Cooper Puts Another $900K Into Mayoral Bid

At-Large Metro Councilmember John Cooper loaned his mayoral campaign another $900,000 during the first three weeks of July, giving him a sizable advantage in spending with less than a week between now and the Aug. 1 election.

Cooper raised an additional $47,835 from individual donors during the same period and spent more than $950,000, including hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertising. Cooper, a real estate developer and brother to U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, previously loaned his campaign $555,000.

Mayor David Briley, who is seeking his first full term in the office after taking over from Mayor Megan Barry last year, raised $187,271 between July 1 and July 23 and spent $427,862 during the same period, the final fundraising period to be publicly reported prior to the election. Briley still has nearly $200,000 on hand for the final push to Election Day or for an anticipated runoff between the top two finishers. A runoff will be held Sept. 12 should no candidate secure a majority. Briley again led the pack in fundraising from individual donors.

“The proportion of raised to self-funded is the story here,” says Briley spokesperson Morey Hill about Cooper’s numbers. “His support is only the kind that money can buy.”

Cooper's team waves off the criticism.

"We are following the Phil Bredesen model," says Cooper aide Katie Lentile. "This allows us to be mayor in the right way."

Carol Swain, a former Vanderbilt professor aiming to lock down Republican votes in the nonpartisan race, reported raising $91,965 during the first three weeks of July and spending about the same amount. She still has nearly $50,000 on hand. Swain’s campaign cash includes a series of max donations from businesses affiliated with downtown bar owner Steve Smith, including both the Nashville and Panama City Beach locations of Tootsie’s.

Another mayoral candidate, Democratic state Rep. John Ray Clemmons, reported raising $44,672 during the period and loaning himself another $20,000, bringing to $170,000 the amount the Nashville lawyer has loaned his campaign. Clemmons’ donations in July included an $8,100 contribution from Invictus PAC, a fundraising group set up by Clemmons and his campaign manager that previously gave to Democratic state House candidates.