The democratic primary ballot in north Nashville is crowded this year, with some state legislators facing challengers for the first time in more than a decade. Jesse Tucker is challenging State Senator Thelma Harper, who has run unopposed in primaries since 1994.
State Representative Mary Pruitt’s last primary challenger for her District 58 seat was in 1998. On Thursday, she’ll face Jason Powell for the nomination.
The most visibly contested race, however, is the democratic primary election in District 54, for a seat currently held by State Representative Edith Langster. Langster’s opponents are architect Melvin Gill and Metro Councilwoman Brenda Gilmore, whose term is up on the Metro council.
Reverend Enoch Fuzz directs the Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church and hosts a public affairs show on WVOL. He says it’s not clear why there are more contested races in the democratic primary.
“I don’t know if voters will be an incumbency backlash. You hear folks talk about we need to get rid of all the politicians. I don’t think I’ve ever really seen that. Not from this community anyway, especially from African-American voters. Those voters are usually pretty loyal to a candidate.”
Polls for the primary election open at Thursday at 7 am and close at 7 pm.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM