Early voting in Franklin's Oct. 24 municipal election kicks off on Wednesday in what has proven to be one of the city's most divisive and dramatic elections, with much of the attention focused on who will lead the city as mayor.
Sitting Franklin Alderman Gabrielle Hanson is challenging 12-year incumbent Mayor Ken Moore for the seat in a race that has further intensified the spotlight of the ongoing American culture war as reflected in Williamson County.
Mayor Moore took part in an interview with The News on Sept. 27, but Hanson declined several opportunities to take part in any interview about her campaign, telling The News that she will sit for an interview after the election, despite voters and the public wanting to hear from her before the election.
Hanson said that her "strategist" told her not to take part in any news interviews during the election, but has made several appearances on right-wing-friendly podcasts throughout the traditionally nonpartisan race.
Hanson also took part in an interview series with WAKM radio, as did Moore.
"My goals are transparency and giving YOU a voice in your city hall," Hanson's website reads, but in addition to declining several interview opportunities, she also declined to answer specific questions about her candidacy and her past.
That murky past has taken center-stage in the race after she admitted to pleading no contest to a charge of promotion of prostitution in Dallas, Texas, in the '90s, but documents obtained by The News suggest that Hanson's criminal history is more extensive than a single charge.
Hanson has refused to answer questions about her criminal past, and although she has said publicly that she has copies of her record that she is willing to share, at the time of the publishing of this article she has not yet provided any of those documents to The News as requested.
Hanson's campaign has also been under the microscope of NewsChannel 5's investigative reporter Phil Williams who has published several stories about the embattled candidate's deceptive campaign posts featuring relative strangers as well as questions about Hanson and her husband's residency and her husband's participation in a Chicago Pride parade, a topic which Hanson has been vocally against.
"That's part of being mayor, that's part of being an elected official, you're open to the public to discuss issues," Moore told The News.
"That's the way we inform the public by speaking to the media about issues that come up, whether they're controversial, or whether it's just some kind of a celebration or event. That's my job."
While the race between the two sitting Board of Mayor and Aldermen members has included some debate over policy, namely the recent votes on the Middle Eight and the Franklin Pride Festival, the election has become focused on those culture war issues, in what some far-right groups and individuals have deemed "spiritual warfare."
"I certainly think it's an attack on what we know and love as Franklin," Moore said of his opponent's campaign.
Hanson has called Williamson County "the last bastion of sanity in America," and has pledged to "take off the mystery of how your government works" in a quest for "transparency" and said she will "fiercely protect Franklin against any national or global agendas that are meant to strike fear into its citizens and to control your life or destroy our traditional values."
She specifically pitched holding monthly open house events for voters and sending citizens on a "scavenger hunt" to learn more about the city where they can receive "a little piece of swag that says City of Franklin on it."
Hanson has said that she is "against all masks or business closures," referring to Covid-era policies meant to combat the pandemic throughout 2020 and 2021.
Moore, a medical doctor, joined with other community and government leaders in promoting the wearing of masks, social distancing and other public health measures throughout the pandemic.
"I think our governor's office did a good job with his [Covid] task force," Moore told The News. "We were on the phone every other day there for months with that task force, and also locally, during the pandemic, making sure that we were responding to the crisis and also tried to consistently message."
A driving factor for Hanson's campaign has been her opposition to the 2023 Franklin Pride Festival, where Moore cast the tie-breaking vote to approve the festival, albeit with a warning.
“I’m going to work to make sure that if you violate the trust that we’re placing in you right now that I will work as hard as I work every single day that that event never happens in Franklin again," Moore said in April.
"My history is working out compromises," Moore told The News. "That's what politics is a lot about, it's about compromise and reaching a solution."
This year's event took place in June without drag performances after some public pushback at 2022's drag performances in front of children.
Other hot topics have been development, preservation, tourism, corporate tax incentives and transportation, with Hanson declaring that she "is not for public transportation or smart cities" and is opposed to public housing and alleged ongoing "backdoor-deals" involving Moore.
"I don't need to confront some of the issues that have been thrown at me or comments or names or whatever it may be, I have a record," Moore told The News. "I have a record of having a steady hand of leadership in this city and being consistent, transparent, and telling the truth."
Moore has gone on the offensive in some of his public appearances with Hanson, pushing back against her claims in the Oct. 2 forum, calling for "more workforce housing" and touting his work with transportation issues in Franklin and regionally.
"I guess you're going to stop the people from going to medical appointments from having a ride, you're going to stop the people with disabilities from being able to get to work, you're going to stop the people from drug court that are going to jobs that they need to continue to recover, so I am for public transportation," Moore said.
A Sept. 27 debate between Moore and Hanson took place at Franklin's exclusive Westhaven community in what was called a "private, resident-organized candidate forum" despite the event featuring two current elected officials.
Williams was attacked on camera by a woman who attended the forum. She attempted to slap a phone out of his hand and bar him from the event. A Franklin Police officer stepped in and warned the woman that she would be arrested if she continued the behavior. He also said the NewsChannel 5 camera crew was allowed into that debate.
During the Westhaven debate, Moore called out Hanson's continued defense of her "false" claims about the March Covenant School shooting in Nashville which killed three children and three adults, one of whom was a Franklin resident.
Hanson said that she "never meant to be insensitive" and "none of us have any answers."
"Someday I hope the truth will come out and people will know that I did know some things, and I'm sorry if any one was in any way offended," Hanson said.
"Your comments have been debunked. Would you apologize to the Covenant families who are here right now, publicly?" Moore responded, holding the microphone out to Hanson. Hanson did not offer any additional statement or apology on the matter.
The final forum with the BOMA candidates took place at Franklin's City Hall on Oct. 2, featuring all of the candidates except for incumbent Alderman Clyde Barnhill, who is running unopposed.
Attendees filled the BOMA chambers with several dozen people watching a livestream of the forum from the hallway, including a group of men, some of whom are self-professed Nazis and white nationalists, who attended the meeting as "security" for and "protecting" Hanson.
News Channel 5 reporter Phil Williams talks to several white supremacist agitators who were "protecting" Franklin Alderman Gabrielle Hanson at the Oct. 2, 2023 Franklin BOMA forum.
One of the men present was Brad Lewis, who sports a Proud Boys face tattoo and owns Lewis Country Store in Davidson County, a combination convenience store and white nationalist training center, a property that is being sold with Hanson listed as the realtor.
Another man present was white supremacist Sean Kauffman, the leader of the Tennessee Active Club which operates out of the Lewis Country Store.
Prior to and throughout the meeting, the group attempted to intimidate attendees, namely the press, actions which saw an increased police presence grow through the night inside of city hall and throughout downtown Franklin.
Hanson refused to condemn threats or acts of violence against the press, having herself threatened to have this reporter "arrested" for asking her for comment on city property in April. She also refused to acknowledge or disavow the white supremacists who walked with her to and from the BOMA chambers.
Despite the obvious — and failed — attempts at intimidation, no incidents of violence occurred and no arrests were made during the Oct. 2 forum.
Franklin Alderman Gabrielle Hanson and her husband, Tom, (center) are escorted to her car by Hanson's private security guard (right) and Franklin Police officers, as well as another man (far left with glasses) who was among a group of white supremacists who were "protecting" Hanson at the Franklin BOMA forum at city hall on Oct. 2, 2023.
Moore's critics have called him "woke," but the Republican touts his professional memberships and work with leaders throughout Middle Tennessee, as well a string of endorsements from leaders including County Mayor Rogers Anderson, 65th District State Rep. Sam Whitson, Tenn. 7th District Congressional Rep. Mark Green, Williamson County Sheriff Dusty Rhoades, the Franklin Firefighters association, the Coalition for Common Sense TN PAC, and from all of his fellow aldermen except for Hanson.
Hanson has been endorsed by the Williamson Families PAC, which also endorsed incumbent Alderman and Vice Mayor Clyde Barnhill, who is running unopposed. In return, Barnhill has endorsed Moore.
"Under my leadership, we've worked very hard to work for the future capital projects plan that looks at 10 years," Moore said. "In that 10-year plan, it not only looks at what projects we want to prioritize to get done, but it also prioritizes how we're going to pay for how much cash we predict will be able to put on the project and how much we might have to bond to cover a project."
"We're going to continue to build on those things we've done in the past and we've already looked to the future with our strategic plan on how to move the city forward."
Moore told The News that Franklin's consistent status as a top place to live and raise a family is proof that his leadership and the city as a whole is working in the right direction.
"This is very likely the most significant election since the Battle of Franklin. This is a battle for the heart and soul of this community," Hanson said in her closing remarks on Monday. "We can't afford another four years on the trajectory that we're currently on."
"We must be accountable for what we say and do," Moore said in his closing remarks. "My opponent has not been transparent and has resorted to using fear and falsehoods to distort my record. Franklin voters deserve better than this."
Early voting runs from Oct. 4-19 at the Election Commission office at 405 Downs Blvd.
Hours include Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and from 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Oct. 7 and Oct. 14.
More information can be found online here.