Nashville runoff election: Meet the 8 candidates running for at-large Council seats
The Aug. 3 general election slightly narrowed the crowded field of competitors in the Metro Nashville Council at-large race, but several candidates are heading to the Sept. 14 runoff.
Just one candidate secured enough votes to avoid the runoff: at-large incumbent Zulfat Suara, who has served in the role since 2019.
The eight candidates with the most votes behind Suara are set to move on to the runoff to fill the four remaining seats.
Voters will also be choosing a new mayor, and residents of Districts 4, 11 and 29 will be picking new district council members.
The following candidates will be on the at-large runoff ballot. They are listed here in order of votes received:
Delishia Porterfield, who has represented District 29 on the Metro Council since 2019
Burkley Allen, the other incumbent in the race, has been an at-large Metro Council member since 2019 and served District 18 from 2011 to 2019
Olivia Hill, retired from a 26-year career at the Vanderbilt University power plant
Howard Jones, pastor and educational administrator at Metro Nashville Public Schools
Quin Evans-Segall, attorney and vice chair of the Metro Nashville Davidson County Industrial Development Board
Russ Pulley, term-limited District 25 Metro Council member
Chris Cheng, owner of Hot Sauce Nashville and a U.S. Army Ranger veteran
Jeff Syracuse, term-limited District 15 Metro Council member
Nashville voter guide 2023: Our hub for mayoral, Council runoff election coverage
How the at-large runoff works
The general election eliminated all but eight candidates from the crowded pool of 21. Suara will take one of the five at-large seats, and the remaining four seats will be decided by the runoff election. Voters can vote for up to four of the remaining eight candidates.
The runoff election will take place Sept. 14. Early voting is from Aug. 25 to Sept. 9.
The remaining incumbent
There were initially two incumbents overall in the at-large race. Now that Suara secured her seat, there is one incumbent left in the race.
Burkley Allen
Burkley Allen has been an at-large Council member since 2019, and prior to that, she served District 18 from 2011 to 2019.
"I love public service. I’ve relished the opportunity to work to make Nashville better, and I want to continue that effort," she told The Tennessean.
She was chair of the council's Budget and Finance Committee during the 2022 budget season and has served as ad hoc chair of the Affordable Housing Committee. On her campaign website, Allen says she has worked during her term to remain informed about zoning, infrastructure, transportation and education. She has sponsored legislation concerning storm water regulations in neighborhoods, affordable housing and sidewalk access in construction zones.
Notable donors: Ryman Hospitality Properties PAC ($500), Tennessee Laborers' PAC ($500), John Ingram ($1,000), TN NAIOP PAC ($500), Anthony Davis ($250), HG Hill Realty PAC ($1,250), 1st & Tenn PAC ($750), Adolpho Birch ($500), Jigsaw ($1,000), lobbyist James Weaver ($1,500), A Better Nashville PAC ($9,400), Waller Lansden PAC ($1,000), Cumberland Hospitality ($1,800), Comcast Corporation ($2,500), CEO of Ascension St. Thomas Fahad Tahir ($500).
The district Council members
All three district Council members in the general election secured enough votes to make the runoff. Two are term limited — Council members can serve for a maximum of two four-year terms.
Delishia Porterfield
Delishia Porterfield is not term-limited — she's represented District 29 since 2019, but she's looking to make the jump to at-large this election cycle. While serving Southeast Nashville, she opposed the deal to build a new $2.1 billion Tennessee Titans stadium, advocating for more advantageous terms for Nashville residents. She works as director of leadership and advocacy for union-backed nonprofit Stand Up Nashville and formerly worked as a special education teacher in Metro Nashville and Williamson County public schools.
"The issues that I am most passionate about and the fights that I am called to fight transcend district boundaries and impact all Nashvillians," Porterfield told The Tennessean. "I am running for Metro Council at-large because Nashville needs a battle-tested legislator with a strong moral compass that is a champion for working people."
Notable donors: Several contributions from fellow council members, Growing TNS Future Outlook PAC ($4,000), Laborers' International Union of North America ($2,000), Nashville General Hospital CEO Joseph Webb ($1,000), lobbyist James Weaver ($1,500), attorney Charles Robert Bone ($500), Women in Numbers PAC ($500), Waller Lansden PAC ($1,000), developer Dave Martin ($1,000), Friends of Bo Mitchell ($250), former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry ($200), Equity Alliance ($250).
Russ Pulley
Russ Pulley has represented District 25 since 2015. Before he was on the council, he spent 40 years in public service as a firefighter and paramedic, patrol officer, state trooper, FBI special agent and as an employee of the U.S. Department of Labor. While representing District 25, Pulley worked to secure a transit center in Hillsboro and improve traffic conditions. He's served on Metro Council committees concerning budget, public safety, transportation, health and social services, rules, education and codes.
"I have always and will continue to focus on keeping our communities safe as a priority," Pulley said to The Tennessean.
Notable donors: A Better Nashville PAC ($9,400), Developer Tony Giarratana ($1,500), lobbyist James Weaver ($1,800), HG Hill Realty PAC ($3,500), John Ingram ($1,000), Colin Reed ($1,000), JIGSAW PAC ($1,000), TN NAIOP PAC ($500), state Rep. Bob Freeman ($1,800), Tennessee Laborers' PAC ($1,000), 1st & Tenn PAC ($750), attorney Charles Bone ($1,000), former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry ($200), Comcast Corporation ($2,500), Ryman Hospitality Properties PAC ($1,000).
Jeff Syracuse
Jeff Syracuse serves District 15 and is term-limited. He has 25 years of experience in the music industry and has spearheaded a study of independent Nashville music venues and supported the creation of the Nashville Music, Film and Entertainment Commission. Other priorities include affordable housing, accessible transit and improving the function of Metro Council as a legislative body.
"We need to invest in quality of life for residents and ensure our budget priorities are aligned with resident needs," he said to The Tennessean.
Notable donors: A Better Nashville PAC ($9,400), Ryman Hospitality Properties PAC ($6,000), HG Hill Realty PAC ($3,500), Nashville Business Coalition PAC ($3,000), JIGSAW PAC ($1,000), Friends of the Police ($2,500), Old Town Trolley Tours ($1,000), TN NAIOP PAC ($500), lobbyist James Weaver ($1,800), William Freeman of the Freeman Webb Company ($1,050), Broadway Honky Tonk Venture LLC ($1,800), Skull's Rainbow Room ($1,800), House of Cards ($1,800), Icon Entertainment Group ($1,800), $1,800 each from The Johnny Cash Museum and The Patsy Cline Museum, Cumberland Hospitality Group ($1,800), Titans Chief External and League Affairs Officer Adolpho Birch ($500), Hal Cato ($450), former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry ($100).
The insider
One candidate included in the runoff has some experience with Davidson County politics and public service, but is not currently a council member.
Quin Evans Segall
Nashville attorney Quin Evans Segall currently serves as vice chair of the Metro Nashville Davidson County Industrial Development Board. A Nashville native, she received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Alabama. Evans Segall is the co-founder of real estate escrow and title agency City House Title and provides real estate counsel at Rebekah Fisher and Associates. Her focuses include boosting transportation, updating housing code, increasing grants for small-, minority- and women-owned businesses, expanding child care access and shaping a process for private investment in parks.
"I am running for this office so that I can use my expertise to help my hometown be the creative, efficient and effective government that I believe it can be," she said to The Tennessean.
Notable donors: Freeman Webb Company ($1,500), former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry ($350), Bob Mendes ($250), Bob Freeman ($1,500), William Freeman ($200), Women in Numbers ($500), Katie Lentile ($300), Thomas F. O'Connell ($500), Hal Cato ($250), Planned Parenthood of TN Action Fund ($500), contributions from current council members and district race candidates.
The names you may know
These candidates are involved in the Davidson County community outside of the political sphere.
Olivia Hill
Olivia Hill retired from a 26-year career at the Vanderbilt University power plant in 2021. She has 36 years of experience in the utility industry, including 10 years in the U.S. Navy. Hill is a former board member of the Tennessee Pride Chamber and a transgender advocate. Her priorities include better transit, improved utilities and assistance for homeless Nashvillians.
"We have seen unprecedented growth in the last decade, but too many of our residents' needs have been forgotten in the process," she said to The Tennessean. "It is past time to focus on our community and our neighborhoods."
Notable donors: Growing TNS Future Outlook PAC ($9,000), Nashville Business Coalition ($3,000), Women in Numbers ($500), Council member Russ Bradford ($100), former Council member Mina Johnson ($100), Judge Lynda Jones ($50), actor Milton Howery ($1,000), several outgoing district council members.
Howard Jones
Howard Jones holds experience in the juvenile court system and in several administrative roles across several Metro Nashville public schools. He identifies Nashville's biggest issues as "violent crime, high property taxes and under-resourced schools." Jones, a native Nashvillian and pastor, also runs the Kingdom Cafe & Grill on Jefferson Street. Jones isn't new to campaigning for elected office — he ran for Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk in 2022, Metro Council member at-large in 2019, and for the District 19 state Senate seat in 2018.
Jones' campaign coffers include a $1,500 personal contribution.
The newcomer
One candidate with little local political experience managed to garner enough support to break through the busy general election ballot and appear in the runoff.
Chris Cheng
Business owner and U.S. Army Ranger veteran Chris Cheng was born in Nashville and studied business and public policy at Harvard University. Cheng and his wife, Chelsea, own and operate Hot Sauce Nashville. He said his policy process begins with listening.
"I’m hungry to serve and use my education and experiences to make everyday life better for the people of Nashville," he said to The Tennessean.
His priorities include sustainable infrastructure, local small businesses, parks preservation and investments in Nashville's libraries and arts.
Notable donors: United Food and Commercial Workers International Union ($2,500), Friends of The Police ($2,500).
Cassandra Stephenson and Maddy Welsh contributed to this story.
Reach reporter Molly Davis at mdavis2@gannett.com or on Twitter @mollym_davis.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville council election: Eight at-large candidates in runoff
