Former Nashville mayor mulls comeback five years after stepping down following scandal
Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry has expressed interest in running this year to regain the post she left in 2018 following a scandal, a move that came shortly after incumbent John Cooper unexpectedly announced he would not seek re-election. Barry became one of the most prominent Democrats in Tennessee following her 2015 win, but she quit three years later as part of a plea deal for felony theft related to an affair with the former head of her security detail.
Barry’s hardly the only person, though, who is mulling running in the August nonpartisan primary: Axios’ Nate Rau responded to Cooper’s retirement by tweeting, “I have never fielded the crush of gossipy phone calls like have poured in since Mayor Cooper's announcement. It's bonkers out there folks.” Davidson County Assessor Vivian Wilhoite says she’ll form an exploratory committee, while Rau and Nashville Banner’s Steve Cavendish have each rounded up statements from other would-be candidates who are showing some interest:
- Attorney and 2015 candidate Charles Robert Bone
- State Rep. Bob Freeman
- Businessman Jim Gingrich
- Register of Deeds Karen Johnson
- 2022 congressional nominee Odessa Kelly
- Juvenile Court Clerk Lonnell Matthews
- Metro Councilmember Bob Mendes
- State Sen. Jeff Yarbro
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/1/2150575/-Former-Nashville-mayor-mulls-comeback-five-years-after-stepping-down-following-scandal