Run, Katherlyn Geter, run.
And Vicki Gregg.
And Ardena Garth, you should run, too.
Geter, a county commissioner, and Gregg, the former head of BlueCross BlueShield, and Garth, a public defender, would be intelligent, creative and effective county mayors.
So would Sheila Boyington, founder of Thinking Media and vice-chair of Erlanger Health Systems Board of Trustees.
And Ann Pierre, longtime community leader and activist.
And Tiffanie Robinson, school board member and businesswoman.
Eleven days ago, Jim Coppinger announced he won't seek re-election in 2022. Within hours, former congressional candidate Weston Wamp announced his candidacy. It's possible county Commissioner Greg Martin may run. And state Sen. Bo Watson.
Why not his wife, Nicole Watson, who's a lawyer and senior policy adviser?
If Andy Berke was city mayor, why can't his wife Monique Berke - a business and community leader - run for county mayor?
Last year, Kim White ran for city mayor. She lost. But she also won, helping Chattanooga re-imagine a woman as its most powerful elected leader.
The same re-imagining is overdue in Hamilton County. It is (past) time women receive the same respect, funding and support as political men. In the upcoming race, let's achieve campaign parity: as many women running as men.
Like longtime educator Edna Varner.
(She'd win, one friend said.)
Or activist, author, educator and entreprenuer Lakweshia Ewing.
Or vice president of United Way of Greater Chattanooga's Dominique Brandt.
Or author, TV personality, community powerhouse Alison Lebovitz.
Or school board member Karitsa Mosley Jones, community superwoman Scottie Summerlin or nationally-known principal Dr. Elaine Swafford.
"Women represent 51% of the U.S. population," states She Should Run, a national group encouraging women to enter politics. "So why do they represent less than a third of the nation's elected leaders?"
In 2018, Aloyse Brown ran against Coppinger; she would have been the first female and mother as county mayor. Her pro-education campaign was promising and intelligent, but I don't recall Coppinger ever debating her. Not once. (Such muting is its own form of sexism.)
Mostly new to the county and lacking any political experience, she still won 40 percent of the vote, some 22,000 votes to Coppinger's 33,500.
Last week, I asked a few friends to name local women they'd like to see run. They named:
- Shelia Harris, community leader and former county commissioner.
- Jenny Nicely, president of CHI Memorial foundation.
- Marie Mott, co-founder of I Can't Breathe CHA and former city council candidate.
- Jill Levine, educator and principal.
- The Rev. Charlotte S.N.N. Williams, pastor of Eastdale Village Community United Methodist and Unity Group leader.
- Rickie Pierce, former educator and principal. "Wouldn't she be amazing?" one friend said.
How about Maeghan Jones? Alexis Bogo? Rae Young Bond? Dr. Carmen Jimenez? Kendra Young? Jenny Hill? Dr. Kristie Wilder? Carol Berz?
"Research shows that when women run, they are elected at the same rate as men. The problem is they don't run at the same rate," She Should Run states. "One reason? They aren't asked."
Let's start asking.
She Should Run lists commonly heard insults and myths women hear when they run for office.
You're too bossy. (Or emotional.)
I don't like the sound of her voice.
Who will take care of the children?
She's not likable. She doesn't look like a candidate.
If you find you can't imagine some of these women as electable, then ask yourself: Why?
What has our standard been so far?
Could a female county mayor help successfully pass a tax for local education?
Could a female county mayor finally bring down the courthouse Confederate statue? Or challenge the sheriff on police brutality? Or talk openly and honestly about race and gender? Or the future of our county affected by climate change? And poverty, displacement, rising rent?
Since Coppinger's announcement, Sabrena Smedley, chair of the county commission, has bravely declared she's "strongly considering" a campaign for county mayor.
That makes her the possible first woman in the field so far.
Who else will join her?
Let's start asking.
David Cook writes a Sunday column and can be reached at dcook@timesfreepress.com.