At-large Nashville Council member Sharon Hurt announces mayoral campaign

Sharon Hurt

by Cassandra Stephenson, The Tennessean, Dec. 5, 2022- 

• Sharon Hurt has served as an at-large member of Nashville's council since 2015.
• Hurt was president and CEO of Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership (JUMP) for 23 years before retiring last fall.
• Hurt joins District 19 Council member Freddie O'Connell and economic development veteran Matt Wiltshire in the candidate pool for the 2023 mayoral race.
• Metro Council member Sharon Hurt is entering the 2023 race for Nashville's next mayor.
• Hurt has served Nashville as an at-large council member since 2015 and announced her mayoral campaign Monday.

"It's about taking care of our people, and as I look at this city, we have a tale of two cities here and I want there to be more equity and inclusion brought into the fold so Nashville can have a balance and be the best that we can be," she said. "As the next mayor, I will work my heart out to restore hope and prosperity on every forgotten block of our city." ....

Hurt joins District 19 Council member Freddie O'Connell and Nashville economic development and affordable housing veteran Matt Wiltshire in the growing candidate pool. First-term Mayor John Cooper has yet to announce whether he plans to run for reelection, though campaign finance disclosures show he has continued to fundraise. Nonprofit leader Hal Cato contemplated a mayoral run for months but declined to launch a campaign this fall. ...

During her Metro Council tenure, Hurt has been an outspoken advocate for the inclusion of minority- and women-owned businesses and supported the creation of an equal opportunity program for businesses seeking to contract with the council. ... She said she was proud to support the creation of the Community Oversight Board to oversee Metro's police department. ... She carried legislation asking Nashville Electric Service to round up electricity bills to the nearest dollar (unless customers opt out) to contribute to Home Uplift, a program providing weatherization for homeowners with limited income. That program went into effect in January. (read more)

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