Jimmy Eldridge announces he will be running for mayor of Jackson

JACKSON, Tenn. — A big announcement Friday afternoon at City Hall, as state representative Jimmy Eldridge took the podium to say he is hoping to take the knowledge and experience he has gained in Nashville and bring it back to his hometown of Jackson.

“My fellow legislators up there, administration, they’re behind us, and I want to come home and serve as the mayor of Jackson, Tennessee,” said Eldridge, “so I’m officially announcing that I am running for mayor of Jackson, Tennessee.”

Eldridge is the first candidate to announce that he will be running for mayor in next year’s election.

“Believe it or not, in that old heart there, I got a little emotion in there. A lot of times us men, we try to fight it and hold it back,” Eldridge said about making his announcement.

Eldridge has represented District 73 for more than fifteen years. State Senator Ed Jackson said even though Eldridge is going to be very hard to replace, he will be good for the city.

“He doesn’t meet a stranger, and he’s full of energy, and he’s just got all of the assets, all of the things, that we need to take Jackson to another level,” said Jackson.

Eldridge said, he has already recognized issues within the community that he plans to address if he is elected mayor.

“Education, working with our educators, working with our school superintendent,” Eldridge said, “improving our infrastructure in the city of Jackson, Tennessee, but also crime. We need to get a handle on crime.”

Eldridge says making strides against crime will mean working hand-in-hand with local law enforcement.

“Jimmy’s been very supportive while he’s been in Nashville, with me and the sheriff’s office, and I’m sure he’d be very supportive as a mayor of Jackson,” said Madison County Sheriff John Mehr.

“I love this community. I love Jackson, never have any plans of ever moving from Jackson,” Eldridge said. “What I want to do is help it move forward, improve the quality of life here.”

Eldridge said even though he’s not seeking re-election as a state representative, he still has a lot of work to do until the end of his term in November.

The city election for mayor will take place in May 2019.