With no disrespect to the candidates for the nine City Council posts striving to appear on the prestigious rerun programs of the bi-monthly television cable channels shows on various taxpayer paid productions, the following non-partisan comments in the Choo Choo City mayors race are made.
No scientific poll has been conducted and no endorsement of either the non-partisan Democrat incumbent mayor (TK) or the non-partisan Republican admirer of Senator Marsha Blackburn or Governor Bill Lee (CL) will be made.
It is anticipated that Tim/Chris and their avid political supporters will adequately be able to whet the public’s appetite for blood letting prior to March 4.
With the departure of one of UTC’s most loyal alumni supporters retiring to the world of academia for a nominal sum of ($250,000 plus) and the meek and mild “traffic offender” having acquired $7.2 million in scholarship funds to help educate her “tribe” (to benefit lower income students) it has been anticipated that the present throne occupier would have an easy road to re-election.
However two recent articles on Dec. 30, 2024 “While Kelly Endorses Presidential Candidates (Democrat), Chattanooga Needs Real Leadership” and Jan. 4, 2025 “Chattanooga Permit Crisis” suggests that CL is raising some issues in print that might attract the attention of more potential “non-partisan voters” that include:
1) “My wife and I have been together for over 30 years.”
2) Responding to Wallet Hub’s 2023 City Rankings Chatt Rankings that Chattanooga ranks as the second worst-run city in America and 146th in safety out of 149 cities” the present crown holder in their “State of the City” public presentation referred to the study as “BS”.
Whether the implied suggestion in No. 1 is relevant and whether the assumptions in No. 2 are accurate is beyond the scope of this article and do not reflect any position of the writer.
However these and many other potential issues will probably be raised prior to March 4, and may help provide ample funds for political donors to support each candidate.
(PS: Young lawyer, Ralph Kelly allegedly had no chance to defeat incumbent, PR (Rudy) Oligati in the 1963 city of Chattanooga mayoral race—but he did.)
Are there differences in 2025 compared to 1963? Of course, but today there also may be more non partisan Republicans than non partisan Democrats in 2025 in Gig City. Let the fundraisers begin.)
Jerry Summers