NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville former mayor Megan Barry announced Wednesday she will run for Congressional District 7 against Rep. Mark Green.
Barry's announcement comes from a launch video, where she talked about her son, Max, who died of an overdose. She transitioned to talking about the mistakes she made in her life soon after, and how she's since owned up to those missteps.
"I don't think anyone should be defined by their worst moments," Barry said. "It's what you do next that counts. I look at the total dysfunction in Congress, and its failure to make any kind of difference in the lives of our families. It's outrageous. We don't have to tolerate it."
District 7 now encompasses Nashville after a redistricting splitting up the former Congressional District 5. Three districts now cover Davidson County.
Barry was Nashville's first female mayor. She had the seat from 2015 until 2018.
Barry hasn't been in office since she resigned as mayor after NewsChannel 5 Investigates broke she admitted to a two-year affair with her police bodyguard, Sgt. Rob Forrest. A day later, Funk announced he was requesting the TBI investigate whether Barry or Forrest had misused taxpayer money during that affair.
Five weeks later, she resigned and she pleaded guilty to theft of property over $10,000 — a Class C Felony. She paid $11,000 in restitution and served three years' probation.
Green was previously challenged by Odessa Kelly in the last election cycle.
For people of my generation, in our younger days we spent part of our weekends watching music shows like American Bandstand and Soul Train. That was before the age of music videos. Several years before Soul Train was syndicated out of Chicago, another syndicated R&B show was taped in Nashville at NewsChannel 5. Night Train aired in the 60s and included what may have been the first TV appearance for legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Forrest Sanders has another great look back at station history.
-Lelan Statom
