Update regarding Sherry Jones - Lydia Hubbell race in District 30

by Rod Williams - In a recent post, (Who has the $ in Council races, districts 21-35. Lydia Hubbell has a good chance to win. Local Dems target Council member Angie Henderson for defeat.) I reported that Sherry Jones who is running for Council in district 30 had not filed a campaign finance report.  I was surprised. I speculated that she apparently was hoping to win a seat based solely on accumulated name recognition and was not putting effort into the race. Due to that assumption, I concluded Lydia Hubbell had a very good chance to win that seat.

I called Lydia Hubbell who is seeking election in District 30 to ask her if Sherry Jones was campaigning. She told me there were some Sherry Jones yard signs and that she knew Jones had done at least one post card mailing.  I then called the Election Commission to ask about Jone's status and spoke to an election commission official.  Jones had filed a report but it had not uploaded due to a computer error.

Here is a summary of Sherry  Jones second quarter campaign finance report.:
$4650 raised, $4,650 on hand. Contributors include:
Nashville Building and Construction Trades Council, $1600
Nashville Fire Fighters, $1,000
Friends of Police, $1,000

To recap the status of the other candidates campaign finances:

Reuben Ford: He failed to file his second quarter report on time but did file it.  $579 raised this period, $21 on hand.  

Lydia Hubbell: She is the only candidate in this race to file a second quarter report and file it on time. $1,204 raised this period, $193 on hand. Contributors include Ed Smith a conservative political activist, $388; Rod Williams (that's me) $102;

Sandra Sepulveda: She did not file a second quarter report. Why, I don't know.  She was required to file. This is the summary of her First Quarter report: $4,119 raised this period, The candidates treasurer apparently can't follow instructions and do basic math. The line for "balance on hand" is blank. Calculating if for myself it looks like the candidate had $1,768 on hand at the end of the first quarter. There is supposed to be a $25 fine for each day the candidate is late filing a report.

Unaware that Jones had in fact been raising and spending money, I wrote:

Comment: Sherry Jones, who is a former metro council member (1987 to 1995) and former member of the State Legislature who served 24 years in that post, will also have her name on the ballot. She has not appointed a treasurer and she has not filed a financial report. Maybe she thinks that by just putting her name on the ballot she can win on the strength of name recognition.  She ran and failed in a bid to become Juvenile Court Clerk in 2017. During that campaign it was revealed by The Tennessean that she violated State law by using State funds to promote her candidacy for Juvenile Court. She was notorious as a member of the Council and State legislator for several reasons, one of which was that she was the top spender of per diem. That is money to be paid to travel to Nashville to serve. This is what the Beacon Center wrote about her in their 2008 Pork Report: "Rep. Sherry Jones (D-Nashville), lives only seven miles away, yet Jones had the audacity to claim $22,216 in per diem allowance last year." That was only for one year or her 24 years of service!

Comment: I am supporting Lydia Hubbell in the race.  She is a conservative, honest, and a caring  person. I think she would make a good council member.  While her money raised totals are modest, since this report she has received a couple good contributions.  She needs help. If you can contribute to her campaign please to do.  Given that the person who I thought would be the strongest candidate is not raising or spending money and that her other two opponents can't even file a campaign financial report on time, Lydia may be the strongest candidate; I know she is the best.  See, Lydia for Council District 30.

With this more accurate picture of this race, my evaluation has changed. A more realistic evaluation is that Sherry Jones is likely to win this race unless something happens. That would be a shame. It is not inevitable she win, however. There is still time to impact this race. If some activist with time and money would do a last minuet uncoordinated mailing exposing Sherry Jones' record, that could turn the tide.  If just a few individuals with money would each donate $1,600 and some politically savvy advisor would help Lydia wisely spend it, that could turn the tide. If you want to help, reach out to Lydia. Her contract information is on her website.

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