Learn about candidates running in the Aug. 3 Nashville mayoral election | Editorial
Nashville-Davidson County voters will be electing a new mayor in 2023.
Incumbent Mayor John Cooper decided not to run for re-election and his successor will be the metropolitan government's 10th chief executive.
Twelve candidates qualified to be on the ballot on Aug. 3, according to the Davidson County Election Commission. If no one receives a majority of the votes, the top two contenders will run against each other in the Sept. 14 runoff election.
The Tennessean Editorial Board has been communicating with candidates for months in order to provide readers with comprehensive information about who they are, why they are running and why they deserve voters' support.
Among the actions we are taking to serve the public:
Inviting candidates to fill out our questionnaire (more on that below).
Hosting four debates called The Nashville Mayoral Debates in partnership with News Channel 5, Belmont University, American Baptist College, and the League of Women Voters of Nashville. The first two took place on May 18 and June 22 at Belmont. The third debate occurred July 6 at American Baptist. A runoff debate is scheduled for Aug. 24 at Belmont.
Inviting them to meet with our editors at The Tennessean offices and producing short videos with them for citizens' review
In the questionnaires, candidates shared biographical information and answered 12 questions including how they stand out, their views on key issues, and favorite spots to recommend to visitors in Music City.
Also, make sure to check out our other candidate election guides:
Election Guide: Learn about candidates running in the Aug. 3 Vice Mayoral election
Election Guide: Learn about candidates running in the Aug. 3 Metro Council At-Large election
Election Guide: Learn about candidates running in the Aug. 3 Metro Council District races
Find the mayoral candidates' names below and read their answers here.
The Editorial Board comprises Editor-in-Chief Michael A. Anastasi, Opinion and Engagement Director David Plazas, Content Strategist Gary Estwick, and Deputy Middle Tennessee Editor Kerri Bartlett. We are not endorsing in the Aug. 3 municipal elections. Instead, we are using our platform to inform the public, amplify the conversation and encourage respectful discourse throughout the election.
Analysis: Why Nashville mayoral candidates who tap into dissatisfaction have best shot to win | Plazas
Voter tool: Struggling to pick a Nashville mayoral candidate? This scorecard might help. | Plazas
Hear more Tennessee Voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought provoking columns.
The Mayoral Candidates
Here is who is running.
Scroll to read about why they are running and link to their full questionnaire:
Natisha Brooks
Retired educator
Why are you running?
Seeking the office of mayor to represent those who can’t represent themselves: mental health, gentrification and the homeless. Our city has gone from a city that had a feeling of empathy towards all citizens to a city of “business” as usual.” Our culture and way of life – “the southern charm and hospitality” is being attacked and is under “reconstruction” by those who refuse to know us and our needs. Philadelphia is known for the city of “brotherly” love. As mayor, Nashville will be known for the motto: the “it city of brotherly and sisterly” love!
Read all of Natisha Brook's responses.
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Fran Bush
Former Nashville School Board member
Why are you running?
I am driven by a genuine desire to serve the public and make a positive impact on society. My passion, proven leadership for helping others, I can make a difference. I want to establish bridging our neighborhoods by establishing the needs of a community that will address neighbor concerns, having a plan to address affordable housing, homelessness crime and safety, improving our education system by providing additional support, infrastructure on traffic calming, aligning what Nashvillians want to see improved and have a resolution. My goal of bringing about change and improving the functioning of government by working across party aisles and establish a working relationship between local and state by being a voice for their community, address local issues, and advocate for the needs of the constituents.
Read all of Fran Bush's responses.
Heidi Campbell
Tennessee State Senator
Why are you running?
We are truly living in extraordinary times. Nashville is at the epicenter of a struggle that will profoundly impact the trajectory of our future, and I would characterize this struggle as a battle between greed and good. Greed is a powerful thing – it’s driven more than a decade of decisions that have led to Nashville’s affordability crisis. Greed has catalyzed the hostility between our city and our state, because Nashville is the economic engine of Tennessee, and because we’ve elected politicians who are more concerned with their own political brand than with making the world a better place. I am not opposed to development and growth, but we need to focus on growth that supports Nashvillians moving forward.
I think we need to ask ourselves, “Are we building a city to visit? Or a city to live in?” I believe that we can do both, but that means prioritizing the people who live here. Whether we’re talking about transportation, public safety, litter, infrastructure, affordable housing, equity, transit, or education, the focus has to be on supporting all Nashvillians, because we all do better when we ALL do better.
Read all of Heidi Campbell's responses.
Bernie Cox
Business owner
Why are you running?
I love Nashville and want to see our FAMILIES, our community, our businesses, flourish in ways without breaking the back of the taxpayers. Let's get away from the petty party politics and seriously offer an opportunity for our voters to break free of this "straight-line voting" for your party that is what we've come to expect in every election, and then ask ourselves how did this guy get in? I truly believe my platform to hold spending down, eliminate government waste and support our families is something we can all agree needs to be done, but year after year, what happens? Our budgets explode, taxes go up, and what do we have to show for it? I want to change that.
Read all of Bernie Cox's responses.
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Jim Gingrich
Retired Alliance Bernstein Chief Operating Officer
Why are you running?
I love Nashville. And there's a lot to love: our culture, creativity, parks and greenways, and so much more. But what is exceptional about Nashville is the people who live here. Nashvillians care about our neighbors, we care about our community, and we care about the city's future. What I hear time and again is concern about what our unrestrained and seemingly unplanned growth means for Nashville's soul and quality of life.
It is possible to have growth while preserving the heart of Nashville. We need leadership with the vision to shape our growth, foresight to address challenges, and the courage to take action today, and the executive skills and experience to execute. And that won’t happen if our next Mayor is more accountable to out-of-town developers than the residents of this great city. I will be presenting a vision and concrete plan to build more affordable housing immediately, reduce crime, improve education, ease traffic, increase city services, and invest in our communities. I am not a career politician, I’m a problem solver. I have a long track record of getting big things done in the face of skepticism. I am not afraid to take on big problems, and I deliver results.
Read all of Jim Gingrich's responses.
Sharon Hurt
At-Large Metro Council member
Why are you running?
I am running to continue to create opportunities for the people of Nashville and fight to put forgotten families first.
Read all of Sharon Hurt's responses.
Stephanie Johnson
Community activist
I am running because I saw a great imbalance in Nashville, Two Nashville's’ as some have called it, where the majority of the community wants a sustainable one that lasts for generations to come and then another one that wants to just get rich now, wrecking havoc through all of our lives. It’s gone unchecked and it’s out of control, and I’ve been controlling messes for over 15 years, through community development and political activism. I'm the only one that has been fixing messes all over this country and I plan on doing it for Nashville, my hometown. I can hear the music is off in Music City, and it’s time to fix it, it’s been time.
Read all of Stephanie Johnson's responses.
Freddie O'Connell
District 19 Metro Council member
Why are you running?
I’m running for mayor because it’s time to reimagine a Nashville for Nashvillians. For too long, Nashville has prioritized tourism at the expense of residents. I believe it’s time to turn our eyes from shiny objects and toys for tourists and towards issues that impact our daily lives—sidewalks in more neighborhoods, streets that don’t flood when it rains, trash picked up on time.
I love that people think Nashville is a great place to visit, but my focus is working on making sure it’s a great place to live. Nashville is not land to be bought or sold, or a business focused on profit—it’s a home. In contrast to other candidates who offer more of the same, I have my priorities straight and will put residents and local businesses first when I’m mayor. And I have deep experience with our local government, so I can start this important work on day one.
I’m running because, more and more, I’m hearing from Nashvillians that are considering moving away, because they don’t feel like a priority here. They don’t see Nashville’s shared progressive values in our leadership. They don’t feel like they can be themselves, safely. Their neighborhoods have become too expensive to live in, and their commutes have gotten too long. There are a lot of reasons folks are considering leaving—but I’m running because I want all of you to stay. Let’s fight for the home that we deserve and build a city that works for all of us.
Read all of Freddie O'Connell's responses.
Alice Rolli
Business owner, former economic development official for Gov. Bill Haslam administration
Why are you running?
Alice Rolli is a Nashville native, mother, business leader and former Tennessee State Economic Development official for Gov. Bill Haslam. She is running to serve as the Metro Nashville-Davidson County Government’s 10th Mayor to usher in a new era of regional cooperation to address our challenges of growth. She is focused on improving accountability of city government to achieve results that all first graders can read and supporting our public safety to fill the 200+ vacancies in our MNPD and reduce crime. She has pledged to not raise taxes on Nashville residents and to get our fiscal house in order.
Read all of Alice Rolli's responses.
Vivian Wilhoite
Davidson County Property Assessor
Why are you running?
I am running because I care about this city and people that live here. Nashville is strong, but we need to be a city that is strong for everyone.
Read all of Vivian Wilhoite's responses.
Matt Wiltshire
Former Nashville Mayor's Office Economic and Community Development director
Why are you running?
I’m running for Mayor so that every person in this city has a real opportunity to fulfill their dreams and realize their full potential.
In 2010, Nashville experienced devastating flooding and during that time I served as Board Chair of Hands on Nashville. In that role, I saw Nashville come together and witnessed what we could accomplish when the private sector, the public sector, and the nonprofit sector work together. That transformative experience inspired me to leave my own job in the private sector and answer the call of public service.
In 2011, I joined the Mayor’s Office to tackle one of the biggest challenges our city had ever faced — sky high unemployment. Over the next eight years, working with three different Mayors, we brought the city's unemployment rate down from more than 8% to 2%, the lowest of any city in the country.
Then, looking at the next big challenge the city was facing, I left the mayor's office to join MDHA and work on affordable housing. I had a bold vision for what Nashville could start to achieve immediately to make sure we had the housing so Nashvillians could afford to live in this city, and through public-private partnerships, we were able to develop about 4,000 new units of affordable housing in just a few years.
Last year, nine months ago, when I looked around the city, I thought there were a number of big challenges the city was facing. And so, as I've done in the past, I stepped up to take on the biggest challengesthat the city was facing by running for Mayor.
Read all of Matt Wiltshire's responses.
Jeff Yarbro
Tennessee State Senator
Why are you running?
I’m running for Mayor to lead the city through one of the most challenging times in the history of Metro. The next mayor will lead Nashville through a key period of growth and will have to ensure that housing, infrastructure, and city services will keep pace with our city.
The next mayor will inherit a complicated relationship with the State as well as an uncertain future in the very structure of Metro Government that could include halving the size of the Council by 2027.
And the next Mayor must restore and build confidence that residents’ quality of life will be the driving priority of everything Metro does. Nashville can’t be a great city unless it’s a great place to live. We can’t really be a big league city unless we’re focusing on the little league fields in our neighborhoods too. Regardless of the skyscrapers and cranes, we’re not a city on the move if people can’t actually move around the city. I’m running because I believe our city has to be not just a great city to make a living, but a great community to build a life.
Read all of Jeff Yarbro's responses.
Opinion and Engagement Director David Plazas wrote this editorial on behalf of The Tennessean Editorial Board. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Aug. 3 election: Learn about the mayoral candidates
