In this episode intern Emma Young had a chance to interview John Cooper, candidate for Mayor of Nashville. The Nashville Municipal Election will be held August 1. Learn more about the candidates running for office in your community at www.Vote-USA.org!

Narration Transcription

In the coming weeks, Nashvillians and citizens of Davidson County will go to the polls to vote in a variety of races including Mayor. Early voting starts July 12th and goes through July 27th. Election day is Thursday, August 1st.

The candidates for Mayor this August 1st are a diverse crowd. There are nine candidates in total, with four having ran in the 2018 Special General Election for Mayor and three having held office previously. The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County’s city charter, created in 1963, stipulates that, to run for Mayor, a candidate must be 30 years of age at the beginning of the term, must have lived in Davidson County for at least three years prior to the election, and must live in the county during their term as Mayor. The Mayor serves a term of four years, and is a nonpartisan position. This is an at-large position that will represent all of Nashville and Davidson County. On election day, if any one candidate receives a majority, or greater than half, of the votes cast in the election, then this candidate will become the new Mayor. However, if no candidate receives a majority of the vote, then there will be a runoff election between the two with the most votes in a September 2019 Runoff Election. Whichever candidate that wins the most votes in the runoff election will become the next Mayor. The Mayor makes a salary of $180,000 per year.

Current mayoral candidates will be running to unseat the incumbent David Briley who took office in 2018 as the Metro Government’s 8th Mayor. Mayor Briley rose to this position in an unusual fashion by first serving as the Acting Mayor following the resignation of Former Mayor Megan Barry and by later winning the Special General Election to become Mayor. While mayor’s normally serve a four year term, the Special General Election of 2018’s purpose was to fill the remaining year of Former Mayor Barry’s four year term which began in 2015. Therefore, Mayor Briley will only serve for one year as Mayor before having to run for reelection for another term. While Mayor Briley won the Special General Election with 54.4% of the vote, avoiding a runoff election, the crowded field of eight challengers will certainly not make reelection easy. Today we speak with one of these challengers: John Cooper.

Mr. Cooper was first elected to public office in 2015 as one of Nashville’s five Metro Council at large representatives. During his time in office, he has worked to save public lands and to ensure the Metro government is spending taxpayer’s money well. Notably, largely through his efforts and dedication as an at-large councilman, Ft. Negley Park was saved from being sold off for private development. Prior to his work on the council, Mr. Cooper was involved in banking, real-estate, and retail business.

Now let’s hear from Councilman Cooper himself.