The race for Nashville’s next mayor has officially begun.
The first mayoral debate was hosted by the Tennessean, in partnership with NewsChannel 5, American Baptist College and the League of Women Voters in Nashville. It was held at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts Thursday evening.
The May 18 debate took place just hours after the qualifying deadline. Fifteen candidates ultimately pulled petitions, but only nine were featured in the debate. Moderators created two qualifying standards: Candidates had to either have raised at least $50,000 in campaign funds by the end of March or hold elected office.
Although there were nine candidates on the stage, few tensions arose. Instead, the real antagonist of the night shaped up to be the state. Contempt for the legislature was present across many answers, as candidates spoke on LGBTQ rights, the elimination of community oversight boards and perceptions of Nashville.
In response to a question about the recent abolishment of community oversight boards — independent, civilian-led boards that provide police oversight — State Sen. Jeff Yarbro expressed his disapproval.
“The legislative decision to overrule the decision of Nashville voters is nightmare-ish when you’re talking about building trust,” Yarbro said.
Nashville’s COB was formed after a 2018 referendum, where more than 130,000 Nashvillians turned out to support the creation of the board. Voters demanded increased police accountability following the police killings of Jocques Clemmons in 2017 and Daniel Hambrick the following year. The measure won by a 20% margin.
Former economic development director Matt Wiltshire expressed a similar sentiment, saying “I think it was the wrong decision for the legislature to overturn what 60-plus percent of the citizens of Nashville voted in favor of.”
In fact, many candidates expressed similar sentiments throughout the evening — something that Wiltshire acknowledged.
“I think the issues we care about are pretty much the same,” he said. “I think what you want to hear from is who has the skills to be the mayor of Nashville.”
Debate moderators were clearly aware of importance of repairing the city-state relationship. The situation was the focus of the debate’s final question, as moderators asked: “One of the biggest challenges will be the relationship with the state. Why are you the best candidate to restore the relationship between Nashville and the state of Tennessee?”
Like previous questions, many candidates were on the same page — reiterating the importance of working with the legislature while putting the needs of Nashville first.
State Sen. Heidi Campbell said her experience in the legislature is part of what makes her qualified to serve as Nashville’s mayor.
“This is about relationships. I have spent the past few years developing relationships with my colleagues across the aisle and passed 80 pieces of legislation,” Campbell said. “They know that I’m accessible, and they also know that I will stand up for Nashvillians above all else and stand up for our values.”
At least two more debates are set to take place: one on June 22 and another on July 6. The election is set to take place on Aug. 3 — but if there ends up being a runoff election, a final debate will be held on Aug. 24.
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