Isaac Kimes, member of Stranch, Jennings & Garvey, PLLC, returned to “Nashville in Focus” as a panelist on the March 8 broadcast.
Fellow panelists included former attorney Steve Gill, publisher of TriStar Daily and conservative television and radio host; Jasper Hendrix, Democratic strategist and current chair of the Metro Fair Board; and Heather Lee, communications director with the Davidson County Republican Party.
The discussion centered on the upcoming Tennessee gubernatorial race, which briefly included former astronaut and Tennessee native Barry (Butch) Wilmore, who declared his candidacy for governor on March 3, running as a Republican, then withdrew the next day when it was revealed that he did not meet Tennessee’s seven-year residency requirement for governor candidacy due to primarily living and voting in Houston during his time with NASA.
“I love astronauts seeking higher office, such as Mark Kelly,” Kimes said. “He’s been a great U.S. senator for Arizona. There was a Butch Wilmore day, so it piqued my interest, but then it just faded out really quickly.”
Wilmore’s withdrawal left the race for the Republican primary wide open for U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and U.S. Rep. John Rose, who are expected to be the frontrunners. Memphis City Councilwoman Jerri Green is expected to lead the race for the Democratic primary.
“It would have been interesting but, given the circumstances, I think it’s going to end up the way that a lot of people are predicting. It’s going to be interesting,” Hendricks said.
The panel also discussed the 5th Congressional District’s upcoming election, including U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, who is running for re-election unopposed by any other Republican. Although multiple Democrat and independent candidates have entered the race, Hagerty is currently favored to win.
The outcome of the U.S. House of Representatives could affect the partisan balance in the 120th Congress, as all 435 U.S. House districts are up for election this year. The House currently has a Republican majority of 218-214 with three vacancies in the chamber.
Current U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (Republican), who represents Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, is running for re-election. Additional Republican candidates include retired Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Charlie Hatcher and Ireland native Michael O’Leary, who served as mayor of Culver City, California, before moving to Nashville. Five Democrats are also vying for Ogles’ seat, including Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder and Metro Nashville Councilmember Mike Cortese.
“I think Ogles’ campaign has been fraught from the beginning and his fundraising has been unimpressive,” Kimes said. “In Mayor Chaz Molder, the Democrats have a viable candidate, albeit in a tough district for them to win.”
The final agenda for discussion was Metro Council’s March 3 vote to oppose Elon Musk’s proposed Tesla tunnel loop under the streets of Nashville — announced last summer by Gov. Bill Lee and Musk’s The Boring Company. The entire project is privately funded.
The council passed a resolution to publicly list their safety and transparency concerns about the project as Musk’s company worked with state government partners to bypass local authority, according to the resolution. Although the resolution won’t have any impact on the project, which has approval from the state, it provides a voice that represents the concerns of many Nashville residents.