Mayor David Briley held off 12 challengers to avoid a runoff by securing 54 percent of the vote and winning Thursday’s special mayoral election.
Briley, the vice mayor who assumed the seat after Mayor Megan Barry’s resignation in March, raised the most money in the race and secured the endorsements of business groups, most members of Metro Council and even the Nashville Predators. His grandfather, Beverly Briley, was the first mayor of Metro Nashville.
Trailing Briley in Thursday's race was Carol Swain, a polarizing right-wing figure and former Vanderbilt University professor who had received nearly 23 percent of the vote. At-Large Metro Councilmember Erica Gilmore, state Rep. Harold Love Jr. and former conservative talk radio host Ralph Bristol rounded out the top five, each receiving a little more than 5 percent of the vote. Had Briley not secured more than 50 percent of the vote, he would have faced a runoff against the second-place finisher next month.
“I am humbled by the honor Davidson County voters have granted me," said Briley in a statement after securing victory. "They have placed their trust in me, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to continue serving all residents of Davidson County."
Briley's victory comes amid unexpectedly difficult fiscal times for the city. After taking over as mayor, he was tasked with presenting a tight Metro budget. In his victory speech at Cabana Thursday night, Briley lamented the budget crunch. “That was a true disappointment to me,” he said. “And I will do my best not to ever let it happen again.”
The special election was forced when former Metro Council member and local NAACP president Ludye Wallace sued Metro, arguing that an election should be held within 75-80 days of Mayor Megan Barry’s resignation in March. The Tennessee Supreme Court ultimately agreed and ordered Metro to move the election up from August, when it had originally been scheduled. Wallace was listed on the ballot Thursday, but he told the Scene that he was not running a campaign. He garnered less than 1 percent of the vote.
Briley will now serve out the remainder of Barry's term, which ends in August 2019.
The only other race on the ballot, in Metro Council District 1, will be heading to a runoff. Jonathan Hall and Judy Cummings and Jonathan Hall were the top two finishers with 34 and 27 percent of the vote respectively.
Full results of the mayoral race:
- David Briley, 44,707 votes: 54.47%
- Carol Swain, 18,795 votes: 22.90%
- Erica Gilmore, 4,579 votes: 5.58%
- Ralph Bristol, 4,335 votes: 5.28%
- Harold Love Jr., 4,319 votes: 5.26%
- jeff obefami carr, 3,769 votes: 4.59%
- David Hiland, 324 votes: 0.39%
- Ludye Wallace, 322 votes: 0.39%
- Carlin Alford, 240 votes: 0.29%
- Albert Hacker, 169 votes: 0.21%
- Julia Clark-Johnson, 168 votes: 0.20%
- Jeffrey Napier, 141 votes: 0.17%
- Write-In, 122 votes: 0.15%
- Jon Sewell, 92 votes: 0.11%
