Early voting starts Wednesday in Chattanooga’s March 4 elections. All nine council seats and the office of mayor are up for election.
Four candidates are facing off in the race for the city council seat representing Chattanooga’s fifth district. Incumbent Isiah Hester, of Washington Hills, will vie with candidates Dennis Clark, Cory Hall and Samantha Reid-Hawkins.
District 5
— Communities represented: Cherokee Woods, Capital Heights, Washington Place, Gaylen Heights, Creekwood Terrace, Talley Place, Brainerd Park and Harbor Heights
— Number of residents: 19,881 as of the 2020 U.S. Census
— Incumbent: Isiah Hester
— Key issues in the race: Infrastructure, growth, government responsiveness
— Duties of a council member: Council members are the city’s legislators. They levy and collect taxes, appropriate money to be spent by the city and pay city debts.
— Pay for position: Council member salaries are set at 15% of the city mayor’s salary. With Mayor Tim Kelly’s salary set at $196,100, council salaries amount to $29,415 yearly
— Term begins: April 14
The Chattanooga Times Free Press asked all candidates in contested races to participate in a survey covering aspects of their experiences. Here are the responses the newspaper received:
Contributed photo / Dennis Clark is staging a run for a seat on the Chattanooga City Council. He will challenge incumbent Isiah Hester for the district 5 seat.Dennis Clark
— Age: 41
— Years in district: Four
— Neighborhood of residence: Cherokee Woods
— Education: Studied political science for three years at Middle Tennessee State University
— Occupation: Clark owns Core Transit, the primary transportation provider for Chambliss Center for Children. He also works as a community impact consultant for the Tennessee Department of Health managing the public health strategies for 25 counties, including Hamilton.
— Experience/qualifications: “I’m the only person with 20 years of community development experience, meaning working with universities, working with local nonprofits, working with state agencies like the Tennessee Department of Health, where all of my positions have been directly related to enhancing or advancing underserved communities. And I think through those experiences, I’ve developed the relationships and the skill set to be able to go into a role like city council.”
— Family: Single
— Amount raised, per latest disclosure forms: None filed
— Website or social media page: dennisclark.org
Why are you running? “I’m running, quite frankly, because I think the current incumbent has missed a lot of opportunities to develop our district, and he has a lot of unmet promises in making district 5 a safer community, an economically developed community, a community that’s productive for seniors. And you know, I think he just has a report card of just not delivering results. And as I have gone throughout the district, I feel like the people need a choice to hire someone who has the experience and the drive to put in the work and deliver results. That’s actually the theme of my campaign.”
Why should voters choose you? “Voters should choose me because I’m the one that looks at this position as a customer service representative. It could be anything from, ‘Hey, my recycling bin is broke,’ or ‘Hey, you know, I called 311, and no one’s called me back.’ Or, you know, just recently in my district, there’s a lady who requested these barriers be put up so they can stop running into her house. I’m going to respond. That’s the big thing.”
Cory Hall
— Age: No answer
— Years in district: 24
— Neighborhood of residence: Cherokee Woods
— Education: Woodmore Elementary, Dalewood Middle School, Brainerd High School, Morehouse College
— Occupation: Small business owner and coach
— Experience/qualifications: “Fearless leadership, knowledge of legislative processes, communication skills, an ability to navigate high stress situations and willingness to work with others without sacrificing integrity.”
— Family: Married with children
— Amount raised, per latest disclosure forms: None filed
— Website or social media page: Facebook page
Why are you running? “The lack of transparency in local politics negatively affects the process of connecting the youth with necessary functions of the community. Our districts need people who plan to do the walking and not so much talking in such a pivotal time in our city.”
Why should voters choose you? “You should vote for me because I’m a concerned voter who truly came from district 5, who can’t sit by and tell the youth be active and care when the people in charge don’t seem to care. I’m not afraid to take the necessary steps to bring district 5 to the table not continuously having us on the table.”
Contributed photo / Chattanooga City Council member Isiah Hester is seeking reelection in March 2025.Isiah (Ike) Hester
— Age: 60
— Years in district: More than 37
— Neighborhood of residence: Washington Hills
— Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a master’s degree from Covington Theological Seminary. Working toward a Ph.D from Covington.
— Occupation: “I’m a minister. I work for Volkswagen. I’ve had a commercial cleaning company for the last 20 years now. And I am a city councilor.”
— Experience/qualifications: “I’m a city councilman. One thing I pride myself on is building relationships. I work tirelessly within the community, building bridges with those who are in the neighborhood association, building bridges with leaders in the community, being impactful with the church community, being impactful with the police department, the fire department, all fields of endeavor. I want to embrace all that in order to build a brighter future for those in district 5.”
— Family: Married with two children.
— Amount raised, per latest disclosure forms: None filed
— Website or social media page: isiahhester.com
Why are you running? “There’s a song we sing in the church: ‘If I could help somebody as I pass along, if I could cheer somebody with a word or a song, if I could show somebody they’re traveling wrong, then my living should not be in vain.’ I think I’ve always had a servant’s heart. And I’ve always served the people in some type of way, as pastor, or as an advocate for the neighborhoods, as a neighborhood leader. So I wanted to help others in a bigger way by serving as a city council person.”
Why should voters choose you? “I think our community deserves somebody who’s going to listen. Somebody who asks and delivers real results. That’s why I committed to improving our infrastructure, working tirelessly in paving roads, but somebody who is genuine, somebody who has a love for people, it shows. I believe in family. We’re putting things in motion where family will be first. We have a pavilion that’s going up in Murray Hills, a pavilion that’s going up in Lake Hills. We’re going to break the ground for a playground in Washington Hills.”
Contributed photo / Samantha Reid-Hawkins is running for Chattanooga City Council. She will challenge incumbent Isiah Hester for the district 5 seat.Samantha Reid-Hawkins
— Age: 57
— Years in district: Seven
— Neighborhood of residence: Forest Hills
— Education: Rets Electronic Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, and studied computer applications, mass communication application, TV production and piano at Chattanooga State
— Occupation: Works with Hamilton County Department of Education as a paraprofessional and educational assistant and has been an ordained minister 24 years
— Experience/qualifications: “Councilor, teacher, mentor, musician.”
— Family: Married, three sons
— Amount raised, per latest disclosure forms: $123
— Website or social media page: None
Why are you running? “I’m running because I’m highly qualified and years of working with the public and community.”
Why should voters choose you? “I see an urgency for better communication between the community and the city council in charge. There are needs to be met and equity, education and economy balances to achieve. Community growth is important for a growing city. I’m the one to make it happen. And this is why I should be voted city council for district 5.”
Contact Joan McClane at jmcclane@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6601.