Mayoral Candidate Carol Swain to Host Victory Celebration for Opponents of Nashville Transit Plan on Election Night Tuesday

Mayoral candidate Carol Swain announced on Friday that her campaign will host a victory celebration for opponents of the $9 billion Nashville Transit Plan on election night, Tuesday, May 1, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel.

“As one of the leading voices against the transit tax in Nashville, Carol M. Swain is continuing to urge voters to ‘vote against’ on May 1,” the Swain campaign said in a statement released on Friday, adding:

The campaign cordially invites all those who have opposed the transit tax to celebrate their efforts and rally around modern alternative solutions. Guests can RSVP here. Carol will share her “Blueprint for Nashville” and ask voters that opposed the transit tax to support her bid for Mayor on Election Day, May 24.

“It is is imperative that Nashvillians vote against the transit tax on May 1. If the referendum passes, it will tie the hands of city leaders for at least five decades and stunt the local economy,” Swain said in the statement.

“The currently proposed plan does not solve our regional traffic congestion problems. The plan utilizes expensive and outdated technology that does not meet the needs of Nashville’s commuters,” the former Vanderbilt professor added.

“As mayor, I will work with metro city council to implement short-term and long-term solutions for addressing the congestion affecting our city and surrounding counties. If you will vote for me on May 24th, I will push our city council to look at modern, affordable transit solutions,”Swain concluded.

“Tickets are free,” Swain campaign communications director Johann Porisch told The Tennessee Star.

“We want all opponents of the transit tax to join us. Media will be invited and are welcome to join,” Porisch said, adding that the fundraising team will also make a request for donations after Swain delivers her comments.

Voters in Nashville/Davidson County will return to the polls three weeks after the May 1 transit plan referendum election on May 24 to elect a mayor to serve the remaining year and four months in the term of former Mayor Megan Barry, who resigned in disgrace on March 6 just hours after she pleaded guilty to felony charges.

Vice Mayor David Briley, who vigorously supports the Barry Nashville transit plan, was named acting mayor upon Barry’s resignation, and is considered the front runner in the May 24 special election.

A Tennessee Star Poll released on April 16 revealed that Briley had 43 percent support from likely voters in Nashville/Davidson County for that election, which is 7 percent below the 50 percent threshold he needs to avoid a runoff election in June against the second place finisher. That same poll showed Swain in second place with 9 percent, 34 percent behind Briley.

However, momentum appears to be on Swain’s side.

In the three and a half weeks since she announced her candidacy, she has raised more than $60,000, making her the only candidate with sufficient financial resources to pose a serious challenge to Briley, who raised $400,000 in the first three weeks of his campaign.

Briley, in contrast, has continued to maintain his support for the transit plan, which the April 16 Tennessee Star Poll showed is opposed by Nashville/Davidson County voters by a 2-to-1 margin, 62 percent to 27 percent.

The outcome of the May 1 referendum, however, will be determined by the voters of Nashville/Davidson County at the ballot box, and those results will not be known until shortly after the polls close on Tuesday evening.

Swain has posted a video in which she articulates her opposition to the $9 billion Nashville transit plan on her campaign Facebook page, which can be viewed here below: