D’Andre Anderson, communications and volunteer coordinator for the Equity Alliance in Chattanooga, announced his bid for a seat on City Council representing District 8.
Mr. Anderson, 21, is a graduate of Central High School and a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has been a member of the Tennessee National Guard since 2016. Anthony Byrd is the incumbent.
Mr. Anderson ran for School Board in District 9 in the 2018 general election after serving as a student representative on the board.
His campaign said, "Inspired by the connections made and experience gained through this debut campaign, Mr. Anderson has continued to serve as an advocate and activist for his community. He organized a group called Dre & Friends whose purpose was to provide relief to those affected by the April 2020 tornado. In recognition of these relief efforts, Mr. Anderson was invited to participate in the Out-of- Contact Student Campaign by local nonprofit, UnifiEd. He worked with a team to distribute COVID-19 care packages to over 600 students who could not be reached by Hamilton County through standard means.
"Mr. Anderson decided to run for City Council in District 8, galvanized by the Black Lives Matter movement. In recent months, he has spoken with the citizens of District 8 regarding their concerns, and will continue to seek input from community members to better understand their needs. He believes elected officials should be held accountable for putting people over politics. He aims to give voice to the voiceless, combat division, and unite the community for our shared health and prosperity. His top priority is the fight for unity and equity for the people of District 8.
"Mr. Anderson recently became the communications and volunteer coordinator for the Equity Alliance in Chattanooga where his role is to advocate for voter turnout by registering voters who have been purged from the system. He hopes to increase voter engagement and encourage people to vote locally to see real change in our community. Mr. Anderson is excited to serve in his district and represent its people."