Only eight more people have picked up qualifying petitions in the last week. There is still time! Run!

by Rod Williams, 4-27-2019 - Where are the candidates running for Metro Council?  Since last week, only eight more people have picked up qualifying petitions.  There are no districts where no one has picked up a petition but there are several where only one person has picked up a petition.

District 16 is the worst disappointment. Only one person has picked up a petition and I know who this person is. It is an extreme progressive by the name of Genny Welsch.  In 2006 Welsch ran an unsuccessful campaign against Congressman Jim Cooper. Welsch is often seen at left wing protest gatherings advocating the liberal cause of the moment. She has advocated for singled-payer universal health care, a minimum "living wage," and various other liberal causes. She was a founding member of the low-power left-wing radio station Radio Free Nashville.  It will be a shame if she wins a seat on the Council without even being challenged.

In District 30, Sherry Jones is running. She is a former member of the Council and the State legislature. I would like to see her defeated. Lydia Hubbell is running for that seat and she is a good conservative but I question her electability. At this point I don't know anything about any of the other candidates.

In District 19, Nick Johnson is running against Freddie O'Connell. I know absolutely nothing about him. For some time I have been hearing that the association of honky tonk owners was going to field a candidate against O'Connell and I don't know if Johnson is that candidate or not. A search engine search turns up no web page for Nick Johnson.

In the race for council at large,  I plan on voting for Steve Glover only.  One may vote for up to five candidates but to do so weakens the influence of your vote. You may think of it like this; voting for only one candidate is almost the equivalent of casting five votes for that candidate. Since John Cooper has announced he is running for mayor, this makes my decision to single-shot vote for Steve Glover easier.  Former councilman Michael Craddock has picked up a petition. He was a good councilman but rather than splitting my vote, I will still be single-shot voting for Glover.

John Cooper has not yet picked up a qualifying petition to run for mayor, but he has announced and has a campaign website. I would be shocked at this point if he does not run. Early on, after John Cooper announced he would not be running for mayor, I supported Carol Swain and contributed to her campaign.  Since Cooper has reconsidered and is now running for mayor, I will be supporting him. Unfortunately, Carol Swain is too closely identified as a social conservative. In liberal Davidson County, I just don't think Swain can be elected. Cooper has been one of the most vocal advocates for financial responsibility in the Council.  As far as I am concerned, the state of Metro's finances is the most important issue facing the city.  We need John Cooper.

There is one more week in which one may qualify to run for mayor, vice mayor or Metro Council. One may pick up a qualifying petition up until the deadline for turning in qualifying petitions which is noon May 3rd.  That is four full days and a half day. It is not too late to run. It only takes the name of 25 voters to qualify.  One can get that many names in one evening, if you also purchase a voter registration list so you are only knocking on the doors of registered voters. Almost anyone will sign a qualifying petition if you explain they are simply signing to allow your name to be on the ballot.

If you are at all interested in running, get qualified.  If you then find that someone else who you could support is running or someone else is too formidable for you to beat is running, you could simply not turn in the petition. Once a qualifying petition is submitted and the petition is approved, then a candidate may withdraw his name up until noon May 23rd.  Please, if you know someone who lives in one of those districts with a liberal council member and no challenger or only one candidate and know the person to be liberal, please run yourself or encourage someone to run. At this point, a sensible liberal who is concerned about Metro's debt, which is the highest per capita in the nation, would be an improvement over some of the progressive candidates who are running.

Below is the list of those who have picked up qualifying petitions to run for the office of mayor, vice mayor, at-large and district council seats as of Friday, April 26th.  Circled are the names of those I would vote for if these were the only choices and I knew only what I know today, the elections were today and I could vote in that contest.  My selections are  preliminary.  I may be changing my mind, depending on who else gets in the race. Some choices I have not made because I do anticipate someone else to get in the race or because I know too little about the candidates to have an opinon.

Here is the list of those who have picked up petitions. The names highlighted in yellow have not picked up a petition but have appointed campaign finance chairmen.

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