember Chester Hughes’s campaign treasurer. Upon his election win, Gamble took over his position as president of the Bellshire Terrace Neighborhood Watch, coordinating Nashville Night Out events and publishing a quarterly newsletter informing residents of local issues. In 2014, Gamble served as Metro Beautification Commissioner

COUNCIL DISTRICT 12 sembly, as a public school teacher, and in the financial services industry.

Evans holds positions on The Donelson-Hermitage Neighborhood Association Board, the Neighbor 2 Neighbor Board, the Metro Beautification Commission and the Coalition for Nashville Neighborhoods. She has participated in the Metro’s Citizens Police Academy, Leadership Donelson Hermitage, and the Metro Nashville Water Service’s Citizens Water Academy. Evans has held various committee

COUNCIL DISTRICT 13

Russ Bradford was born in Mississippi and has lived in Nashville since 2009. He received a bachelor’s degree in wildlife and fisheries sci-

Sheri Weiner

Sheri Weiner has been a resident of Nashville for 42 years. She received a doctorate in audiology from The University of Florida. Weiner ence from Mississippi State University. Since 2013, he has been employed by a federal contractor with the Veterans Administration.

Elected to council in 2019, he currently serves as the vice chair of the Public Facilities, Arts, & Culture committee, in addition to roles on the Planning and Zoning and Transportation and Infrastructure committees. Bradford is also a founding member of Metro Council’s LGBTQ caucus and serves as their secretary. His top priorities for this

COUNCIL DISTRICT 22 currently provides business consulting services to hearing healthcare centers.

During previous terms as city council member from 2011-2019, she played a role in several renovation projects in Bellevue, including One Bellevue Place, the Red has served as vice chair of the Council’s Budget and Finance committee and as a member of the Affordable Housing committee; the Education committee; and the Planning, Zoning, and Historical committee.

Toombs seeks to find collaborative solutions to pre - serve the history of North Nashville while revitalizing neighborhoods. She voted against the license plate reader bill in 2022 and for the Titans stadium financing bill in 2023. She plans to continue advocating for equity, affordability and safety for all Nashvillians. for District 3.

Since her election to Metro Council in 2019, Gamble has served as vice chair of the Budget and Finance committee, and as a member of the Public Safety, Planning and Zoning, and Transportation and Infrastructure committees. She voted in favor of the license plate reader bill in 2022 and the Titans stadium financing bill in 2023. memberships, including the Rules Committee and the Education Committee.

Gamble seeks to foster strong neighborhoods through community engagement, improve infrastructure by investing in public transit, and fully fund Metro Nashville Public Schools.

Evans’ top legislative priorities include homelessness and housing attainability, department service delivery and public health. She voted for license plate readers in 2022, saying, “I ended up feeling comfortable with the framework enough to vote in favor.” term include community and civic investments, responsible development, and environmental sustainability. He voted against the Titan Stadium deal and wants to see resources invested in his district including sidewalks, library branches and traffic calming. In 2022, Bradford voted in favor of license plate readers. He does not support any initiative to increase property tax rates.

Evans did not vote in favor of the Titans stadium deal and believes that Metro Leadership should fulfill its promise to focus on other Nashville neighborhoods this term.

Caboose Park playground, the Ford Ice Center, the fire hall, the library and James Lawson High School. Weiner serves on the Metro Nashville Board of Fair Commissioners, the Board of Arts Bellevue, The Bellevue Community Foundation and the

Bellevue Harpeth Chamber of Commerce.

Weiner believes her, “moderation in all things political,” will help her achieve, “the task of bringing people with diverse views together for the greater good.” To achieve affordable housing,

Weiner believes city council should use ordinances and resolutions to facilitate public-private partnerships to increase the amount of housing. She supports the Titans stadium financing bill, the use of license plate readers and dedicated funding for WeGo.

Brenda Gadd

Brenda Gadd has a bachelor’s degree from Maryville College and a law degree from Nashville School of Law. She has received certificates in

Council District 24

campaign management from Yale University and executive leadership from Lipscomb University. Gadd currently runs ReThink Public Strategies, a public affairs consulting firm.

Gadd is a founding member of Emerge Tennessee, an organization that advocates for Democratic women who want to run for office. She was a legislative liaison to former Governor Phil Bredesen and public policy coordinator for the Tennessee Bar Association. Gadd is the recipient of Nashville Busi-

Council District 26

Courtney Johnston has been a Nashville resident for 22 years. She received a bachelor’s degree in finance from Louisiana State Uni - versity. Courtney is a realtor, but since being elected to Metro Council in 2019 spends her time on council work.

Johnston is the vice chair of the Public Safety committee and describes fiscal responsibility as one of her top priorities. An advocate for controversial license plate recognition technology, Johnston believes an increase in police presence is a necessity. Johnston feels that the affordability crisis is due to high demand and that the solution is increasing sup -

Council District 27

Robert “Bob” Nash served for 30 years in the Metro Nashville Police Department. During his career, he spent six years as presi- dent of the Fraternal Order of the Police. Nash received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Middle Tennessee State University.

Nash has served on the boards of the Nashville Prevention Partnership, Street

Works, and the Andrew Jackson Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police and also as chairman of the McMurray Hills Neighborhood Association. Elected to Metro Council in 2019, he currently serves as a member of the Public Safety, Beer and Reg-

Council District 30

Sepulveda holds a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Trevecca Nazarene University and works as a community engagement and development manager at Conexión Américas.

As Metro Council’s only Latina representative, Sep - ulveda is often the point of contact for Nashville’s Spanish-speaking residents. While progress has been made in providing translation services for Metro Council meetings, mailings and handouts are often only provided in English. Sepulveda often translates

Council District 32

Joy Styles received a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College and master’s from Purdue University. She serves on the advisory board for The

Salvation Army, is a steering committee member for Dismas House, and is vice chair for The Hope Clinic. Elected to Metro Council in 2019, she is currently vice chair of the Planning, Zoning and Historical committee. She is also a member of the Convention, ness Journal’s 2020 Women of Influence award.

Gadd led a coalition to protect funding for Nashville’s first responders, public safety workers, teachers, community centers and public spaces called Save Nashville Now. She hopes to strengthen Nashville’s neighborhoods by providing sidewalks, safe and reliable transit, greenways, and parks. Her priorities include honoring Nashville’s diverse faiths and backgrounds and building safe neighborhoods by investing in people. ply. She supports investing in initiatives like the Barnes Fund and the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency.

Johnston voted to approve the Titans stadium financing and sees the East Bank development as an op - portunity for family oriented entertainment for locals to enjoy. Her campaign reported nearly $50,000 in February with contributions from political action committees backed by the Titans, Waller, and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. ulated Beverages committee and the Public Works committee and vice chair of the Traffic, Parking and Transportation committee.

Nash’s top priority is public safety, focusing on police officer recruitment, neighborhood traffic calm- ing, and sound financial practices. He voted in favor of the Titans stadium financing bill and license plate readers. Nash feels we need to incentivize the development of affordable housing and support for the Barnes Fund. these documents herself and hopes to expand translation services to engage Nashville’s Arabic speakers.

Having a front-row seat to both the strengths and struggles of District 30’s residents has led Sepulveda to a platform grounded in advocacy for improved infrastructure including paved roads, better stormwater management systems, and safe ways to walk to bus stops. She supports dedicated funding for WeGo. She voted against the Titans stadium financing bill and license plate readers.

Tourism and Public Entertainment Facilities committee; the Parks, Library, Arts and Recreation committee; and the Rules, Confirmations, and Public Elections committee.

Styles is focused on recruiting mid-level restau-

Council District 33

Antoinette Lee received a bachelor’s degree in edu - cation from Norfolk State University and a master’s degree in nonprofit management from the University of Phoenix. She has worked as a state lobbyist for the Tennessee Education Association and the state’s teachers union.

Lee was first elected to Metro Council in 2017 and reelected in 2019. Currently, rants, and working with NES to manage power outages in her district. She supports dedicated funding to WeGo to create more routes and transfer points across the city. She advocates for initiatives like The Barnes Fund to address affordable housing. she is a member of the Charter Revision committee; the Education committee; and the Rules, Confirmations & Public Elections committee. Lee abstained from voting on license plate readers in 2022. She voted in favor of the Titans stadium financing bill in 2023.

Styles voted in favor of license plate readers and the Titans stadium financing bill. She is supportive of ongoing developments in Antioch including Century Farms, the creation of a new police precinct in southeast Antioch, and the Global Mall.