Andy Berke calls on crowd to 'Renew Chattanooga'
Friday, January 1, 1904
Andy BerkeIN OTHER RACESAmong those who have picked up qualifying papers for the March 2013 city elections are:• District 1: Tom McCullough, Matthew Ware, Jim Folkner, Chip Henderson, Pat Hagan• District 2: George Jackson, Roger Tuder, Priscilla Simmons, Thomas Lee III, Ryan Kopet, Jerry Mitchell• District 3: Pam Ladd, Ken Smith• District 4: Jack Benson, Ryan King, Scott McColpin, Tom Tomisek, Joseph Dzik• District 5: Russell Gilbert• District 6: Carol Berz• District 7: Manny Rico, Milton Jackson, Tramble Stephens, Ervin Mitchell, Chris Anderson• District 8: Moses Freeman Jr.• District 9: Peter Murphy, Demetrus Menifee, Yusuf HakeemSource: Hamilton County Election Commission
Former state Sen. Andy Berke told supporters Thursday night that if elected, four main priorities would drive his mayoral administration.
He will focus on jobs, crime, education and government transparency, Berke said at the official kickoff of his campaign at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center. The theme of his campaign is "Renew Chattanooga."
"This is my record," Berke said. "This is the type of mayor I will be."
Several hundred people, some waving blue campaign signs, attended the event.
Berke is running in the March 2013 Chattanooga mayoral election against local businessman Rob Healy and retired city worker Guy Satterfield. The qualifying deadline for the city elections is Dec. 20.
Healy ran against Mayor Ron Littlefield and lost in 2005. He is touting a fiscally conservative platform and asserts he can bring business expertise to government.
Berke has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for his mayoral bid. He has talked with many residents about issues in the city, he said.
"They told me they don't know why our political leaders spend so much time bickering instead of fixing what is broken," he said.