Marcus Floyd, a Nashville public defender and former prosecutor, announced today that he will run for General Sessions Judge Division VII. Growing up in Nashville’s Edgehill Homes and the Mississippi Delta, Floyd says he has personally experienced the poverty and injustice that impacts equity of the justice system. A 2015 graduate of Belmont University College of Law, Floyd has served as a probation officer, judicial law clerk and as criminal justice policy advisor in the Nashville mayor’s office. He also led a study on Nashville’s reliance on criminal justice fines and steered the Nashville Police Department's body camera program through the contract phase. Floyd is married to Amanda S. “Mandy” Floyd, an attorney at Bone McAllester Norton and a graduate of the TBA Young Lawyers Division’s Diversity Leadership Institute. Read the announcement.

Dr. Jason Martin, a pulmonary and critical care specialist in Nashville, is considering running for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2022, the Nashville Post reports. Martin has never run for office but, after working in a COVID-19 unit at Sumner Regional Medical Center, has become more outspoken about health care and critical of Gov. Bill Lee’s response to the pandemic. Carnita Atwater of Memphis is the only other Democrat in the race thus far, with Memphis City Councilmember J.B. Smiley also reportedly considering a run for the nomination. Martin has filed paperwork to establish a fundraising committee, but it has not yet been posted to the state campaign finance website.

Williamson County General Sessions Division II Judge Murrey Thomas “Tom” Taylor has announced he will seek another term as a Republican in the 2022 election, the Williamson Herald reports. A graduate of the University of Memphis School of Law, Taylor began his legal career with the county attorney’s office. He later launched a private practice in Franklin. In 1987, he was appointed as city court judge, serving both Fairview and Franklin. In 2014, he ran for his current position. Since taking office, Taylor has helped start a veteran’s treatment court and a mental health court.

Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge L. Marie Williams has announced she is seeking re-election for a fourth term on the court, Chattanoogan.com reports. In 1995, Williams was appointed to the bench by then Gov. Don Sundquist, making her the first female trial court judge in the county. Williams said she wants to continue serving the county, "believing each individual is entitled to be treated with dignity and to receive a fair resolution of their dispute."

Robert “Mitch” Manuel has announced his candidacy for Unicoi County General Sessions judge, the Erwin Record reports. The seat is currently held by Judge David R. Shults, who will retire on Aug. 31, 2022. Manuel earned his law degree from Texas Southern University in 2006 and began practicing in Unicoi County. His wife, Stana Donnelly, also practices with him, and his father, William Robert “Bob” Manuel, was part of the practice until his death in 2011. Manuel also has served as the delinquent tax attorney for the county and town of Erwin. He is current treasurer of the Unicoi County Bar Association.

Former Nashville Mayor and Bone McAllester Norton attorney David Briley has announced he will run for Davidson County Circuit Court Judge Division I, the Tennessean reports. That judgeship is currently held by Judge Hamilton "Kip" Gayden, who some expect will not seek reelection, though he has not yet made a formal announcement. Briley was a longtime at-large Metro council member before being elected vice mayor in 2015. In 2018, he became acting mayor after the resignation of former Mayor Megan Barry. Briley won the election to complete the balance of Barry’s term, but lost his 2019 reelection race to current Mayor John Cooper. Briley practices in civil, commercial and class-action litigation at Bone McAllester. 

Oak Ridge attorney Matt Tuck has announced his candidacy for Anderson County General Sessions Judge, Division II. He will run in the Republican primary, the Oakridger reports. Tuck has practiced civil and criminal law in the county for over a decade and currently operates the Tuck Law Firm. He earned his law degree and a master of business administration from the University of Memphis. Tuck has served as a special judge on the court and says it needs to operate more efficiently. He is a past president of the Anderson County Bar Association.

James “Jim” Exum, an attorney at Chattanooga law firm Chambliss Bahner & Stophel, has announced he will run for judge in Hamilton County Circuit Court Division II, the Chattanoogan reports. Exum seeks to fill the seat of current Judge Jeff Hollingsworth, who recently announced he will not seek reelection. According to his campaign, Exum has been practicing in Chattanooga for his entire legal career of nearly 15 years and specializes in "defense of police officers, first responders, government officials and private parties.” Local civic leader Nick Decosimo will serve as the campaign’s treasurer.

District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn announced last week that he is seeking re-election as district attorney general for the Fourth Judicial District, which covers Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson and Sevier counties. He touted his work increasing victims’ rights advocates and with the Elder Abuse Unit, which prosecutes crimes against and provides resources to older adults. Before election as district attorney in 2006, Dunn was assistant district attorney for more than 16 years, a state trooper and law enforcement instructor. He earned his law degree from the Nashville School of Law. The Newport Plain Talk has more.

Franklin Republican Robby Starbuck Newsom (who goes by Robby Starbuck) plans to enter the race for Nashville's congressional district so long as his home or farm end up in a possibly-redrawn 5th District, the Tennessean reports. Starbuck, 32, is a California transplant who moved with his family to Williamson County two years ago. A former director and producer of music videos and commercials, he currently is an investor in real estate and the stock market. Starbuck says his Cuban heritage and plans to campaign in areas of Nashville previously neglected by Republicans will provide in-roads with Latino residents and other minorities in the district. If eligible to run, he would face Quincy McKnight in the Republican primary. The 5th District seat has been held by Rep. Jim Cooper since 2002. Cooper is also facing a primary challenge from Odessa Kelly.