District 9 incumbent Yusuf Hakeem speaks about his platform on Monday, Jan. 23, 2017. 
City council candidate Demetrus Coonrod is photographed Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Chattanooga City Councilman Yusuf Hakeem came under steady fire Monday after comments he has made about Demetrus Coonrod, his opponent in the Council District 9 runoff race.
Hakeem and Coonrod received the most and second-most votes, respectively, out of a field of four candidates in the March 7 election. Since neither achieved a majority of the district’s votes, they have to battle it out one more time in the April 11 runoff election. Early voting ends Thursday.
On Sunday, things took a personal turn on a radio show when Hakeem labeled Coonrod as “unhinged, a pathological liar and crazy.”
Coonrod, who addressed Hakeem’s remarks during a candidate forum Sunday hosted by Citizens Concerned for Justice and the Unity Group of Chattanooga, released a follow-up statement Monday. Hakeem, who described the forum as a “setup,” did not attend.
“Unfortunately, this is not the first time women in politics have come under attack by their male opponents who seem intimidated by strong and vocal women,” she said, comparing Hakeem’s behavior to that of President Donald Trump and Fox News host Bill O’Reilly. “Marginalizing women is not the norm and should never be tolerated in Chattanooga or anywhere.”