It’s Déjà Vu: A Nashville District Must Choose 4th Council Rep In As Many Years

In addition to the Nashville mayor’s race, there’s one other crowded competition in the special election this week. Metro Council District 1 must again choose a new representative, the fourth council person in as many years in an area longing for stability.

The councilman narrowly elected in 2015, Loniel Greene, resigned within a year before he faced a felony indictment. His replacement, Nick Leonardo, didn’t last much longer before the council appointed him to a vacant judgeship, which itself will end after Leonardo was unable to defend the seat in the most recent election.

For the district, it has meant months of vacancy and, some of the new candidates say, neglect.

“The multiple council members is a symptom of the overall disease … this community intentionally has been segregated and deprived for 40 consecutive years,” said candidate Jonathan Hall.

“We need someone who is going to be consistent and persistent on the issues of Bordeaux, and that has not happened in the past three years,” said candidate Sylvester Armor.

Hall and Armor are both small business owners who describe themselves as grassroots organizers in the area.

All five candidates for District 1 are promising stability, as well as touting their roots in District 1. Each is African-American and a resident of the district for at least a decade — and some a lifetime.

The campaign has been friendly, with the candidates often
appearing side-by-side and largely sharing a goal of thoughtful revitalization for their territory. District 1 is the largest geographical council district and includes Bells Bend, Bordeaux, Joelton and Whites Creek (see 
demographics of the district).

The candidates share the challenge of motivating voters.

“People are like, ‘I just voted. I already voted.’ I’m like, ‘No, you have to come back to the poll,’ ” said candidate Judy Cummings.

Cummings, a planning commissioner for 12 years, is one of two pastors in the race. The other is Gwen Brown-Felder, who tries to distinguish herself by noting her past corporate career as an AT&T project manager.

The fifth candidate, Ruby Baker, has an extensive history of civic engagement — running a neighborhood association and directing 2010 flood relief efforts in Bordeaux.

With the crowded field, no one may win outright on Thursday, which would force a two-way runoff and one more trip to the polls for area voters.

The Candidates, In Brief

Sylvester Armor, a real estate agent and Tennessee State University graduate, describes himself as a local activist. He is a youth mentor, vice president of a neighborhood association and founding member of the Bordeaux Business Coalition. He ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2016.
Website. 

Ruby Baker is president of the Bordeaux Hills Residential Association and serves on the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood and Community Engagement, the Hub Nashville Steering Committee and the Emergency Communications District Board. She describes herself as a Nashville native and a single mother of four children.
Website.

Gwen Brown-Felder is pastor at Brooks Memorial United Methodist Church and a former project manager with AT&T. She describes her goal as changing the way that District 1 is represented, to make sure residents are “there when the pie gets cut.”
Website.

Judy Cummings is senior pastor at New Covenant Christian Church and a leader with Nashville Organized for Action and Hope (NOAH). She has served on Metro’s Council on Gender Equity, the stakeholder team for the future of Nashville General Hospital, the Planning Commission and the Metro Minority Business taskforce. She is married with two adult children.
Website.

Jonathan Hall, a co-founder of Invest In Bordeaux, serves as the District 1 representative on the Metro Beautification Commission and is president of his homeowner’s association. He’s a regular at civic meetings and a vocal advocate in his district.