NASHVILLE, TN — There are only six weeks left before the municipal elections on August 1, and the candidates for council and mayor are fanning out across the county to speak with voters. Yet state representative John Ray Clemmons is setting the pace for every other Metro candidate.
Clemmons is basing his mayoral campaign on the values of equity, opportunity, and justice. These values will guide his public service as mayor, and he will do all that he can for Nashville to ensure equity, create opportunity, and demand justice. With his outreach throughout the county, the endorsements he has received, and the show of public support, it is clear that his campaign is building up some serious momentum.
Clemmons is making his name known from Bellevue to Old Hickory by meeting voters where they are – their homes. Since February, Clemmons has hosted 30 Kitchen Table Talks all over the county, gathering feedback from residents about how we can solve our greatest challenges. He’s also hosted public listening sessions focused on the creative community, public education, small businesses, the North Nashville and Bordeaux neighborhoods, and affordability. These issues and communities are vital to the equitable progression of Nashville. “My policy platform is not just a collection of my ideas, it is a culmination of what I have heard from the residents across the county, specifically working families,” Clemmons said.
Another show of the grassroots strength of his campaign is how well-received he is at forums and debates. At the Davidson County Democratic Party mayoral forum last week, Clemmons supporters were there in a show of force, waving signs and holding up handmade banners to cheer their candidate on.
“The public response at events for our campaign has been incredible,” said Clemmons. “It shows me that the people of Nashville want bold leadership from their next mayor and that they want someone who will share their priorities.”
A combination of Clemmons putting people first both in the state legislature and in his campaign is the driving force behind him sweeping the endorsements. He has been endorsed by the Central Labor Council, which represents over 20,000 working families in Nashville. He’s also received endorsements from:
• Metropolitan Nashville Education Association Political Action Committee for Education
• Nashville Building and Construction Trades Council
• Communications Workers of America Local 3808
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 429
• Heat and Frost Insulators Local 86
• United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 233
“It’s truly an honor to earn the trust of these great organizations that represent the working families of Nashville,” Clemmons said. “Their confidence in me is humbling as we work to bring bold and decisive leadership to the mayor’s office, and finally get Metro focused on working families and neighborhoods.”
It is this kind of rising momentum that is leading Clemmons’ grassroots campaign. Given that he was raised on a farm, he says those values are what put him in touch with the needs of everyday people. With the campaign only growing as election day gets closer, it is clear that Clemmons is prepared to have a strong showing on August 1st.
