Nashvillains, it’s that time again. I’d say “that time of the year” but we have so many elections most years that I genuinely think the burden of research involved amounts to voter suppression, hence this guide which is meant to make voting a bit easier on you all. Check if you’re registered.
Dates
- Voter Registration Deadline: February 5, 2024
- Early Voting: February 14 – 27, 2024
- Last Day to Request Absentee Ballot: February 27, 2024
- County primary: March 5, 2024 for the August 1 general election (which will be the primary for state and federal elections for which the general is November 5)
Here are the races:
Circuit Court Judge District 20, Division IV
This division hears mostly divorces and family law. Tusca Alexis, Audrey Anderson, Stan Kweller and Stephanie Williams are all Democrats, so whoever wins the primary will have the seat. Kweller is the incumbent, appointed by Gov. Bill Lee after the previous judge died. Nashville Post has a rundown on their backgrounds and accomplishments, all impressive. Anderson, Kweller, and Williams have mostly been divorce and family law attorneys. Alexis has done a mishmash of different kinds of law including family law. Probably any of them are fine, but I plan to vote for Stephanie Williams who “founded the Family Justice Center and represented hundreds of family law cases at reduced rates.”
Assessor of Property
According to her website, Tomesia Day has spent 8 years as deputy assessor in Metro Nashville and has a Tennessee Master Assessor (TMA) certification and an MBA from University of Phoenix. Vivian Wilhoite is a Davidson County property assessor who has also been on Metro Council. When she ran for Mayor last summer, Nashville Scene did a Q&A, as did The Tennessean, and District Attorney Glenn Funk endorsed her. I didn’t like her for Mayor but I’ll probably vote for Wilhoite for assessor.
School Board Representatives
Sharon Gentry decided not to run again, so candidates for District 1 are Dominique McCord-Cotton, Robert Taylor, and Latonya Winfrey, plus Christian homeschooling advocate right-winger Demytris Savage-Short, the only Republican running; she will challenge whoever wins the primary in August. Articles in The Tennessean, Nashville Banner, and Nashville Scene say McCord-Cotton is a 7th-grade social studies teacher, Winfrey a school counselor and the president of a nonprofit dedicated to advocacy for children with autism, Happy: Joseph’s Journey, and Taylor an instructor at Meharry Medical College and president of New Life Center, a 501(c)3 teaching parenting skills and information to reduce obesity among African American families. I’m not in this district and don’t know any of these folks, but I guess if I were I’d vote for the teacher (McCord-Cotton).
Running unopposed are School Board Representatives for Districts 3 (former Council member for District 10 Zach Young, endorsed by incumbent Emily Masters), 5 (Amazon business analyst TK Fayne, endorsed by incumbent Christiane Buggs), 7 (incumbent Freda Player), and 9 (incumbent Abigail Tylor). Independent candidates have until April 4 to file so unopposed folks might have challengers in August.
This is also the presidential primary but you can easily find an overabundance of information on that elsewhere.
Header image: Nashville by CEBImagery (CC)