Learn about candidates running in the Nashville Metro Council runoff | Editorial
The Aug. 3 Nashville-Davidson County municipal election led to a runoff for two mayoral candidates, eight Metro Council At-Large contenders and six District Council office seekers.
That runoff election happens on Sept. 14.
Most of the 35 district races were settled in the general election either because the candidate was unopposed or one candidate received 50% or more of the vote to win the seat outright.
That is not the case in three districts:
District 4: This represents a portion of South Nashville bordering Nolensville Pike on the east and Brentwood in the south, and it encompasses the Oglesby neighborhood.
District 11: This is one of the easternmost areas of the county, including Old Hickory and Hopewell, and bordering Old Hickory Lake to the east and the Cumberland River to the west.
District 29: This is one of the Southeast Nashville districts; it includes a significant portion of Nashboro Village Golf Course and Smith Springs and borders Percy Priest Lake to the east.
These are the candidates who will compete in the Sept. 14 runoff as well as their Aug. 3 percentage of the vote:
District 4: Davette Blalock (42.2%) vs. Mike Cortese (40.6%)
District 11: Jeff Eslick (38%) vs. Eric Patton (36%)
District 29: Tasha Ellis (44.4%) vs. John Reed (23.6%)
The history behind the large council
The Metro Council comprises 40 members — 35 who represent individual districts and five who are elected countywide by all Nashville voters.
Those 35 district members are the elected officials closest to the people, representing them on issues related to Nashville's $3-billion budget, city services, and the approval of developments around town. They are both community advocates and checks on the mayor's authority.
Nashville-Davidson County comprises about 525 square miles, and members serve a variety of constituencies -- urban, suburban and rural, from Bellevue to Joelton, from Antioch to Madison, and from Downtown to Donelson.
Go to this link from Metro Nashville Government to find out what your district is.
Nashville has the third largest city council in the country, after New York and Chicago, and that is because of a compromise to consolidate county and city governments in a 1962 referendum. Metro Government officially formed in 1963, and 60 years later, this first experiment in consolidated government persists.
Although the Tennessee General Assembly voted to cut the council in half in 2023, a court ruled in favor of Nashville voters and, at for the next four years, there will be 40 members on the Council.
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.
We invited candidates to fill out our questionnaire in which they 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. Below find the answers for Metro Council District candidates in the Sept. 14 runoff.
Find other related election guides below:
Election Guide: Learn about candidates running in Sept. 14 Nashville mayoral runoff election
Election Guide: Learn about candidates running in the Sept. 14 Metro Council At-Large election
Find the candidates' names below and read excerpts and their answers in full and on tennessean.com/opinion.
Key dates
Aug. 15: Voter registration deadline
Aug. 25-Sept. 9: Early voting
Sept. 7: Deadline to request absentee ballot
Sept. 14: Election Day
-- Source: Davidson County Election Commission
Editor's note: The Editorial Board comprises Editor-in-Chief Michael A. Anastasi, Opinion and Engagement Director David Plazas, Content Strategist Gary Estwick, Deputy Middle Tennessee Editor Kerri Bartlett and Columnist Cameron Smith. 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.
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The District Metro Council Candidates
Read all the candidates' answers to the questionnaire at this link.
District 4
Davette Blalock
Which office are you seeking? Metro Council District 4
Age: 51
What neighborhood/part of the county do you live in? Nippers Corner
Education: Some college, professional schools
Job history: Real Estate, Insurance, and Financial Planning for the last 32-plus years, Metro Council member (2011-2019)
Family: Husband and two children, Victoria age 17, Lance age 14
Why are you running for this office?
To dedicate my time and knowledge to making my neighborhood and Nashville the best it can be.
What are your top 2 to 3 priorities for your new (or next) term in office?
Continue the job that Council Member Robert Swope started with the bettering of traffic flow including the roundabout on Edmondson Pike and widening of Nolensville Pike and OHB.
Complete the Park on Edmondson Pike.
Help make several metro departments more efficient, including being able to reach someone when help is needed.
Develop strategies to reduce current deficit.
Read all the candidate's answers to the questionnaire.
Mike Cortese
Which office are you seeking? Metro Council District 4
Age: 41
What neighborhood/part of the county do you live in? Mountainview
Education: Master's Degree
Job history: Adjunct Professor at Belmont University + Opportunity Development Manager at Dell Technologies
Family: Married with 1 son
Why are you running for this office?
Our neighborhoods have been neglected by the city government for far too long.
I know we can make tomorrow better than today. My community stepped up for me when I was a kid and now it's time for me to do my part.
My wife and I know the power of community and personal responsibility firsthand. We grew up around abuse, addiction, and crime. We were fortunate to live in communities that helped us work through those circumstances and come out stronger on the other side. I will fight fiercely to make sure every family in Nashville, regardless of their current circumstance, has the opportunity to make tomorrow better than today. That is my promise.
What are your top 2 to 3 priorities for your new (or next) term in office?
Keeping Nashville affordable
Reinvesting revenue from downtown back into our communities: road upgrades, sidewalks, greenspaces, community services, public safety.
Making sure there is a strong dialogue and line of communication between the city government and District 4 Residents.
Read all the candidate's answers to the questionnaire.
District 11
Jeff Eslick
Which office are you seeking? Metro Council District 11
Age: 55
What neighborhood/part of the county do you live in? Old Hickory
Education: Bachelor's degree in mass communication from MTSU.
Job history: I was a marketing consultant and sales manager with WKDF, WGFX and Titans Radio for almost 20 years before starting an advertising agency in 2013.
Family: My father served in Vietnam and passed away many years ago. Growing up, it was my mother, my sister and me. Currently, I am not married and have two dogs.
Why are you running for this office?
I am running because District 11 needs a neighbor. Metro Council doesn't need another political activist, but they do need a neighbor who will focus on the basics that go into making safe, flourishing neighborhoods.
What are your top 2 to 3 priorities for your new (or next) term in office?
Keeping Nashville safe: Nashville's police force has been recognized for outstanding performances in recent years. We should use this positive momentum to hire new recruits, while retaining our experienced officers and add better protection to our schools.
Managing growth: Nashville's recent growth is well documented and shows no signs of slowing down. Managing and making space for new construction should be done with respect for current residents and neighborhoods.
Illegal encampments: There is a growing problem with encampments. It seems several pop up for every encampment that is shut down, including the one at Andrew Jackson Way. Metro has millions set aside to address the problem. This issue directly affects the 11th District.
Read all the candidate's answers to the questionnaire.
Eric A. Patton
Which office are you seeking? Metro Council District 11
Age: 32
What neighborhood/part of the county do you live in? Old Hickory Village
Education: Associate's
Job history: Marketing/small business owner
Family: I have a dog named Maybelle. Otherwise no spouse or human kids.
Why are you running for this office?
In a town that feels like the folks who run things only care about skylines and stadiums, it’s time normal citizens remind them we care more about schools, services, and small businesses.
I’ve lived in Tennessee all my life. I moved to Nashville at 20 on a hope and a prayer. I found a job selling boots on Broadway, couch surfed for the first month, moved around a bit, and worked hard for everything I’ve had.
I invested in Nashville and it paid off. It’s been 13 years since I first moved to town. I’m in my early thirties now, and I bought my first house here in the village a few years ago. Like everyone who lives here, I am deeply in love with this community. The people are like me. We work hard, we love our families, and we watch out for each other.
Someone needs to stand up for the people here. Not someone who wants to divide people but someone who wants to bring everyone to the table to work on the problems we have. Nashville is growing by leaps and bounds, and I know how to manage that growth with a focus on neighborhoods and making sure we're doing right by everyone.
What are your top 2 to 3 priorities for your new (or next) term in office?
I'm calling this the Triple S Campaign: schools, services, small business.
Schools: Better pay for teachers and aids. More after-school programming. Focus on getting kids job or college ready.
Services: Better and more things a city should be providing. More well-trained and accountable police, fire, and medical with competitive pay. A focus on infrastructure that isn't just downtown high rises. Better utility service. Sidewalks. Speed bumps. Those kinds of things we've been wanting out here forever.
Support for small business: Incentives and support for locally owned small businesses who've been getting left out in the cold. When folks like Amazon and Oracle come to town and get the city to bend over backward to get them here, they've not been working to keep the small, locally-owned businesses we already have. That needs to change.
Read all the candidate's answers to the questionnaire.
District 29
Tasha Ellis
Which office are you seeking? Metro Council District 29
Age: 38
What neighborhood/part of the county do you live in? South Nashville / Smith Springs / Percy Priest Lake
Education: MBA
Job history: Founder, Ellis Strategies
Family: None
Why are you running for this office?
I am running to represent our district at City Hall because our voices matter - all of our voices. My top issues will be focused on: 1) Public safety, 2) Early childhood and youth development, and 3) homelessness. And as I talk with more people in our district, my issues will expand and evolve because I am not running to only represent me, I am running to represent our entire council district.
If you are elected (or re-elected), what are your top 2 to 3 priorities for your new (or next) term in office?
Public safety
Homelessness
Early childhood and youth development
Read all the candidate's answers to the questionnaire.
John Reed
Which office are you seeking? Metro Council District 29
Age: 29
What neighborhood/part of the county do you live in? Antioch
Education: Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Tennessee at Martin
Job history: Consultant:
Family: I am grateful to have my supportive partner of seven years, Cobey, by my side. The rest of my family, which includes my mother, grandparents, godparents, and siblings, live in West Tennessee.
Why are you running for this office?
I love my community and I want to continue to see it grow and improve while also maintaining its character and honoring its history. My goal for District 29 is to ensure whether you’re starting a family, starting a business or just starting out, District 29 is the community for you. I believe it is time to truly focus on our neighborhoods, uplift our public schools, and support small businesses to ensure while Nashville enjoys growth, it also keeps its charm and maintains affordability for all residents.
What are your top 2 to 3 priorities for your new (or next) term in office?
As the next council member for District 29 I am focused on keeping Nashville affordable, expanding and improving city services and increasing the pay of our city workers, teachers and first responders. I am also a big advocate for public transit and increasing the connectivity and walkability of every neighborhood.
Read all the candidate's answers to the questionnaire.
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 runoff election: Meet District Metro Council candidates
