Elsewhere All Is Aflutter

It’s been a good year for political consultants, fund-raisers, schedulers and press secretaries. When Fred Thompson resigned his Senate seat, he set in motion one of the largest job shuffles in recent political memory and a kind of full-employment act for any human being capable of doing politics for a living. When the polls open Aug. 1, a number of contests will be on the ballot. Other than the gubernatorial contest (where Republicans Jim Henry and Van Hilleary fight for the right to face probable Democratic nominee Phil Bredesen) and the U.S. Senate race (in which Republicans Lamar Alexander and Ed Bryant are in a dash to face Bob Clement in November), here’s a primer—albeit an incomplete one. (See next week’s Scene for coverage of the school board elections.)

U.S. Congress, 5th District, Democratic primary

The cerebral Jim Cooper has spent the campaign defending charges that he’s conservative, meanwhile purchasing upwards of $1 million in TV advertising and trying to blow the rest of the pack away. A former congressman from Shelbyville who later moved to Nashville to pursue a career in investment banking, Cooper faces stiff opposition from Davidson County Sheriff Gayle Ray, whose political résumé indicates a strong talent at political organization and a solid hand at management. Ray has veered to Cooper’s left, attacking his votes against the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Equal Rights Amendment. Other legitimate candidates in the race who nonetheless appear to stand no chance include state Rep. John Arriola (who has a strong record with seniors), Carlton Cornett (a social worker who is the first openly gay candidate to seek election in Davidson County and has a really fine stump speech) and David Mills, who has run before and has a good head on his shoulders. Then there’s Adam Cox, a Vanderbilt graduate student, who’s running radio spots from Martin Sheen.

U.S. Congress, 7th District, Republican primary

Somebody should throw this district out and start over. Recently redrawn, it begins in wealthy southern Davidson County neighborhoods (lots of Republicans) and runs, inconceivably, all the way to the city of Memphis. Along the way, it carves out lots of Republicans. The election is basically a contest between Nashville/Middle Tennessee candidates and Memphis/West Tennessee candidates. The two locals of note are Nashville attorney Forrest Shoaf and state Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Williamson County. Shoaf is a Harvard Law School graduate and J.C. Bradford alumnus whose conservatism and intelligence fairly blow the tops off the charts (though his polling does not). Blackburn earned a place at the table in the recent state budget squabbles by arguing strongly—and very vaguely—for across-the-board cuts in state spending.

Vice mayor

This five-way contest to lead the Metro Council was created when Ronnie Steine vacated the post after admitting he had twice been cited for shoplifting. The three Metro Council members seeking the job are the primary candidates. At-large member Howard Gentry is a Tennessee State University official who has held the post since Steine left. Phil Ponder is a Hermitage-area council member, artist and former Genesco official. Chris Ferrell is a young, at-large council member many consider destined for future greatness, it only being a question of when.

State Senate District 21, Democratic primary

State Sen. Douglas Henry will benefit from, or be damaged by, his chairmanship of the Senate committee that handled the recently concluded state budget wars. He faces a surprisingly strong challenge from Jeff Wilson, a computer consultant and relative political neophyte. This race is one of the more hard-fought and close-to-call in the county, with Wilson presenting himself as young and progressive and Henry presenting a picture of the knowledgeable veteran.

State Senate District 23, Republican primary

This is the seat Marsha Blackburn abandoned to run for Congress. Most watchers claim the race is coming down to two different Republican candidates. From the old school—and we don’t mean that negatively—is Clint Callicott: farmer, county executive, former legislator and generally ease-along guy. From the new school is Jim Bryson: Owner of a polling/research firm, he jumped into the race with strong Christian sentiments and the perspective of the new side of booming Williamson County.

State Senate District 17: Both primaries

Incumbent Democrat Bob Rochelle has abandoned his campaign after a withering legislative session in which he took repeated punches for his promotion of a state income tax. That leaves Republican Mae Beavers opposing him, but Democrats are trying to muster up a write-in candidate to stand in Rochelle’s place. They seem to have landed on someone named Sherry Fisher.

State House District 53, Democratic primary

Businessman David King, who has a long history of political involvement in the state, faces two Metro Council members to gain the seat being vacated by John Arriola, who is running for Congress. The council members are Tony Derryberry, who will never be accused of intellectual superiority, and Janis Sontany, a smart and solid second-termer.