Ann Coulter drew an overflow crowd to her first public rally Thursday night at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.
Speaking to a diverse crowd that her staff estimated between 800 and 1,000 people, the candidate said, “I am running for mayor because this city has the capacity now, like it never has, to be a truly great city, and I believe I offer the kind of leadership that will help us achieve that greatness.”
Ms. Coulter spoke about the issues she said will be at the heart of the campaign: jobs, education and neighborhoods, and she cited her experience in each area, from Director of the City Office of Economic and Community Development to her volunteer work with the public school systems to her work facilitating strategic planning efforts for Chattanooga neighborhoods.
Along the way, Ms Coulter said, she has learned, “that optimism takes us further than pessimism; that action takes us further than inaction; that listening takes us further than talking; that partnering takes us further than disconnected efforts; that inclusion takes us further than exclusion; and that diversity and equity take us further than racism and discrimination.”
Afterward, Ms. Coulter called the event “a great launch to our campaign.”
Rev. Paul McDaniel, pastor of the Second Missionary Baptist Church, delivered the invocation.
Also, District One City Council Candidate Linda Bennett said she will
hold her first "Meet the Candidate" rally on Monday, Dec. 13. The informal
meeting will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Country Inn & Suites, 3725
Modern Industries Blvd., in Lookout Valley.
"Even though December is crowded with holiday shopping and parties, I want
to start as soon as possible meeting people and hearing what's on their
minds," said Ms. Bennett. "I'm already hearing from people in Lookout Valley who tell me city government isn't paying attention to them. I want to know more about that, so I can change it."
The gathering is the first of many that will be held in various locations
around District One, which includes Lookout Valley, Moccasin Bend,
Mountain Creek, parts of North Chattanooga and parts of the Northwoods area of Hixson, she said.
"When I decided to run for City Council, I knew that this district
includes many different areas," added Ms. Bennett. "They all have different
issues, and they need different things. You can't take a 'one size fits all' approach to government."
In other election news, City Councilman John "Duke" Franklin qualified to run for re-election in District 5.
Mayor
Angela Clark qualified
Ann Coulter qualified
Karl Epperson qualified
Eddie Eubanks Jr. qualified
Richard Hamilton qualified
Dan Johnson qualified
Ron Littlefield qualified
Richard Secrest qualified
Thomas Smith picked up papers
Ken Jordan picked up papers
Frank Burke picked up papers
Ed Bibbins
The City Council races are all contested except for Dan Page in District 3.
City Council
District 1
Linda Ward Bennett qualified
John Lively qualified
District 2
Sally Robinson qualified
Jim Crooks picked up papers
District 3
Dan Page qualified
District 4
Jack Benson qualified
Buddy Presley Jr. picked up papers
Robert Reid qualified
Don Eaves picked up papers
District 5
John "Duke" Franklin qualified
Johnny L. Smith qualified
Cynthia Stanley Cash picked up papers
District 6
Julie Chamberlain qualified
Marti Rutherford qualified
District 7
Karen M. Lee qualified
Charles "Pete" Drew qualified
Manuel Rico qualified
Jeff Peterson picked up papers
Debra Matthews picked up papers
District 8
Shonteion Strickland picked up papers
Leamon Pierce qualified
Amos Baker picked up papers
Dennis Milton Clark II picked up papers
District 9
Yusuf Hakeem qualified
Ezekiel Jones qualified
J.T. McDaniel qualified
Isaac Robinson III picked up papers
Delores Carter picked up papers