Live from Music Row Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy â broadcast on Nashvilleâs Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. â host Leahy welcomed Davidson County GOP Chair Lonnie Spivak in studio to discuss the upcoming special elections and uncontested conservative candidate Laura Nelson for District 52 in the state house.
Leahy: We are joined in studio by my very good friend for many years now, the chairman of the Nashville Davidson County Republican Party, Mr. Lonnie Spivak. Good morning, Lonnie.
Spivak: Good morning, Michael.
Leahy: Gopnashville.org. It’s election season now. We have a couple of elections. Let’s talk about the special election in the 52nd House district first. There will be a primary there on June 15th. Then that special general election will be held on August third or fourth. I forget which date.
Spivak: August 3rd.
Leahy: On the same date, we have a citywide election to select new city councils in 40 districts, 35 districts, and five at large. And then we have a mayoral race as well. Do I have that right?
Spivak: Yes. There will be the 40 council districts and the mayoral rays and a ditch, and the special election.
Leahy: Let’s talk about that special election. This covers sort of the East Nashville area up to the Antioch area up by the airport. Interestingly enough, the infamous Democrat, I’m going to call him American Boshevist-Jacobin, left-winger Justin Jones.
Spivak: You left out self-promoter.
Leahy: I forgot. Self-promoting Justin Jones. He of the bullhorn expulsion reappointment on an interim basis under questionable constitutional standards. He went to the White House and met Joe Biden.
By the way, the next week, he was protesting against Biden at the White House Correspondent dinner over climate change issues because nothing matters to the residents of the 52nd Tennessee House District here in Nashville more than climate change. Anyways, this guy is currently the interim state representative from that district.
Spivak: The way the whole legislative session unfolded, the last two weeks, was very, really, very bizarre.
Leahy: I know.
Spivak: Speaking to some state reps, there were a couple of things that happened that they were not expecting, and one of those was that the Metro Nashville council would have two votes in one day to go through special meetings.
Leahy: To reappoint an interim successor to Justin Jones and of course himself. Which you, by the way, if you really look at the constitution the state constitution, you really can’t succeed yourself, asterisk. But it happened.
Spivak: Right. That was one of those things that they didn’t really expect to happen so quickly, but that’s what it is.
Leahy: That’s what it is. And so he’s the interim stay rep now.
Spivak: And he’s the only one running on the Democrat party ticket.
Leahy: Oh, okay.
Spivak: To be the replacement for himself.
Leahy: And that’s gonna happen on June 15th.
Spivak: June 15th is the primary. There will not be any early voting in that election because there are just two candidates.
Leahy: And on the Republican side, who’s the only candidate?
Spivak: It is a very strong conservative woman. Her name is Laura Nelson. And she is out there beating the bushes right now, trying to find every Republican to turn out in the primary.
Leahy: And what’s interesting about that is her theme is like focus on constituent services.
Spivak: Constituent services. She’s running an aggressive campaign. She really could use help raising money. You can look her up online. Laura Nelson for State House 52. I’m not exactly sure what her website is.
Leahy: We’ll find it during the break.
Spivak: But I do know that the Davidson County Republican Party is endorsing her wholeheartedly, and we’re going do everything we can to help her and bring her across the finish line.
Leahy: And you can do that because the primary is not contested.
Spivak: It’s a non-tested primary
Leahy: So, therefore, she will be the nominee. Which makes sense.
Listen to todayâs show highlights, including this interview:
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Tune in weekdays from 5:00 â 8:00 a.m. to The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Lonnie Spivak” by Lonnie Spivak. Background Photo “Tennessee Capitol” by The Peep Holes.
