NASHVILLE — Metro Nashville At-Large Council member John Cooper told a crowd of several hundred people Thursday that if he’s elected mayor teachers, police and firefighters will get better pay.
Nashville residents, Cooper added, will get better infrastructure.
That is all part of what Cooper called “effective progressivism.”
With all 161 of Nashville’s precincts reporting Thursday, Cooper got 35 percent of the vote as he seeks to replace incumbent Mayor David Briley. Briley, meanwhile, got 25 percent of the vote, according to the Nashville Election Commission’s website.
“It is my honor to take what I have heard and to be the voice and to demand something better. We know we can do better because we need things in this city. We need a transportation plan next year, not in 2025,” Briley told the crowd at Nashville’s Elks Lodge.
“One that helps you get to work and to school and we’ll have one next year because this city needs a lot done. We need a real affordable workforce housing plan, not just a one-page website because this city needs to get a lot done. We need education. That has become our number one priority. Public schools need to have at least half of new city revenues because this city needs to get a lot done.”
Cooper said more than 70 percent of voters want a new direction for the city, and they said as much by voting for someone other than the incumbent mayor.
“We need a mayor who is committed to recruiting and retaining the best of our city because this city needs a lot to get done,” Cooper said.“While we’re at it, let’s find the courage to pause and consider what we should preserve, what we should honor about what made Nashville special all along.”
Cooper also told the audience that “city finances are out of balance” and that shouldn’t go on “in this time of our greatest boom.”
The runoff election between Cooper and Briley is scheduled for Sept. 12.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
[…] The Tennessee Star reported last month, John Cooper promised that, if elected mayor, he would give teachers, police and firefighters get […]
[…] The Star reported last month, Cooper got 35 percent of the vote in the August primary election, while Briley got 25 percent of […]
[…] The Star reported last week, Cooper, currently a Metro Nashville at-large council member, promised better infrastructure and […]
[…] his election night party, Cooper promised that, if elected mayor in the runoff election, he would champion “effective […]
Why does every aspiring politician think that voters wanting a new direction means spending more money? The promise Mr Cooper makes to bring “effective progressivism” always mean higher taxes, fewer services, increased corruption, and further division of citizens into dueling groups. What Nashville really needs is a Republican mayor and Council.
Amen!!!
‘Effective Progressivism’ Nice word for Marxism.😠
Exactly! It has been the claim of every Marxist since the man himself, “they” just didn’t do it the right way, but “I” will!
This may however be the first case ever where a “C” is better than a “B”! Even if only slightly!
FYI – Clemmons was probably just using this as a stepping stone for his future run for Congress, when Jim Cooper, hangs it up. It was a great way to get him name recognition bumped up a bit. How much you wanna bet that Clemmons and John C are talking right now about a future “endorsement”?
Just say no to Johnny Ray🤮