Rep. Harold Love Jr. running for Nashville mayor

Calling himself a “coalition builder,” Democratic state Rep. Harold Love Jr. has announced he will be running for Nashville mayor at the same time he’s running for reelection to the state House, reports The Tennessean. If he wins both races, Love says he’ll resign from the House District 58 seat.

His entry means that two of Nashville’s top African-American political leaders — Love and At-large Councilwoman Erica Gilmore — are both set to challenge Mayor David Briley in the Aug. 2 election.

“I really began to ask myself, who could get in the office and do something very effective in a short time frame?” Love said, noting that the August winner will only hold the seat for one year until the August 2019 mayoral election.

He pointed to his work in the state legislature on education and expanding access to health care — two issues he said he would prioritize as mayor.

“I thought I would be the best person to carry out those ideas and also be a good coalition-builder as we

…The deadline to qualify to run for mayor passed at noon on Thursday. At least 11 candidates have qualified to run. The election was triggered when former Mayor Megan Barry resigned last month.

Candidates who qualified still have one week to withdraw to avoid having their names appear on a ballot, meaning the list could narrow. But Love said he will remain in the race.

…Love has also qualified to run for re-election for his state House seat. That primary election is also set for Aug. 2. He said if we wins the mayor’s race and his state House primary, he would vacate his House seat before that seat’s general election in November.

Love, 45, is pastor of Lee Chapel AME Church in North Nashville, where he also resides. He’s the son of Harold Love Sr., a former Metro councilman and longtime Democratic state representative.