RELEASE: TIRRC Votes Organizing to Elect Historically Diverse and Pro-Immigrant Council

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 21, 2019
CONTACT: Hamp Price, hamp@tirrcvotes.org

TIRRC Votes Organizing to Elect Historically Diverse and Pro-Immigrant Council

Immigrant Rights Organization Releases Slate of Council Endorsements for Runoff

NASHVILLE, TN - TIRRC Votes, an organization dedicated to building political power in Tennessee’s immigrant and refugee communities, announced today its slate of endorsements for the September 12 Nashville municipal elections. The organization has issued an endorsement for every council race appearing on the ballot. 

The slate includes several candidates the organization supported in advance of the August 1 General Election and five newly endorsed candidates. The organization is supporting a historic number of first and second generation immigrants on the ballot this year.

As in the August 1 election, TIRRC Votes did not endorse in the mayoral runoff, and is instead dedicating all of its resources to electing a historically diverse and progressive council that can drive a pro-immigrant agenda in the city. 

“Since defeating the English Only referendum ten years ago, Nashville has prided itself on being a welcoming city. Through the constant attacks of the Trump administration, these values have consistently been on display as thousands of Nashvillians have marched and rallied to oppose every threat to the safety of immigrant and refugee families,” said Stephanie Teatro, co-executive director of TIRRC Votes. “It’s time for our policies and elected officials to reflect the values, sense of responsibility, and urgency that Nashvillians feel to protect immigrant families.”

“We are proud to support this slate of candidates for the Metro Council that will advance a progressive agenda for our city, safeguard the rights of immigrants, and cast a new vision of belonging in our communities,” Teatro said. “We need elected officials who are ready to use the power of their offices to reflect a Nashville that is beyond welcoming and who recognize the urgency to lead in this historic moment.”

“The immigrant community and their allies will go to the polls on September 12 because we fully understand that this election represents an opportunity to put the Metro Council in its strongest position ever to implement pro-immigrant policies and make Nashville a truly welcoming city in this historic moment,” said Teatro.

Although TIRRC Votes was only founded in 2018, the organization ran one of the largest voter mobilization campaigns in Davidson County this cycle. Leading up to the August 1 election, the TIRRC Votes campaign team — comprised of 60 young people from 20 countries — contacted more than 42,000 voters and knocked on more than 8,500 doors. 

This robust field campaign to mobilize pro-immigrant voters resulted in huge victories in the general election: 20 of the 21 candidates endorsed by TIRRC Votes won their race or advanced to the runoff election. TIRRC Votes is continuing campaign operations into the September 12 runoff election with the goal of engaging tens of thousands of voters through door-to-door canvasses, phone banking, digital outreach and direct mail.

“Pro-immigrant voters will shape the outcome of the election. The new council will be elected with a mandate to advance bold and progressive policies to protect immigrant families and defend our values,” Teatro said.

The endorsements are:

At Large Council Members:

Burkley Allen

Fabian Bedne

Sharon Hurt (new endorsement)

Zulfat Suara

Council District 2:
Kyonztè Toombs (new endorsement)

Council District 7:
Emily Benedict (new endorsement)

Council District 13:
Russ Bradford

Council District 16:
Ginny Welsch

Council District 21:
Edward T. Kindall / Brandon Taylor (new, dual endorsement)

Council District 23:
Mina Johnson

Council District 26:
Jeremy Elrod 

Council District 30:
Sandra Sepulveda