Karl Dean

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Karl Dean

| image = file:Karl Dean by Leon Roberts.jpg

| office = 6th Mayor of Metropolitan Nashville

| deputy = Diane Neighbors

| term_start = September 21, 2007

| term_end = September 25, 2015

| predecessor = Bill Purcell

| successor = Megan Barry

| birth_name = Karl Foster Dean

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|09|20}}

| birth_place = {{nowrap|Sioux Falls, South Dakota, U.S.}}

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic

| spouse = {{marriage|Anne Davis|1983}}

| children = 3

| education = Columbia University (BA)
Vanderbilt University (JD)

}}

Karl Foster Dean (born September 20, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 6th Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 2007 to 2015.{{Cite news |last=Cass |first=Michael |date=September 21, 2007 |title=Dean: "We need to raise the bar on our expectations" |work=The Tennessean |url=http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070921/NEWS02/70921031 |access-date=2007-09-21 }}{{dead link|date=October 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} A member of the Democratic Party,{{Cite web |last=Reisinger |first=Brian |date=February 8, 2011 |title=Nashville Mayor Karl Dean announces team for 2011 election |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/blog/2011/02/mayor-karl-dean-nashville-election.html |access-date=June 29, 2012 |website=Nashville Business Journal}} he previously served as Nashville's Director of Law under Mayor Bill Purcell from 1999 to 2007.{{Cite web |title=Karl Dean for Mayor of Nashville |url=http://www.karldean.info/karl_dean_bio.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722193610/http://karldean.info/karl_dean_bio.php |archive-date=July 22, 2012 |access-date=September 11, 2007}} In 1990, 1994 and 1998, he was elected the city's public defender.{{cite news|first=Bill|last=Harless|title=Dean will leave law director post to run for mayor|newspaper=The Nashville City Paper|date=December 20, 2006|url=http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=47730|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904003450/http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=47730|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 4, 2012}} Dean, an attorney by occupation, is currently an adjunct professor of law at Vanderbilt University Law School.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University in 1978 and a Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University in 1981.{{cite web|title=Vanderbilt University Law School :: Karl F. Dean |url=http://law.vanderbilt.edu/faculty/affiliated-faculty/karl-f-dean/index.aspx |access-date=September 11, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908115014/http://www.law.vanderbilt.edu/faculty/affiliated-faculty/karl-f-dean/index.aspx |archive-date=September 8, 2008 }}{{cite web|title=Karl Dean – Mayoral Election News Story – WSMV Nashville |url=http://www.wsmv.com/nashvillemayor/13529703/detail.html |access-date=September 11, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015141457/http://www.wsmv.com/nashvillemayor/13529703/detail.html |archive-date=October 15, 2008 }}{{Cite web |title=Karl Foster Dean '78 {{!}} Columbia College Today |url=https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/archive/mar_apr09/alumni_profiles1 |access-date=2022-05-04 |website=www.college.columbia.edu}} His campaign message for Mayor of Nashville focused on improving education, public safety and economic development saying "it's all connected." During Dean's first year in office, he reworked the arrangement between Metro and the Nashville Predators in order to keep the team in Nashville. During Dean's first term, he faced two major challenges: the Great Recession and the 2010 Tennessee floods. During his two terms in office, Dean transformed Downtown Nashville by adding a new minor league baseball stadium, a riverfront amphitheater and park and a new convention center dubbed Music City Center. Dean was friendly towards business and often used tax incentives to lure companies to Nashville. He is also involved in conservationist efforts of historical areas such as Music Row through his involvement with Music Industry Coalition. He helped preserve historic sites such as RCA Studio A.{{Cite news|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2015/03/28/studio-a-nashville-50th/70463174/|title=Studio A Nashville 50th|work=The Tennessean|access-date=2018-04-08|language=en}}

In 2017, Dean declared his candidacy for Governor of Tennessee in the 2018 election. In the first three months of the campaign, Dean raised $1.2 million and spent $200,000; he went on to win the Democratic nomination on August 2, 2018 and advanced to the general election.{{Cite news|url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2017/07/06/karl-dean-report-raising-1-2-m-first-stretch-tennessee-governors-race/452374001/|title=Karl Dean to report raising $1.2M in first stretch of Tennessee governor's race|work=The Tennessean|access-date=2017-08-01|language=en}} Dean lost the election to businessman Bill Lee.{{Cite news|url=https://wreg.com/2018/11/06/ap-lee-wins-tennessee-governor/|title=AP: Bill Lee wins Tennessee governor|date=2018-11-07|work=WREG.com|access-date=2018-11-07|language=en-US}}

Legal opinions as Metro Law Director

In March 2005, Karl Dean wrote that Mayor Bill Purcell could seek a third term, despite a 1994 referendum on "any elected office authorized or created by the [Metro] charter." This was because the 1963 charter states that there is a three-term limit for mayors, the 1994 amendment took place against a backdrop of a push for congressional term limits, and local public discussion focused on the Metro Council.{{cite news|first=Brad|last=Schrade|title=Metro law director says Purcell can seek 3rd term|newspaper=The Tennessean|date=March 11, 2005|url=http://www.tennessean.com/government/archives/05/03/66821219.shtml?Element_ID=66821219}} In January 2003, he said a proposed law to ban job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation was not unconstitutional.{{cite news|first=Anne|last=Paine|title=Metro lawyer says gay rights law meets constitutional test|newspaper=The Tennessean|date=January 31, 2003|url=http://www.tennessean.com/government/archives/03/01/28279835.shtml?Element_ID=28279835}}

When Metro Council members' health-care benefits came under scrutiny in September 2004, because the Metro Charter does not allow pension benefits for Council members, Dean said that a health-care benefit wouldn't legally fall under a pension benefit, and therefore wouldn't be against the Charter.{{cite news|first=Brad|last=Schrade|title=Health-care benefit shift for council questioned|newspaper=The Tennessean|date=September 21, 2004|url=http://www.tennessean.com/government/archives/03/01/28279835.shtml?Element_ID=28279835}}

When asked if an amendment to the Metropolitan Charter requiring raises in the maximum property tax rates approved by the Metro Council to also be approved by Metro voters, Dean believed that a court was likely to find that provision of the Metro Charter invalid. He claimed this is because the Tennessee General Assembly has not authorized the charter of the consolidated government to restrict the authority of a legislative body to levy an ad valorem tax on property.{{cite web|title=2006-03.pdf |url=ftp://ftp.nashville.gov/web/Legal/2006-03.pdf |access-date=September 11, 2007 }}{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Mayor of Nashville

= Elections =

File:Karl Dean 2007.jpg

Dean announced his mayoral candidacy on December 19, 2006. His campaign message focused on improving education, public safety, and economic development saying "it's all connected." The platform for his campaign stated that there are "three pitches you have to hit every day: public education, economic opportunity development and public safety.”{{Cite web |title=The Tennessean Subscription Offers, Specials, and Discounts |url=https://subscribe.tennessean.com/restricted |access-date=2024-02-15 |website=subscribe.tennessean.com}} In the general election on August 2, 2007, he placed first with 24.6% of the vote. This advanced him to a run-off election against Bob Clement.{{cite news|title=ELECTION UPDATE: Dean, Clement match-up set; Gentry & Dozier concede|newspaper=The Nashville City Paper|date=February 23, 2007|url=http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=57169|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120903215944/http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=57169|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 3, 2012}} On September 11, 2007 Dean won the run-off election with 52.2% of the vote.

Dean easily won re-election in August 2011 with 79.2% of the vote.{{cite web|url=http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/metro-election-2011-vote-totals|title=Metro election 2011: Vote totals|website=nashvillecitypaper.com|access-date=18 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303234146/http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/metro-election-2011-vote-totals|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}}

Dean left office on September 25, 2015. He was succeeded by Megan Barry, the first woman to be Mayor of Nashville.

= Education policy =

During Dean's two terms, the budget for Metro Nashville schools increased by $218 million (37 percent) and Nashville schools saw increased graduation rates, reduced dropout rates, and improved test scores.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nashville.gov/News-Media/News-Article/ID/3984/Fact-Sheet-Highlights-of-the-Fiscal-Year-2016-Budget|title=Nashville {{!}} Fact Sheet - Highlights of the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget|last=Nashville|website=www.nashville.gov|language=en-US|access-date=2017-07-17}} He created the Limitless Libraries program, which connects Nashville Public Libraries to Metro Nashville Schools, part of a greater push to enable opportunities for under-served schools in the city.{{Cite web|url=https://www.limitlesslibraries.org/about|title=About {{!}} Limitless Libraries|website=www.limitlesslibraries.org|language=en|access-date=2017-08-02}}

Dean also improved school choice by recruiting charter schools to the city and augmented teaching talent by partnering with Teach for America. As a part of this partnership, summer academies were created.{{Cite web|url=https://nashville.teachforamerica.org/teaching-here|title=Teaching Here|website=Teach for America}}

= Economic development =

Dean's tenure as mayor marked sales taxes revenue increased by over $100 million (36 percent), indicative of the growth of Nashville as a major city.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nashville.gov/News-Media/News-Article/ID/3984/Fact-Sheet-Highlights-of-the-Fiscal-Year-2016-Budget.aspx|title=Nashville {{!}} Fact Sheet - Highlights of the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget|last=Nashville|website=www.nashville.gov|language=en-US|access-date=2017-08-02|archive-date=2017-08-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803021454/http://www.nashville.gov/News-Media/News-Article/ID/3984/Fact-Sheet-Highlights-of-the-Fiscal-Year-2016-Budget.aspx|url-status=dead}} One of the marquee projects of Dean's mayoral career was overseeing the creation of Music City Center, a massive convention center that has generated over $735 million in revenue for the city. Other projects included the construction of Ascend Amphitheater and First Tennessee Park, public venues that bring in millions of dollars of revenue to the city and have been instrumental in the expansion of downtown Nashville. Finally, Dean incentivized businesses to relocate to Nashville, including Bridgestone Americas and HCA.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2015/08/22/karl-dean-legacy-nashville-downtown-changes-leadership-flood/31863187/|title=Karl Dean legacy: Downtown Changes, Leadership Flood|last=Garrison|first=Joey|date=August 22, 2015|website=The Tennessean}}

== Great Recession ==

Dean led Nashville during the Great Recession. At that time, the city experiencing 7 years of GDP growth and an increase of $35 billion (45 percent) in that time.{{Cite journal|date=2017-06-01|title=Total Gross Domestic Product for Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN (MSA)|url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP34980|language=en}} Nashville has had one of the most successful recoveries from the recession. By the end of Dean's mayoral term, Nashville had added the third highest percentage employment since its lowest point in the recession out of all cities in the US, adding over 144,300 jobs (19.3 percent employment growth).{{Cite web|url=http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2015/6/04/which-metro-areas-have-gained-the-most-jobs-since-the-great-recession|title=Which Metro Areas Have Gained the Most Jobs Since the Great Recession?|website=www.pewtrusts.org|date=4 June 2015 |access-date=2017-08-02}}

= Crime and safety =

With public safety as one of Dean's primary campaign promises, Dean increased the size of the Nashville police force by 13.5 percent.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nashville.gov/Portals/0/SiteContent/Finance/docs/OMB/FY16_Budget/Final/FY16OperatingBudget.pdf|title=Nashville > Page Not Found|last=Nashville|website=www.nashville.gov|language=en-US|access-date=2017-08-02|archive-date=2017-02-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218001509/https://nashville.gov/Portals/0/SiteContent/Finance/docs/OMB/FY16_Budget/Final/FY16OperatingBudget.pdf|url-status=dead}} In conjunction with this, Dean opened two new precincts to more equally distribute areas of coverage and started Nashville's first DNA crime lab.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nashville.gov/News-Media/News-Article/ID/2445/Mayor-Opens-Nashvilles-First-FullService-Crime-Laboratory|title=Nashville {{!}} Mayor Opens Nashville's First Full-Service Crime Laboratory|last=Nashville|website=www.nashville.gov|language=en-US|access-date=2017-08-02}} By 2013, Nashville had reached the lowest crime numbers and homicide rate in its history.

= Environment =

Dean's time as mayor was accompanied by increased construction of greenway and bike paths around the city of Nashville. He added over 4,000 acres of park land and created the city's Office of Environment and Sustainability. As a result of his efforts, curbside recycling was expanded around the Metro area and the city moved in a more green direction.

2018 gubernatorial campaign

[[File:2018 Tennessee gubernatorial election results map by county.svg|thumb|350px|alt=Final results by county| Final results by county in 2018:{{collapsible list

| title = {{legend|#E27F7F|Bill Lee}}|{{legend|#C21B18|80–90%}}|{{legend|#D72F30|70–80%}}|{{legend|#D75D5D|60–70%}}|{{legend|#E27F7F|50–60%}}

}}

{{collapsible list

| title = {{legend|#7996e2|Karl Dean}}|||{{legend|#6674de|60–70%}}|{{legend|#7996e2|50–60%}}

}}]]

On February 26, 2017, Dean announced he would run for Governor of Tennessee in the 2018 election as a Democrat.{{cite web|url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2017/02/26/former-nashville-mayor-karl-dean-run-governor-tennessee/98353738/|title=Former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean to run for governor of Tennessee|website=The Tennessean |access-date=18 May 2017}} He cast himself as a pro-business moderate running on a message of education, jobs, and healthcare in Tennessee.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIKVufzaMMarZmjO6eTWo9g|title=Karl Dean for Governor|website=YouTube|language=en|access-date=2019-04-14}}

In the first three months of the campaign, Dean raised $1.2 million and spent $200,000, making him the third most funded candidate for governor behind Republicans Randy Boyd & Bill Lee.

Dean easily won the primary election over long-time state representative Craig Fitzhugh, earning over 75% of the primary vote.

In the general election, Dean was defeated handily by Bill Lee, a native Tennessean who inherited his father's plumbing and contracting business and won victory as a first-time candidate who has never held elective office.

Lee defeated Dean in the November 6 general election, receiving 1,336,106 votes (59.5%) to Dean's 864,863 votes (38.5%).

Personal life

Dean has been married to Anne Davis, a prominent Tennessee lawyer, since August 6, 1983.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/KarlFDean/status/1026638299396534272|title=Happy 35th Anniversary to by beautiful wife Anne. I realized pretty quickly after that first dance that you were someone special. -KD @deltaannedavis|author=Karl Dean|work=Twitter}}{{Cite news|url=https://styleblueprint.com/nashville/everyday/sb-faces-anne-davis-2/|title=FACES of Nashville: Anne Davis|work=StyleBlueprint|access-date=2018-09-16|language=en-US}} Anne Davis is a relative of Joe C. Davis Jr. and Rascoe Davis and is a proprietor of the Joe C. Davis Foundation in Nashville. Both Anne and Karl are Catholic. Dean and his wife have three children, Rascoe, Frances, and Wallen.

Dean was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was raised primarily in Gardner, Massachusetts, and graduated from Gardner High School in 1974.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bu.edu/today/2016/karl-dean-mayor-in-residence/|title = Nashville Mayor Karl Dean Mayor in Residence at Boston University | BU Today}}