Four Metro Council at-large seats remain up for grabs after the general election, with only current at-large member Zulfat Suara surpassing the 10% threshold (40,575 votes) on Aug. 3. Eight candidates will vie for the four seats, with varying levels of public service experience, but for the most part similar priorities for Nashville’s near-term future.
Burkley Allen
General election: 30,314 votes (7.97%, 2nd among runoff candidates)
Known for: Community activism, board memberships
Previous Metro Council experience: Running for 2nd at-large term; two terms as District 18 representative (2011-2019).
Priorities: Affordable housing, regulation of short-term rentals, transit, infrastructure
Endorsements: Metropolitan Nashville Education Association, Nashville Business Coalition, Women in Numbers, Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, International Association of Firefighters Local 140, Nashville Fraternal Order of Police, among others.
Chris Cheng
General election: 22,000 votes (5.78%, 7th among runoff candidates)
Known for: Owner, Hot Sauce Nashville; former U.S. Army Ranger
Previous Metro Council experience: None.
Priorities: Small business, transit, technology usage
Endorsements: Metropolitan Nashville Education Association, Nashville Firefighters, Service Employees International, Nashville Fraternal Order of Police, Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, Nashville Community Farmers Markets, among others.
Quin Evans-Segall
General election: 22,644 votes (5.95%, 5th among runoff candidates)
Known for: Lawyer, co-founder Voices for a Safer Tennessee, serves on Metro’s Industrial Development Board
Previous Metro Council experience: None.
Priorities: Efficient government, education, transit
Endorsements: Central Labor Council, Davidson County Young Democrats, The Equity Alliance, International Association of Firefighters, Metropolitan Nashville Education Association, Nashville Justice League, National Women’s Political Caucus, among others.
Olivia Hill
General election: 25,802 votes (6.78%, 3rd among runoff candidates)
Known for: Navy veteran, transgender, women/LGBTQ community advocate
Previous Metro Council experience: None.
Priorities: infrastructure, homelessness, transportation
Endorsements: Metropolitan Nashville Education Association, Women in Numbers, Nashville Business Coalition, LiUNA! Local 386, Nashville Justice League, VoteVets, Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood, among others.
Howard Jones
General election: 25,327 votes (6.65%, 4th among runoff candidates)
Known for: Educator, pastor, community organizer
Previous Metro Council experience: None.
Priorities: Community safety, affordable housing, transit
Endorsements: Equity Alliance Fund
Delishia Porterfield
General election: 34,481 votes (9.06%, 1st among runoff candidates)
Known for: Educator, pastor
Previous Metro Council experience: Current District 29 representative, winning a special election in 2019.
Priorities: Affordable housing, community programming, property tax adjustment
Endorsements: Nashville Justice League, Davidson County Young Democrats, Metropolitan Nashville Education Association, Central Labor Council, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Votes, and the Equity Alliance Fund, among others.
Russ Pulley
General election: 22,386 votes (5.88%, 6th among runoff candidates)
Known for: Retired FBI agent, former SEC football game official
Previous Metro Council experience: Term-limited District 25 representative.
Priorities: Crime, public safety, education, affordability
Endorsements: Fraternal Order of Police, Nashville Business Coalition
Jeff Syracuse
General election: 20,643 votes (5.42%, 8th among runoff candidates)
Known for: Music industry operative
Previous Metro Council experience: Term-limited District 15 representative.
Priorities: Music/entertainment industry, transit, waste disposal, infrastructure
Endorsements: Fraternal Order of Police, Nashville Business Coalition, IAFF Local 140, Sierra Club, Moms Demand Action, The Broadway Entertainment Association, Greater Nashville Hospitality Association, among others.
Three Metro Council district races will also have runoffs, after no candidate garnered 50% of the vote in the Aug. 3 general election.
District 4: Davette Blalock vs. Mike Cortese
District 11: Jeff Eslick vs. Eric Patton
District 29: Tasha Ellis vs. John Reed