Nashville election results: Angie Henderson to be vice mayor as incumbent Jim Shulman concedes

District 34 Metro Council member Angie Henderson is poised to become Nashville's next vice mayor.

Henderson earned 51.7% of the vote with 100% of precincts reporting. Incumbent Jim Shulman, earning 47.4% of the vote, conceded the election to Henderson at 9:26 p.m.

"I am grateful to have been elected to serve as Nashville's next vice mayor," Henderson wrote in a statement posted to social media. "Tonight's win is about the future of our city. Nashville voters decided that they want to follow a new and better path, a more productive path. I look forward to the work ahead and to supporting the Metro Council in our service to the city. I am optimistic that our city will soon be back on track and moving towards a brighter future for us all."

Shulman congratulated Henderson on her win in a text to The Tennessean.

"I want to congratulate Councilmember Henderson on her win tonight. Nashville wanted a change. I wish her all the best," Shulman said.

The vice mayor serves as the presiding officer of the 40-member Metro Council. The vice mayor leads council meetings and assigns members to committees, but does not vote except for in the case of a tie.

Election results: See vote counts for mayor, vice mayor and council races

And while the vice mayor and mayor are elected separately, the vice mayor is the first in line to take over if the mayor leaves office.

With no mayoral candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote, Nashville's next mayor will be decided in a Sept. 14 runoff election between Freddie O'Connell and Alice Rolli.

Henderson since 2015 has represented District 34 in the Metro Council, which sits at the southern edge of Davidson County and includes Forest Hills and Green Hills. Henderson's professional background is in fundraising, and she has worked as a stewardship writer at Dartmouth College and the director of foundation relations at Belmont University.

Henderson told The Tennessean she chose to run for vice mayor because she felt the Metro Council needed new leadership as the issues Nashville faces become increasingly complex. She criticized Shulman's policy record and said he "does not seem particularly interested in supporting productive policy or oversight work."

Henderson said her top priority is restoring confidence in local government.

Shulman, the incumbent, served as vice mayor since 2018, winning the seat in a special election after then-Vice Mayor David Briley took the city's reins after Mayor Megan Barry resigned.

He served as District 25 council member from 1999 to 2007 and was elected to an at-large seat in 2015.

Professionally, Shulman formerly served as the executive director of the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability and CEO of Safe Haven Family Shelter. Starting in the fall, he will be an assistant professor of political science at Cumberland University.

Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanMealins.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville vice mayor election: Angie Henderson wins, Jim Shulman concedes