Kelly, White advance to runoff for Chattanooga mayor
Powersports dealer Tim Kelly and former economic development nonprofit president Kim White have advanced to the runoff to succeed term-limited Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke.
Kelly has said he doesn’t identify with either party. He gave donations to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden last year and Republican gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd in 2018. The son of a former Cadillac dealer, Kelly sold his own Subaru franchise last year. He still owns a large Honda powersports dealership.
White was the choice among conservative voters and the Chamber of Commerce crowd. She used to work for the real estate company of Bob Corker, a former mayor and U.S. senator. She later headed the River City Co.
Wade Hinton, a former city attorney under Berke, finished third.
Here are the top finishers among the 15 candidates:
| Tim Kelly | 8,562 | 30% |
| Kim White | 8,289 | 29% |
| Wade Hinton | 6,108 | 22% |
| Monty R Bruell | 2,407 | 8% |
| Russell J Gilbert Sr. | 889 | 3% |
| Elenora Woods | 805 | 3% |
| Chris Long | 491 | 2% |
| Erskine Oglesby Jr. | 322 | 1% |
| Monty Dewayne Bell | 157 | 1% |
The runoff is scheduled for April 13.
Lee administration says counties hold sway over cities on reopening policies
Gov. Bill Lee speaks to reporters on March 19, 2019, about his proposal to introduce an education savings account program in Tennessee. (Erik Schelzig, Tennessee Journal)
Gov. Bill Lee’s office clarified over the weekend that the six counties being given the leeway to chart their own course on economic reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic will be given the authority to make those decisions for cities located within their jurisdictions.
That decision has policy implications primarily in Knox and Hamilton counties, where Republican county officials have clashed with Democratic city leaders over the extent of lockdowns.
The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports the city’s mayor, Andy Berke, disagrees with efforts to resume in-person dining at restaurants.
“Yesterday I learned that, despite public and private assurances otherwise, the city of Chattanooga would not be making its own decisions for the reopening of restaurants,” Berke said. “This has understandably caused a lot of confusion for a lot of people in our city,” Berke wrote Sunday, saying that he will abide by the governor’s decision. “Chattanooga will obey the law, and I will do everything possible to ensure its success. I want every restaurant to make payroll, and I want to protect as many Chattanoogans as possible from contracting the coronavirus.”
Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger, who has decided to follow the governor’s plan for reopening the 89 of 95 counties, said it will be left up to local businesses to decide whether to resume business.
“No one is being forced to reopen, and no one is being forced to go to a restaurant if they do not think it’s safe,” Coppinger told the Times Free Press. “As we’ve said all along, this is the first small step to try to bring our economy back while maintaining safety protocols. All this does is allows restaurants the opportunity to choose to open.”
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon announced their joint plan on Monday.
Both mayors, @MayorKincannon and @GlennJacobsTN, reiterate they are on the same page. This is a plan they both agree with.
— Tyler Whetstone (@tyler_whetstone) April 27, 2020
Lee didn’t appear certain when asked last week whether workers would still qualify for unemployment benefits if they feel unsafe returning to their reopened place of employment.
In Shelby County, Democrats run both county government and the city of Memphis, though Republicans run most of the other municipalities. Nashville and Davidson County form a combined government.
The other two counties left to decide their own direction are Madison and Sullivan.
Chattanooga Mayor Berke backing Biden after Buttigieg drops out
Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke has switched his endorsement to Joe Biden after Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the race.
“In 2015, when a gunman attacked two military facilities in Chattanooga and senselessly killed five brave servicemembers who proudly served our country, Joe Biden, who has lost too many loved ones, showed up to console the heartbroken families,” Berke said in a release. “In a moment of horrific tragedy, Joe Biden helped heal our community. That’s the type of leader Joe is and it’s why I believe he is uniquely positioned to bring our nation together.”
As recently as Saturday, Berke was at a Nashville rally supporting Buttigieg, who dropped out after a disappointing finish when the the South Carolina primary results were released later that day.
Huge crowd for today’s @PeteButtigieg rally. Vote Tuesday! pic.twitter.com/UDZYnVxBH9
— Andy Berke (@AndyBerke) February 29, 2020
“Let’s put someone in the White House who will unite all Americans, bring dignity to the most powerful office in the world, and fight every day for hardworking families in Chattanooga and across the nation,” Berke said. “I am proud to endorse Joe Biden for President of the United States.”
Tennessee’s presidential primary is on Tuesday.
