Voters reelect Glenn Funk for Nashville DA
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Glenn Funk. Photo: courtesy of the district attorney's office
District Attorney Glenn Funk won reelection Tuesday, overcoming two challengers to secure a second eight-year term in office. There are no Republicans in the race, making Funk's primary victory decisive.
- With all but two precincts counted, Funk had a lead of about 1,500 votes over his closest rival, Sara Beth Myers.
Why it matters: DAs have broad authority to set criminal justice policies. Funk built his campaign around a track record of halting prosecution for many cases he said were unfairly penalizing people based on race or socioeconomic status.
The big picture: Funk describes himself as a change agent who has pushed needed reforms since taking office in 2014.
- He stopped prosecuting low-level marijuana possession and most charges for driving on a suspended or revoked license.
- His first term was marked by high-profile prosecutions against then-Mayor Megan Barry, former police officer Andrew Delke and former nurse RaDonda Vaught.
Flashback: Funk established a conviction review unit that investigated past cases and recommended exonerations where actual innocence was uncovered. He also supported taking an inmate off death row because of "racial bias" during the capital trial.
Yes, but: Myers criticized his record on several fronts and tapped into outrage from many medical professionals who felt Funk should not have pursued criminal charges against Vaught, who fatally administered the wrong medication to a patient.
State of play: Myers performed well on Election Day. But the lead Funk built up in the early vote carried him to victory.
- Myers and P. Danielle Nellis, who once worked in Funk's office, conceded last night.
What he's saying: "This victory is about 1% Glenn Funk and about 99% the worth of the 70 ADAs who make this city safer," Funk said at an election party, per The Tennessean. "We are the best law firm in the state of Tennessee."
The other side: "I'm proud of how we ran this campaign," Myers said in a concession statement. "I proposed major reforms that I hope the administration will incorporate for the safety of our city."
- Nellis said her campaign "centered marginalized communities, challenged the status quo, and provided a vision of hope and reform."