Yusuf Hakeem, an NAACP executive board member, leaves the County Commission assembly room after the Commission voted in favor of keeping the bust of Confederate Lt. Gen. A.P. Stewart in front of the courthouse at the Hamilton County Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 4, in Chattanooga, Tenn.Retiring state Rep. JoAnne Favors has endorsed Yusuf Hakeem as her successor, she said in a news release Monday.
Hakeem is among six candidates - five Democrats and one Republican - seeking the post in the Aug. 2 primaries.
Hakeem's campaign said in the release Favors made her endorsement at his campaign kickoff over the weekend.
"Yusuf Hakeem is the right person for the job," Favors said in the release. "He has years of experience in public service, and would not face a learning curve as a first time elected official. He is prepared for the work now."
Hakeem has spend decades in public life on the former Chattanooga school board and the city council, as well as his service on the state Board of Probation and Parole.
Hakeem said in the release that depth of experience will be useful when Tennessee political districts are redrawn after the 2020 Census.
"For such responsibilities as sensitive as redistricting, this is crucial to minimizing the impact to the citizens of House District 28 for years to come," he said.
Favors also called Hakeem "someone who will continue my legacy ... to fight for funding education, to fight for the safety our kids."
The other Democrats seeking the nomination are Jackie Anderson Thomas, Dennis Clark, Melody Shekari and Brandon Woodruff. The Republican is Lemon C. Williams Jr.