Media
Businessman Joins 7th Congressional District Primary
Tennessee Bar Association Law Blog | Azya Thornton
August 11, 2025
“Nashville businessman Darden Copeland has announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the upcoming Congressional District 7 primary, the Tennessee Lookout reports. Copeland, founder of Calvert Street Group, a Nashville public affairs firm specializing in referendums and land use campaigns, filed his campaign committee statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission on July 24. His announcement comes after weeks of speculation and adds to a growing field of candidates vying to replace U.S. Rep. Mark Green, who resigned from Congress on July 20. The primary election is set for Oct. 7, with the general election scheduled for Dec. 2.”
Nashville businessman Darden Copeland enters Democratic primary in Congressional District 7
Tennessee Lookout | J. Holly McCall
August 8, 2025
Nashville businessman Darden Copeland announced his bid for the Democratic nomination in the upcoming Congressional District 7 primary.
“‘Politicians are more interested in fighting each other than fighting for their constituents. This district has been taken for granted by politicians more interested in scoring points than solving problems,’ Darden said. ‘Tennessee’s working families are being squeezed by rising costs and health care that is out of reach. I’m running to change that.’
Copeland founded Calvert Street Group, a Nashville public affairs firm. The group primarily operates referendums and land use campaigns. A native of Virginia, he has worked on the campaigns of Democrats including former U.S. Sen.Tim Kaine of Virginia, former Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, and former Vice-President Al Gore.
Copeland has been expected to announce his candidacy for the last few weeks, and he filed his campaign committee statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission on July 24.
He joins state Reps. Aftyn Behn, Rep. Vincent Dixie and Rep. Bo Mitchell in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Mark Green, who recently retired.
On the Republican side, 18 candidates will vie for the GOP nomination, including state Reps. Jody Barrett, Lee Reeves and Gino Bulso, former Rep. Brandon Ogles and former Commissioner of General Services Matt Van Epps.
The primary election is scheduled for Oct. 7 and the general election for Dec. 2. For election details and voter registration deadlines, go to the Tennessee Secretary of State.”
Photo by Hamilton Matthew Masters
Williamson Scene | Sydney Carroll
July 20, 2025
“Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Franklin’s Bicentennial Park on Saturday for the ‘Good Trouble Marches On’ rally hosted by the Williamson County Democratic Party (WCDP) and Indivisible TN District Seven. The march was held in conjunction with more than a thousand other similar events across the country, the title commemorating civil rights movement leader Rep. John Lewis’ iconic call to create ‘good trouble, necessary trouble.’”
The many lives of Darden Copeland, the man behind the fairgrounds fixation
Nashville Scene | Stephen George
March 31, 2011
“Standing six feet and change, with a frat-boy flop of brown hair, Darden Copeland tried to calm the crowd assembled on the mezzanine outside Metro Council chambers. It was a cold January night, but all anyone felt was heat.
It was only a few hours into one of the longest and most roundly attended council meetings in Nashville history, and some 700 people in total had stood ready to speak their piece about the future of the 117-acre fairgrounds. Now it looked like that wasn't going to happen, even though they'd been promised — or at least led to believe along the way — that every single one of their voices needed to be heard.
And the people — boy, they were riled. Many wore the red T-shirts that highlighted the "Save My Fairgrounds" movement amid the crush of people (estimated in hindsight around 3,000) at the Courthouse that Tuesday night, Jan. 18. Many had taken up the Tennessee State Fairgrounds property, right or wrong, as their own hometown Alamo. Try telling the defenders of the Alamo to stand down.”