Live from Music Row, Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Nashville Republican Mayoral Candidate Natisha Brooks in studio to explain her position on metro council size and run off election legislation.
Leahy: Entering the building in the studio with us, along with mayoral candidate Natisha Brooks is our favorite caller on this program, Bernadette. Good morning, Bernadette.
Bernadette: Good morning, Michael. How are you?
Leahy: First I have to apologize because I went down to get both of you to come in and apparently you said hi, I’m Bernadette, to which I was, like, not even paying attention. And so then you’re sitting in here and you start talking. You’re in the studio and I recognize that voice. Who is that? And I said, are you, Bernadette? And you said, I told you didn’t I? (Laughter) Didn’t you?
Bernadette: I did. But it’s okay, Michael. It’s okay. I forgive you. It’s Monday morning.
Leahy: How did I not hear that?
Bernadette: It’s okay.
Leahy: So the great Bernadette. We’ve been on this program now for, I guess four and a half years. And you are one of our most prolific callers, Bernadette:
Bernadette: I just really enjoy your show and I love calling in to talk to you.
Leahy: You’re gonna hang around here. You and Natisha are gonna hang around in the second half of this hour so you can get to meet Crom Carmichael.
Bernadette: I’m excited.
Leahy: Because you’ve called many a time.
Bernadette: Yes, I have.
Leahy: And now Natisha of course, I’ve been giving her a hard time about raising money and she smiled and gave me some good answers. Tell me how the two of you met, Bernadette. And Natisha is the one running for mayor.
Bernadette: Yes.
Leahy: And you’re working on her campaign?
Bernadette: Yes, I am. I had heard about her with the fifth district race and I was, In the fifth district until they redistricted me to seven. So I was really impressed with her message and the fact that she was getting into the race, considering the odds weren’t all that great, at least she was willing to fight. So when I came across my phone with a news break that she was gonna be running for mayor, I immediately reached out on Facebook.
Brooks: She did.
Bernadette: And asked that I, if I can be of any kind of assistance to her campaign because I really believe in her message and what she’s all about. I feel like she’s the best candidate for the job because she does have the heart of the people in mind and not just about money or position and power.
Leahy: That terrible thing, money. (Brooks chuckles) I keep giving you a hard time about money.
Brooks: Keep bringing it up, Michael. Keep bringing it up because it makes people say, I need to donate to the campaign. We need your cash.
Leahy: We’ll get back to Bernadette here in just a minute. I still can’t believe that she said hi, I’m Bernadette.
Bernadette: You just kept walking.
Leahy: I just kept walking. It did not register.
Bernadette: That’s quite all right.
Leahy: No, not really. But now you’re here. I’m excited to have Bernadette and Natisha in here.
Brooks: I’m excited to have Bernadette on our team.
Leahy: Crom’s going to be delighted to meet you, Bernadette. Let’s go back to Natisha. Let’s talk about two bills that passed into law and the other is under consideration. I’ll ask about the one that passed into law right now.
Metro Nashville Council has 40 members. 39 right now. Steve Glover’s resigned and hasn’t been replaced yet. 40 members. When they had full strength, the Tennessee General Assembly, passed a bill. And signed it into law.
Brooks: Yes, they did. By.
Leahy: That the Metro Council now is gonna have a maximum of 20 members?
Brooks: Yes, that’s correct.
Leahy: What are your thoughts on that thought?
Brooks: One, if you can’t get it done in 20, you probably can’t get it done in 40. Thought two. I’m still a little disturbed about the 2024 Republican Convention. We shut down the city, Michael. We said we had to shut it down during COVID and then the one time when we have our chance, downtown businesses, businesses that failed, businesses that closed, had a chance to gain the money that they lost and what do we do with the Metro Council?
We say it’s a safety concern. A safety and security concern, as if Chief Drake, the great one, can’t have security and safety for the RNC. I believe that was a huge retaliation. Now, on the metro side, they say that the state is retaliating. The main thing is this, Michael. It’s not about the red or the blue right now. It’s about the green.
It’s about the money and saving businesses. We didn’t shut the country down. We didn’t shut the city down. So if there’s going to be 40 people and the next mayor, hopefully, us, that was gonna be very difficult to work with 40 people that are already against you before you even go into the office.
And then listening audience, you have to have a mayor that is willing to work with the state legislature. And right now, Michael, they are not willing to work with the state legislature. So hey, that’s what happens.
Leahy: It’s gonna happen. It’s gonna be 20. Are you happy or you would, you have voted in favor of it? Do you think it’s a good move?
Brooks: If I was a state legislator would’ve voted in favor of it.
Leahy: Let’s talk about some more of the legislation up at the Tennessee General Assembly right now. So there’s a law, I think the chances of passing are like 50/50. And what the law would do is it would get rid of the runoff elections. Right now if there’s a race for mayor on August 3rd, if no candidate gets 50 percent of the vote then the top two go to a run off on September 13th.
Brooks: That is correct.
Leahy: Now this bill would change that. And it would basically say whoever gets the most votes wins on August 3rd wins. I think the odds of it passing are about 50/50 right now. Do you favor that law or do you pose it?
Brooks: Actually, I favor it and I’m gonna tell you why. One, so many people are confused right now with so many elections going on. You got May, you got August, September, October, and then the money that is put into these elections for such low turnout. Let’s just go ahead and have one election and be done with it. Plurality, not a majority.
Leahy: That would make the odds of you winning greater.
Brooks: That’s great.
Leahy: Don’t you have some self-interest in that?
Brooks: I do. That’s true, Michael. (Leahy laughs) I do have some self-interest in that. Conservatives show up, then we win the race.
Listen to today’s show highlights, including this interview:
– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Natisha Brooks” by Natisha Brooks. Background Photo “Tennessee Capitol” by Carol M. Highsmith.
Live from Music Row, Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Nashville Republican Mayoral Candidate Natisha Brooks in studio to discuss how much money she’s raised in the last 40 days for her campaign.
Leahy: We welcome for a return visit to our studio, in person, and drinking the black coffee I made. Is that strong coffee this morning?
Brooks: It’s strong. It’s strong.
Leahy: Natisha Brooks.
Brooks: And I need it. I need it.
Leahy: Good morning, Naisha.
Brooks: Good morning, Michael.
Leahy: I think that is the third time you’ve been in studio with us when you were running for Congress. I just checked my calendar.
Brooks: Yes.
Leahy: On February third you made a big announcement here that you were running for mayor.
Brooks: Right here on your station.
Leahy: And so now we’re March 13th. It’s 40 days later.
Brooks: I just had a birthday.
Leahy: Happy birthday. You turned 29, right?
Brooks: (Chuckles) I know. It all falls in the middle of lent.
Leahy: So now Natisha, you were the first to announce. As far as I know, there are eight others in the race right now. That is correct. And then a couple of ’em have a lot of money. Jeff Yarbro. I don’t know exactly how much he’s raised, but he’s a partner at Bass, Berry, and Sims.
Brooks: Yes.
Leahy: He’s a Democrat state senator. Matt Wilshire raised, I think, over a million and then on the left side, Freddie O’Connell’s in the race and Sharon Hurt.
Brooks: Yes.
Leahy: And the carpetbagger. Carpet bagger Jim Gingrich. (Brooks laughs) He’s got a lot of money.
Brooks: Yes.
Leahy: But he’s a carpetbagger. He’s been here for three years and decided that coming from New York City he should run the city of Nashville.
Brooks: Nashville mayor.
Leahy: Then on the conservative side Independent candidate, Fran Bush has announced, and then Alice Rolli, who was a manager for Lamar Alexander’s 2014 reelection campaign.
Brooks: Correct.
Leahy: So here we are.
Brooks: Here we are.
Leahy: And I think there’s only two Republicans, you and Alice.
Brooks: I think only two Republicans. That’s it.
Leahy: That’s it. The big question is what’s happened since you announced 40 days ago? And have you raised any money?
Brooks: Great question. Yes, we’ve raised some. We’re right at about $30,000 and some change. And remember what I said on the radio, I was gonna put $100,000 of my own in the race. Conservatives, just a little bit of a problem. We need your cash. We’ve got to raise the money.
What we get all the time are these emails that say we’re praying for you. We’re rooting for you. They want Ms. Brooks here. Ms. Brooks, speak here and speak there, but we need your cash.
Leahy: Let’s talk about that a little bit. Just realistically speaking. Matt Wilshire has over a million and a half.
Brook: Yes.
Leahy: Carpet bagger, Jim Gingrich, I think he’s got that in pocket change.
Brooks: In pocket change.
Leahy: And realistically, if you’ve only raised $30,000, you’ve been at it for 40 days, that’s less than $1,000 a day. You’re not gonna get to a big number.
Brooks: That’s where I disagree. Let’s go back to when David Fox was running against Megan Berry.
Leahy: David Fox had a lot of his own personal money.
Brooks: Yes.
Leahy: I think he put in like a million and a half or something.
Brooks: His brother did it through a PAC. I worked on that campaign. My daughter, and I did.
Leahy: Is his brother’s PAC going to put any money in your campaign?
Brooks: No. I think David Fox is the treasurer of Allison Rolli’s.
Leahy: It sounds like she’s gonna have more money than you.
Brooks: Let’s remember this. Freeman put in almost $2 million, raised about $4 million of his own money, and didn’t even make the runoff.
Leahy: That was back in what 2015?
Brooks: 2015. So this race right here is going to be a strategy race, in my opinion.
Leahy: But Natisha, let’s talk Turkey here.
Brooks: And gravy.
Leahy: Turkey and gravy.
Brooks: There you go. But you’ve only raised $30,000. Even if you put in $100,000.
Leahy: But even if you did, you’re just not gonna have the money.
Brooks: Let me go back. It is about the money because I don’t wanna squash the money. You are right. But I also see another pathway to victory.
Listen to today’s show highlights, including this interview:
– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Natisha Brooks” by Natisha Brooks. Background Photo “Tennessee Capitol” by Ichabod. CC BY-SA 3.0.
Live from Music Row, Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Nashville mayoral candidate Natisha Brooks in studio to discuss her stance on the Titans Stadium deal, reduction of Metro Council members, police support, education, and fixing the budget.
Leahy: We are in studio with the sartorially splendid Natisha Brooks. She’s running for mayor. Natishafornashville.org. That website will be up in a couple of days over the weekend. Natisha, are you ready for the big question?
Brooks: Yes, I’m ready.
Leahy: All of the experts tell us that to mount a successful campaign for mayor. The election is going to be in August. August 3rd.
Brooks: Correct.
Leahy: You need about $2 million.
Brooks: That is correct.
Leahy: Now, I looked at your financial reports from the time you were in for Congress. There were fewer zeros on that report.
Brooks: Yes.
Leahy: And so the question is, do you agree that will take $2 million to win?
Brooks: Oh, yes.
Leahy: You do?
Brooks: I already predict the outcome. Myself against Sharon Hurt. And if you don’t know who Sharon Hunt is, she’s going to play the color card. We’re going to do the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We’re going to play the character card. Bring character back to Nashville.
Not your color. We’re not vying to try to be the first black mayor. We’re trying to bring character, not color. Character back to Nashville. Folks. Natishafornashville.org, we will raise the money.
We have to raise at least $2 million to help take this city back. Natishafornashville.org. Hit that donate button. Donors, PACs, I’m coming for you. We love your prayers, but, Michael, we need your cash.
Leahy: (Chuckles) Love your prayers but need your cash.
Brooks: Need your cash.
Leahy: This is why people love Natisha. Just right to the point.
Brooks: We need your cash.
Leahy: And you think you can raise $2 million? It’s a long order. Color me a little skeptical on the ability to raise $2 million from scratch.
Brooks: Catholics, Methodists, we believe. We’ve got faith. We’re going to raise it. I need you to hit Natishafornashville.org. I need your cash. We need your cash. We got to get out there, get ahead. By the way, some of you will wake up Monday morning and see signs all over Nashville. Ms. Brooks is already ready to put at least $100,000 of my own money into the race.
Leahy: Now, let me ask the next question. You know, there’s this little deal out there where I’ve talked about it, and I think it’s a terrible deal. It’s where the Tennessee Titans have basically stuck their hand out and said, Tennessee state taxpayers give us some money.
And the state of Tennessee inexplicably is giving them half a billion dollars. And then Metro Nashville is doing all sorts of things to leverage their special taxes and privileges that have been given to them by the state legislature to use that for bonding to raise another $750 million.
And then the NFL supposedly is going to give $800 million. But it doesn’t look like there’s really a lot of it actually coming out of the pockets of the family that owns the Titans. It’s a $2.2 billion deal. As mayor, do you oppose or favor this stadium deal?
Brooks: Currently, right now, Michael, we oppose it, and I’m going to tell you why. One, if someone would put a concrete plan in front of Natisha of how we’re going to pay for the stadium, and that’s why you need to vote Natisha for Nashville for mayor, we’re the only ones that are going to be able to work with the Tennessee State Legislature.
I’m going to be up there, and we’re going to have to have a talk because, Michael, if you looked at the plan so far, where we are parking, Michael, with all this money? Where the stadium is going to be, where are we going to park and why do we have to pay for it?
And I tell people all this all the time. You all know I transplanted from Texas. I say, you can Texas my Tennessee and Tennessee my Texas. But, hey, I would love to sit down and talk with the owner a little bit. I know she’s got a new general manager over there, but right now the answer is no. I am not in favor of the new Titan Stadium currently, right now.
Leahy: What I would suggest is when you say, why don’t you finance it entirely Amy Adams-Strunk? We think it’s a great idea if you pay for it.
Brooks: Yes.
Leahy: Not the city citizens and the voters of Nashville, Davidson County.
Brooks: And the 40-member Metro Council. Just 30 seconds on that. I am in favor of squeezing that down.
Leahy: To 20.
Brooks: You got it!
Leahy: It’s interesting to me; it’s been framed as a sort of punishment, supposedly.
Brooks: Retaliation.
Leahy: Retaliation for not hosting the Republican National Committee convention here in 2024. To me, I mean, I’ve lived in this area for 31 years. When I first moved here, and I heard they had a 40-member Metro council, I said, how do they ever get anything done?
Brooks: Exactly. Let’s just say, Michael, we win. Can you imagine us with 40 members? I don’t want to use the word against because Natisha is going to work, but how can we work with a 40-member council? And how many conservatives do we have down there? We got Swope.
Leahy: Three or four.
Brooks: Three or four. What are we going to do, Michael?
Leahy: Okay. Speaking of what are we going to do? So you’re on the record. Your goal is to raise $2 million.
Brooks: That is correct.
Leahy: You are opposed to the stadium deal.
Brooks: Correct.
Leahy: You favor reducing the council size from 40 to 20.
Brooks: Yes.
Leahy: What are your other agenda items?
Brooks: One, the number one is we have to talk about, everyone knows this. I’m the three C’s. Christian, conservative, constitutionalist. That’s very important to me.
I need you to understand that constituents. But the very first thing I want everyone to know is I am pro-blue. We’re going to take 30 seconds to talk about Memphis. I know Chief Drake myself, personally. He’s a great guy.
Leahy: John Drake here. The police chief in Nashville.
Brooks: Yes. And he’s been here a long time.
Leahy: Long time.
Brooks: Hey, I was in a car accident the other day, Michael.
Leahy: Are you okay?
Brooks: I’m okay a little bit, but I’m not okay that it took 45 minutes for an officer to come to the scene. And just so that you know, is an off-duty officer that got out of his car to help me. We need to talk and sit down about our police. They’re not going anywhere. If we’re going to do a Titan Stadium, let’s increase our police force.
I’m strongly pro-blue. Very pro blue. So that’s one thing. The other thing I want to get something done about this homelessness. Somebody said, well, Miss Brooks, don’t go left on us. I’m not going left, folks. I’m not going left. But one thing I do have to do is have some empathy about folks being on the streets.
Because of our 34 percent tax increase, we got folks that are not one check away from the streets, they’re almost under, just under away from the streets. And just because you’re rich and you live in a $2 million home or $3 million home, I don’t believe in punishing the rich.
Hey, I support the rich. I congratulate the rich. But just because we’re rich or you’ve got money doesn’t mean you need to be taxed more. So, as always, let’s get this budget going. I’m in education.
Let’s talk about the school board. My main focus on the budget with the school board is talking about that curriculum. As you know, Governor DeSantis in Florida did away with the AP Black American History, and I know a lot of African Americans are fired up about it.
Leahy: And the reason is that the last quarter of it was basically left-wing ideology.
Brooks: That is correct.
Leahy: They’ve resubmitted it, by the way.
Brooks: That’s right.
Leahy: And apparently he’s going to prove the resubmission without the left-wing junk.
Brooks: I saw that. But we’ve got to work with education.
Leahy: The problem with education is all the mayor does is say, oh, we approve your budget.
Brooks: Exactly.
Leahy: And then they can spend whatever they want. Are you going to change that?
Brooks: We’re going to change that.
Listen to today’s show highlights, including this interview:
– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Natisha Brooks” by Natisha Brooks. Background Photo “Tennessee Capitol” by Ichabod. CC BY-SA 3.0.
Live from Music Row, Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed former congressional candidate Natisha Brooks in studio to announce her run for mayor of Nashville.
Leahy: We are delighted to welcome to our microphones our very good friend Natisha Brooks, who is sartorially splendid this morning. Good morning, Natisha.
Brooks: Good morning, Michael. Thank you for having me.
Leahy: It’s great to have you here.
Brooks: It’s great to be here. It’s cold. (Chuckles)
Leahy: It is a little brisk out there this morning. It’s still 28, 29 degrees.
Brooks: Yes.
Leahy: You came prepared.
Brooks: I did.
Leahy: And I always talk about this. We probably, at some point, need to get a video camera here. It would not be focused on me this morning, but it would be focused on you. (Brooks laughs) You’re very stylish this morning, Natisha.
Brooks: Thank you.
Leahy: You got a beautiful hat. It’s kind of a silver hat. And then you’ve got a gorgeous dress and a beautiful colorful…
Brooks: Our blanket.
Leahy: A red, white, and blue American flag.
Brooks: Yes.
Leahy: And a splendid scarf. And you just look so stylish here.
Brooks: Thank you.
Leahy: I feel upstaged by the very gracious and stylish Natisha Brooks, you made some news the other day.
Brooks: We did.
Leahy: You’re a teacher. Is that your background?
Brooks: Yes. Home school owner and educator, educational consultant. Been doing it for we’ve been in the business for almost 31 years. Ms. Brooks says, now, listen, Michael, my hair is black, but I got it dyed just for you. There’s a lot of gray up here.
Leahy: It looks very nice. It looks very nice this morning.
Brooks: Home school educating consulting is what we are.
Leahy: And you have run for office here in Nashville before.
Brooks: Not in that. Well, for Congress.
Leahy: For Congress. You went for Congress and not for a Metro Nashville Davidson County office.
Brooks: No.
Leahy: I will tell you what’s interesting about Natisha. Do not try to get into a debate with Natisha because you’re an extraordinary orator.
Brooks: Thank you so much.
Leahy: And you know that, right? Because you go in and we’d have these debates, right? There’d be nine people, and they’d be whah, what, what whah. And then this stentorian voice would come out and there would be Natisha. It was spellbinding. You’re a very good speaker.
Brooks: Thank you so much.
Leahy: And you know that. But I think once you finished, what, fourth or fifth place in the GOP primary? Fourth or fifth?
Brooks: I believe fifth.
Leahy: So on Tuesday on this program that morning I was doing an analysis of the race with Baxter Lee.
Brooks: Yes.
Leahy: And I called the incumbent mayor, John Cooper, an ego-maniacal, tyrant, and a jerk. I called him that on the air. And of course, he couldn’t take the heat. Two hours later…
Brooks: Two hours later! What did you do, Michael?
Leahy: He decided he wasn’t going to run again for reelection. Obviously, it was caused by that.
Brooks: Thanks to Michael. We appreciate that.
Leahy: But Natisha, there you were, ready to pounce politically.
Brooks: I was ready for that debate. I dreamed of that debate with Cooper. And you made him go away, Michael.
Leahy: I know. So then, natisha I’m listening to the radio on another radio station of one of our friends on another station, Matt Murphy. And here is this booming voice and it’s you.
Brooks: It’s me. And you made an announcement. Tell us what that announcement was.
Leahy: Michael, since you just ran Mr. Cooper off, (Leahy laughs) we just went ahead and made an announcement that we are now Natisha for Nashville Mayor. Conservatives, you have a voice! We’re going to make sure that you have a voice in this race. And so we are now, Michael, running for Nashville mayor, seeking the office for mayor of Nashville.
Leahy: Do you have a website?
Brooks: The website is almost finished. We had an exploratory committee of 23 people. We just weren’t quite sure we were looking at numbers. You have to study numbers. But the website will be up conservatives! It will be up by this weekend.
Leahy: And what will it be?
Brooks: Natishafornashville.org.
Listen to today’s show highlights, including this interview:
– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Natisha Brooks” by Natisha Brooks. Background Photo “Tennessee Capitol” by Carol M. Highsmith.
