Aug 1, 2023 - Election

Why voters should care about the Nashville vice mayor's race

Nate Rau

Jim Shulman and Angie Henderson. Photos: courtesy of the Shulman campaign and the Henderson campaign

It comes without the fanfare of a mayoral race, but Nashville voters will also decide Thursday who will serve the role of vice mayor for the next four years.

Details: The race pits incumbent Vice Mayor Jim Shulman against Councilmember Angie Henderson, who was term-limited for her district council seat.

Why it matters: The vice mayor has the important, but unheralded, job of presiding over Metro Council meetings.

If the mayor dies, resigns or is removed from office, the vice mayor is next in line to serve.

Between the lines: The vice mayor also assigns council members to committees, which determine who is in charge of vetting legislation. Choosing a chairperson for the budget and finance committee is an especially important appointment.

The vice mayor doesn't actually vote on legislation, except in the rare event of a tie.

Be smart: Shulman served a combined 11 years on the council, from 1999 until 2007 and from 2015 until 2018.

He won a special election for the role of vice mayor in 2018, edging out Sheri Weiner, and was re-elected in 2019.
Read a Q&A with Shulman on the Nashville Banner's voters guide.

Henderson is a two-term council member representing a portion of western Davidson County.

Read Henderson's Q&A.

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Why voters should care about the Nashville vice mayor's race

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