Nashvilles Mayor's Race Gets Conservative Entrants

NASHVILLE, TN -- Nashville's mayoral race took a right turn Monday with the addition of former conservative talk-radio figure Ralph Bristol and former controversial Vanderbilt professor Carol Swain.

Bristol confirmed his decision, which had been rumored in conservative circles, on Facebook early Monday before a mini-media blitz. Bristol, the long-time host of the morning show on 99.7 WWTN before leaving last year due to "editorial differences," is running primarily because he says opponents to the transit plan - set for a May 1 referendum vote - do not have a candidate to back in the mayoral race, tentatively set for August, though a state Supreme Court ruling next week could, theoretically, scoot it back to May.

Bristol told The Tennessean he was hoping a transit referendum opponent with practical political experience - someone like at-large Councilmember Jon Cooper or former school board chairman David Fox, runner-up to former Mayor Megan Barry in 2015 - would enter the race, but both have declined.

Swain, who left Vanderbilt after a controversial 18-year tenure teaching political science, also cited transit as a reason to get into the race.

"A bad idea didn't get better simply due to Megan Barry resigning and Mayor Briley stepping in to replace her," Swain told The Tennessean. "I will be encouraging voters across the county to say 'No,' to funding the transit plan in the May 1 referendum."

Both candidates will have a tough row to hoe. Though Metro elections are legally non-partisan, that's often just a winking distinction, as all of Metro's mayors have been openly Democrats. Republicans who have had success in Davidson County have come from the more moderate wing of the GOP - think State Sen. Steve Dickerson and State House Speaker Rep. Beth Harwell. While ardent conservatives have won elections in the county, it's been almost exclusively in council elections, where, with 35 districts, a conservative can find a place for success.

The qualifying deadline is Thursday. In addition to Bristol and Swain, Mayor David Briley, at-large Councilmember Erica Gilmore and NAACP president Luddye Wallace have qualified.

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