State Rep. Harold Love Jr. says he's running for Nashville mayor

Tennessee state Rep. Harold Love Jr., D-Nashville, a Methodist pastor with a name that goes back decades in city politics, entered Nashville's mayoral race Thursday, becoming the last major entry into the field.

Calling himself a "coalition-builder," Love, who has served in the state legislature since 2012, confirmed his intent to run to The Tennessean after submitting his qualifying petition to the Davidson County Election Commission late Wednesday.

His entry means that two of Nashville's top elected African-American political leaders — Love and At-large Councilwoman Erica Gilmore — are both set to challenge Mayor David Briley in the Aug. 2 election.

► More: David Briley announces run for Nashville mayor in August election

► More: Erica Gilmore announces her candidacy for mayor

"I really began to ask myself, who could get in the office and do something very effective in a short time frame?" Love said, noting that the August winner will only hold the seat for one year until the August 2019 mayoral election.

He pointed to his work in the state legislature on education and expanding access to health care — two issues he said he would prioritize as mayor.

"I thought I would be the best person to carry out those ideas and also be a good coalition-builder as we look toward these and other problems in our city," Love said.

Love, whose district includes parts of North Nashville, Bordeaux, Edgehill and East Nashville, had been rumored as a possible candidate for weeks.

The deadline to qualify to run for mayor passed at noon on Thursday. At least 11 candidates have qualified to run. The election was triggered when former Mayor Megan Barry resigned last month.

► More: Ex-Councilman Roy Dale files to run for Nashville mayor — but he's still not '100 percent' in

Candidates who qualified still have one week to withdraw to avoid having their names appear on a ballot, meaning the list could narrow. But Love said he will remain in the race.

"I'm in," he said.

Love has also qualified to run for re-election for his state House seat. That primary election is also set for Aug. 2. He said if we wins the mayor's race and his state House primary, he would vacate his House seat before that seat's general election in November.

Love, 45, is pastor of Lee Chapel AME Church in North Nashville, where he also resides. He's the son of Harold Love Sr., a former Metro councilman and longtime Democratic state representative.

Love Jr.'s rise to the House District 58 seat began in 2012 when he narrowly beat incumbent Rep. Mary Pruitt in the Democratic primary.

In terms of priorities, he also pointed to expanded opportunities for the whole city.

"One thing we hear resoundingly is some portions of Nashville feel as though they have been left out, not just when it comes to growth and development but policy-making," Love said.

He said he hasn't formed a final position on the upcoming May 1 referendum on funding a $5.4 billion transit plan — a project backed by Briley and Gilmore but opposed by other candidates in the race.

Love said that although he voted last year for the IMPROVE Act, giving cities like Nashville the power to hold referendums on transit funding, he is concerned that Nashville's proposal would too heavily rely on a sales tax increase. The plan calls for raising sales tax by a half-cent initially before graduating to a 1-cent hike in 2023.

He said he supports components of the plan, including the expansion of the city's bus system and the fee reduction for low-income bus riders.

Love's base is in the city's African-American neighborhoods, but he said he believes he can compete countywide, pointing to the diverse neighborhoods and multiple colleges and universities in his House district.

"To me, that district is representative of the city," Love said. "My objective is to campaign on the fact that I have passed legislation that has helped Nashville.

"That is what I'm going to run on — my record of passing legislation and coalition building over these last five and a half years."

Love is starting in a hole fundraising, with Briley announcing Wednesday that he has raised $400,000 for his bid. Love estimated that he would need to raise only $300,000 for his campaign.

A lifelong Nashvillian, Love attended Tennessee State University for undergraduate studies and received a master's degree in theological studies at Vanderbilt University and a PhD in public policy from Tennessee State University.

In addition to Briley, Gilmore and Love, other candidates who have qualified include former Metro Councilman Roy Dale, conservative commentator and ex-Vanderbilt professor Carol Swain, former conservative radio host Ralph Bristol, and jeff obafemi carr, a consultant for the anti-transit referendum political action committee NoTax4Tracks.

► More: Nashville mayor's race: At least 11 candidates qualify as deadline passes

►More: Carol Swain, former Vanderbilt professor, conservative commentator, to run for Nashville mayor

► More: Former conservative radio talk show host Ralph Bristol to run for Nashville mayor

► More: Ex-Councilman Roy Dale files to run for Nashville mayor — but he's still not '100 percent' in

Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236, jgarrison@tennessean.com and on Twitter @joeygarrison.