Nashville election 2023: Key Metro Council races to watch as early voting begins

Forty-two Nashville city government positions will be on the ballot Aug. 3. In addition to voting on a new mayor, Nashvillians will weigh in on vice mayor and 40 Metro Council seats.

This council is made up of 35 district councilmembers and five at-large councilmembers, who service the whole county rather than just one district. Ten of the candidates in the district Council races are running unopposed, but some of the other districts have a full slate of candidates.

Here's a summary of the more highly contested races to watch out for in August and how much cash each candidate had on hand as of early July.

Nashville voter guide 2023 Our hub for mayoral, Council election coverage

Vice mayor

The vice mayor presides over Nashville's Metro Council meetings, determines committee assignments for council members and holds the power to cast a vote to break tied council votes. In the event of a mayoral vacancy, the vice mayor serves as mayor until a permanent mayor is selected at the next special or general election. There are two candidates for this position: Angie Henderson and Jim Shulman, the incumbent.

Angie Henderson

Henderson is currently District 34's representative on the Metro Council, a position she has held for two terms. If elected, she would aim to restore confidence in local government, focus on land-use policies and support the council. While on the district council, she advocated for an extended public comment period before the council's vote on the new Titans stadium.

"My diligence, care, and concern separate me from my opponent who does not have a strong policy record and does not seem particularly interested in supporting productive policy or oversight work," she said to The Tennessean.

Henderson contributed $5,000 in personal loans to her campaign.

Cash on hand: $78,072.15

Notable donors: Developer John Eldridge ($1,800), Metro Arts Commission Director Daniel Singh ($200) and contributions from current Council members including Joy Styles ($350), Russ Pulley ($100), Kathleen Murphy ($250) and Sean Parker ($100).

Jim Shulman

Over the course of his career, Shulman has served two terms as a councilmember for District 25, one term as a councilmember at-large and has worked in the nonprofit sector. His priorities are professionalism and civility in the council, school safety and greater accountability for the council.

"Voters are interested in finding solutions to issues," he said to The Tennessean. "They are tired of elected officials not talking with each other; they do not like the inability to get things done; and they are concerned about government bureaucracy. They want continued leadership that is squarely focused on addressing the concerns of our community."

Shulman contributed $57,000 in personal loans to his campaign. He also received $9,400 from A Better Nashville, a political action committee with ties to the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and John Ingram of Ingram Industries and Nashville SC.

Cash on hand: $68,191.95

Other notable donors include: Dave Cooley of Cooley Public Strategies ($1,800), lobbyist James Weaver ($1,000), Joe Hall of Hall Strategies ($1,000), Judge Lynda Jones ($1,000), Sam Reed of lobbying firm Jigsaw ($1,000), JIGSAW PAC ($2,500), 1st and Tenn PAC ($1,500), HG Hill Realty PAC ($1,500), Metro Arts Commission Director Daniel Singh ($100) and contributions from current Council members including Kevin Rhoten ($1,000), John Rutherford ($100), Burkley Allen ($100) and Jennifer Gamble ($250).

Business-backed PAC funnels $85k into district races

A Better Nashville, a political action committee with ties to the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and John Ingram of Ingram Industries and Nashville SC, contributed a combined $85,000 to district Council races in the second quarter.

Recipients include:

• Rob Harris, District 1 ($5,000)

• Tonya Hancock, District 9 ($7,500)

• Zach Young, District 10 ($7,500)

• Sherard Edington, District 11 ($5,000)

• Jordan Huffman, District 14 ($5,000)

• Jeff Gregg, District 15 ($5000)

• Tonya Esquibel, District 17 ($5,000)

• Teaka Jackson, District 17 ($5,000)

• Tom Cash, District 18 ($2,500)

• Jasper Hendricks III, District 19 ($5,000)

• Jacob Kupin, District 19 ($5,000)

• Rollin Horton, District 20 ($5,000)

• Tasha Ellis, District 29 ($5,000)

• John Rutherford, District 31 ($7,500)

• Sandy Ewing, District 34 ($5,000)

• Jason Spain, District 35 ($5,000)

District 1

District 1 is the largest in the county by land area, covering the northwest corner of the county and including parts of Joelton and Whites Creek. Its current representative Jonathan Hall chose not to run for reelection. Last year he was found to have had multiple campaign finance violations; the Metro Council voted to censure him, and he's facing multiple thousands in fines. There are five candidates competing to replace Hall: Ruby Baker, Sean Dailey, Rob Harris, Joy Smith Kimbrough and Timothy Thompson.

Ruby Baker

Baker is a Nashville native and worked in finance and administration for the state of Tennessee until 2022. Her priorities for the district are better communication with residents, working with neighborhoods to plan improvements, infrastructure development and "traffic calming measures."

Cash on hand: $417.32

Sean Dailey

Dailey formerly served in the National Guard and is currently a lead trade recruiter at PeopleReady Skilled Trades, a company that connects tradesmen with employers. His main issues are improving public safety, creating more affordable housing, workforce development initiatives, environmental protection and ensuring access to quality education for all.

Cash on hand: A negative balance of $63.20

Rob Harris

Harris is a native of Nashville and currently works for the Tennessee Department of Corrections as a procurement officer. He's spent many years working for Metro government, including in the mayor's office as a city council liaison. His priorities are economic development, infrastructure improvements, and development and protection of the natural resources and parks in the district.

Cash on hand: $3,512.23

Notable donors: A Better Nashville ($5,000)

Joy Smith Kimbrough

Kimbrough is a criminal defense attorney from Bordeaux. Her actions in office would include advocating for the district during the budgeting process, holding regular community meetings, protecting the parts of District 1 that want to remain rural and promoting smart growth.

Kimbrough contributed a $15,000 personal loan to her campaign.

Cash on hand: $709.59

Timothy Thompson

Thompson is the founder, owner and CEO of Thompson Place, a "golf development program." He did not respond to The Tennessean's survey requesting information about his background and his campaign platform. On his campaign materials, he says he prioritizes economics, education, and environment and calls himself "the best option."

Thompson contributed roughly $846 in personal loans to his campaign.

Cash on hand: $532.86

District 6

District 6 covers East Nashville and has two candidates leading the race to represent it: Clay Capp and Daniel McDonnell. Brandes Holcomb, an attorney, endorsed Capp after the deadline for withdrawal, so he will still be on the ballot.

Clay Capp

Capp has had a career in law and was most recently on staff at the Metro Nashville Public Defender’s Office. His priorities are maximum support for public education in Nashville, building the East Bank as a mixed-use neighborhood for Nashvillians, with housing and transit, and not as a tourist zone, and promoting environmental protection and development.

Cash on hand: $54,941.84

Notable donors: Tennessee Laborers' PAC ($1,000)

Daniel McDonnell

McDonnell works at the Tennessee Department of Transportation and is the board president of Walk Bike Nashville. His primary issues are transportation and infrastructure, education, affordable housing, environment and advocacy for constituents, including promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.

Cash on hand: $29,960.12

Notable donors: Tennessee Laborers' PAC ($1,000), Safe Streets PAC ($500)

District 9

District 9 encompasses neighborhoods including Madison and has newcomer Stephanie Montenegro running against incumbent Tonya Hancock.

Stephanie Montenegro

Montenegro has lived in Nashville since the age of 10 when her parents moved here from Colombia. She is a paralegal at a local law firm. Her top issues are safety, improved infrastructure, funding for public schools, and building relationships with community leaders, residents, organizers and developers to cater to the needs of the district's residents.

Cash on hand: $6,757.65

Notable donors: Council member Sandra Sepulveda ($1,800) (Sepulveda originally donated $2,000 in the second quarter, but has been refunded to comply with the $1,800 per individual limit.)

Tonya Hancock

Hancock is going for a second term on the Metro Council. Before her election in 2019, she spent many years in public service and government work. She's running on support for improvements in education, and advocacy for teachers, parks and safety. She told The Tennessean she wants to see a pedestrian path connecting Madison to downtown as well as an established home for the police department's mounted patrol within one of the district's parks.

Cash on hand: $14,198.31

Notable donors: A Better Nashville ($7,500), 1st and Tenn Political Action Committee ($500), Greater Nashville Hospitality Association ($250), Women in Numbers ($300), Council members Robert Nash ($100) and Burkley Allen ($100), Sheri Weiner ($100), Judge Lynda Jones ($50), Sam Reed of lobbying firm Jigsaw ($1,000), Nashville Mayor John Cooper ($1,800)

District 17

Geodis Park, Edgehill, Music Row and more have their home in District 17. Running to represent this district are Tonya Esquibel, Teaka Jackson and Terry Vo.

Tonya Esquibel

Esquibel is a loan officer at CrossCountry Mortgage and a graduate of Trevecca Nazarene University. Her priorities are communication with constituents, sustainable growth and safety, achieved by supporting the police department.

"We are blessed to have such amazing growth here in Middle Tennessee, but we need to put our best foresight and planning into this exponential growth," she said on her campaign website.

Esquibel's funding includes $50,000 in personal loans, $5,000 from A Better Nashville and $15,700 from LLCs, including several with ties to Broadway business owner Steve Smith.

Cash on hand: $63,904.47

Teaka Jackson

Jackson is a third-generation resident of District 17, a paralegal and the founder of Love Thy Neighbors, an organization "providing education, tools, resources and opportunities to various marginalized groups," according to her campaign website. Her key issues are affordability, public safety and quality of life.

Cash on hand: $10,182.47

Notable donors: A Better Nashville PAC ($5,000), attorney Charles Robert Bone ($500), Friends of Allegra Walker ($50), Friends of Joe P. Binkley ($750), Sam Reed of Jigsaw ($500), Nashville Davidson County Register of Deeds Karen Johnson ($100)

Terry Vo

Vo has worked in communications in the political and private spheres, most recently working as a communications consultant. She is the founder and president of API Middle Tennessee, which looks to support Asian and Pacific Islander communities and voices. Her priorities are safety, housing and inclusive development.

Vo has collected endorsements from several union-backed and progressive groups and two-term District 17 Council member Colby Sledge.

Cash on hand: $30,800.05

Notable donors: Friends of Emily Benedict ($250), Friends of Colby Sledge ($500), Megan Barry ($100), Bridgestone Arena VP Robin Lee ($100)

District 18

Running in District 18, which covers the Hillsboro-West End neighborhood and Vanderbilt University, are the incumbent Tom Cash and his competitor Angus Purdy.

Tom Cash

Before being elected to represent District 18 in 2019, Cash was an English and government teacher at Hillsboro and Hume Fogg high schools. His goals if he's reelected are to improve pay for Metro and public schools employees, continue transportation safety and infrastructure improvements, and expand child care options, especially for Metro and schools employees.

Cash contributed a $7,000 personal loan to his campaign.

Cash on hand: $22,142.22

Notable donors: A Better Nashville PAC ($2,500), Megan Barry ($325) and Council member Burkley Allen ($175)

Angus Purdy

Purdy is a small business owner who wants to be a "progressive voice for District 18." He's prioritizing transit, affordable housing, safer streets, communication and community.

"Our city has catered to tourists and corporations instead of the people who live here, and it’s time to reclaim it for our kids, our neighbors, our unhoused community, our educators and public school staffers, and for our laborers," he said on his campaign website.

Cash on hand: $2,290.17

District 19

District 19 covers downtown Nashville, so it's no surprise the race to represent it is contested. Current Council member Freddie O'Connell is term-limited and running in the mayoral race. There are three people running to replace him: Jasper Hendricks, Jacob Kupin and Jonathan Turner.

Jasper Hendricks III

Hendricks currently serves as commissioner and vice chair of the Metro Nashville Fair Board. He has served as an outreach adviser to presidential, congressional, state and local campaigns, and as a senior aide to members of Congress. He has also held leadership positions in multiple nonprofit organizations. His priorities include affordability, accessibility and public safety.

Cash on hand: $10,426.59

Notable donors: A Better Nashville PAC ($5,000)

Jacob Kupin

Kupin is a small business owner, the president of the Historic Buena Vista Neighborhood Association and serves on the city’s participatory budget committee. His priorities include affordable, income-aligned housing, transit and infrastructure development, and constituent services.

Cash on hand: $60,542.56

Notable donors: A Better Nashville PAC ($5,000), Tennessee Laborers' PAC ($2,000), Greater Nashville Hospitality Association PAC ($250), Home Builders PAC ($250), Gandalf LLC ($1,000), Yazdian Construction Company ($500), CaliforniaSouth Co ($350), Judge Lynda Jones ($100), Brenda Sanderson of Broadway Entertainment ($1,000), Darren Robbins of Broadway Entertainment ($1,000), Ruble Sanderson of Broadway Entertainment ($1,800)

Jonathan Turner

Turner is a lifelong resident of Nashville and a graduate of Belmont University, where he remains involved, especially in the athletics department. He works as the principal of EllisAmerica, a sales and marketing firm that specializes in pro sport and collegiate licensed products. His priorities include affordable housing, funding for emergency services, infrastructure and fiscal responsibility.

Cash on hand: $374.00

Notable donors: Waller Lansden PAC ($500)

District 21

District 21 covers North Nashville, parts of Midtown and the campus of Tennessee State University. Newcomer Jamel Campbell-Gooch is running against incumbent Brandon Taylor.

Jamel Campbell-Gooch

Campbell-Gooch is the organizing director for the Southern Movement Committee, a racial justice organization based in Nashville. He's a lifelong resident of the district and said his top priority is addressing the cost of living and its impact on families through piloting a guaranteed basic income. He also prioritizes communication with constituents.

Cash on hand: $4,252.62

Notable donors: Metro Human Relations Executive Director Davie Tucker ($100), The Equity Alliance Executive Director Tequila Johnson ($104.42), Joy Kimbrough ($1,800), UMC Clergy member Ingrid Mcintyre ($52.37)

Brandon Taylor

Taylor has worked in fundraising for organizations like the Boys Scouts of America, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Meharry Medical College and the Nashville Rescue Mission. If he's reelected, he would aim to build upon what he's accomplished the last four years in the areas of infrastructure investments, illegal dumping, and smart growth and development.

Cash on hand: $19,789.68

Notable donors: Notable donors: Assurance Restoration & Roofing Co. ($1,000), Ed Henley ($250), contributions from Council members Mary Carolyn Roberts, Kyonzte Toombs, Jeff Syracuse, Erin Evans, Sandra Sepulveda, Burkley Allen and Jennifer Gamble totaling a combined roughly $2,400

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville election 2023: Key Metro Council races to watch