Thursday, June 7, 2007

Greens Endorse City Council Candidate


Green Party of Middle Tennessee Endorses Chris Lugo for Metro Council

Nashville, TN (June 7th) - The Green Party of Middle Tennessee announced its endorsement of Chris Lugo for Metro Council District 17. Lugo is the first ever endorsed Green Party candidate to run for Metro Council in Nashville. "I am very excited by this endorsement," Lugo said, "because the Green Party is all about the grassroots." Although the Metro Council race is a non-partisan race, candidates may receive endorsements.

District 17 is one of the most racially and economically diverse districts in the city, representing communities as diverse as the 12South district, Wedgewood- Houston, Vine Hill, Berry Hill, and the JC Napier Homes. Lugo said he hopes to represent his district in the city council, "In my district people want to see progress. People here are concerned about their neighborhoods and care about their community."

Lugo said he has been going door to door to hear people's concerns, "I have been knocking on doors since February listening to my constituents. People have told me that their biggest concerns are zoning, gentrification, safety, schools, jobs and the environment."

Many voters associate Lugo with the 2006 Senate campaign, in which he ran as the Green Party of Tennessee candidate for US Senate against Democrat Harold Ford Jr and Republican Bob Corker. "I really enjoyed running for US Senate, because I was the only peace candidate and the only progressive in a statewide race," Lugo said, "but I am very happy to be running in a local campaign this year. I can walk my entire district and really get to know people in this race."

One issue that keeps coming up in District 17 is voter disenfranchisement. "I have been meeting people all over my district who have lost their right to vote because of felony convictions and who don't know that they can get those rights restored," Lugo said, "I have been to educational forums on voter disenfranchisment and voting rights. I am convinced that this is tantamount to Jim Crow politics for the 21st century."

Although Chris Lugo is the first candidate to be endorsed for Metro Council by the Green Party of Middle Tennessee, Lugo hopes he won't be the last, "there were actually a handful of people considering running, and I think there will definitely be more Green Party folks running in the future. We like to say we are Green and Growing."

For more information:
chris4council@comcast.net
www.chrislugo.info

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