The Bold Leaders We Deserve
No matter who we are or the color of our skin, we all want a Nashville where we can make a good living, raise our families, and live and work safely in our neighborhoods, but developers and corporate interests have been getting in the way. But we know by coming together, we can build a powerful movement to elect candidates that lead with the values of equity and community, stand up against injustices, and recognize that we all deserve equal access to opportunities and resources.
That's why we are proud to announce our first endorsements for Nashville Metro Council: Stephanie Montenegro (D9), Terry Vo (D17), Jeff Preptit (25), and Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda (D30).
These incredible candidates for Metro Council are the face of our multiracial democracy, shaking up the status quo to ensure our institutions of power look like us.
An immigrant from Cali, Colombia, Stephanie Montenegro (D9) has experienced the challenges of our immigration system firsthand. A graduate of Metro Nashville Public Schools, she later went on to become a Parent Outreach Translator for the district, but was forced to quit this job that she loved due to the rising cost of living in Nashville, which far outpaced her Metro employee salary. Stephanie aims to create a Nashville where everyone, regardless of where you work or where you're from, has the opportunity to thrive. Stephanie Montenegro will make history as the first LGBTQIA+ Latina ever elected to Nashville's Metro Council.
Terry Vo (D17) has been a longtime champion of immigrant and refugee communities. She is the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants and has used her background to create opportunities to advance social change. Terry is the Founder and Board President of API Middle TN - an organization working towards racial justice by building API communities, lifting API voices, and celebrating API identities. She is also on the board of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Right Coalition.
As the son of Haitian immigrants, Jeff Preptit (D25) was raised with a deep appreciation of community. Jeff has built a career of public service as a former Nashville Public Defender and now as a nonprofit civil rights attorney. He has a unique perspective on being a force in Metro Council for immigrants and refugees through his lived experience as the son of immigrants.
Sandra Sepulveda (D30) was one of TIRRC Votes’s first endorsed candidates in Nashville in 2019, where she went on to win her race, becoming the youngest person and first Latina elected to Metro Council. Since then, she has been a staunch advocate for immigrant and refugee communities, working people, and civil rights. Sepulveda led efforts for language accessibility in the Council chambers, was a fierce advocate against the implementation of License Plate Readers in Black and brown communities, and was a key champion for Council’s historic investment toward critical immigration legal services.
Stephanie Montenegro (D9), Terry Vo (D17), Jeff Preptit (25), and Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda (D30) are the champions we need sitting in the Metro Council.
As the political power of our Black, brown and working class communities continues to grow, we know that we have the ability to make a difference in key elections and have a say in the future of our city. Want to get involved? We’ll be knocking on doors all across Nashville throughout early voting. Sign up here to volunteer!
If we want to build toward long term, sustainable power, it’s going to take all of us and it starts at the local level. We have the opportunity to elect champions who will stand for our values and have the courage to fight for our communities - can we count on you?
