Election Day: Ken Moore wins re-election as Franklin mayor
Ken Moore defeated Alderman Gabrielle Hanson 12,822-3,322 with all voting centers reporting.
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WSMV) – Incumbent Mayor Ken Moore had a landslide win over Alderman Gabrielle Hanson in the Franklin municipal election on Tuesday.
Moore captured 12,822 votes in early and election day voting while Hanson tallied 3,322.
“This is a great victory for Franklin, Tennessee. The people of Franklin have spoken and said we’re not going to put up with the divisiveness, hate, and anger that we’ve seen during this election,” Moore said.
WSMV went to Hanson’s campaign party but we were not allowed in.
In the alderman races, Clyde Barnhill (unopposed for Position A), Brandy B. Blanton (Position B), Greg Caesar (Position C) and Ann Petersen (Position D) also won by large margins.
People across the country are watching what happens as the city’s controversial race for mayor is decided.
Unofficial results (8 of 8 vote centers reporting)
| Mayor | Gabrielle Hanson | 3,322 |
| Ken Moore | 12,822 | |
| Alderman At Large Position A | Clyde Barnhill | 11,837 |
| Alderman At Large Position B | Brandy B. Blanton | 10,946 |
| Gary Moore | 4,666 | |
| Alderman At Large Position C | Greg Caesar | 10,336 |
| Patrick George | 4,249 | |
| BK Muvvala | 825 | |
| Alderman At Large Position D | Jeff Feldman | 4,243 |
| Ann Petersen | 10,961 |
Reported previously
Incumbent Ken Moore will face off against Franklin Alderman Gabrielle Hanson for a spot as the city’s mayor. Hanson has been embroiled in controversy since she announced her run for Franklin mayor, including refusing to denounce alleged white supremacists.
In October, neo-Nazis attended a candidate forum in support of Hanson, raising eyebrows from fellow aldermen and city residents.
Five Franklin aldermen later spoke out about Hanson and one called on her to be censured after she told them she does not discriminate against anyone who supports her.
Hanson claimed the group was there to fend off Antifa, a left-wing antifascist group dubbed as domestic terrorists by former president Donald Trump.
“I’m literally not going to denounce whatever it is that they want to be, whether I agree with what they do in their personal life or not,” Hanson said, adding she knew the hate group was going to come to the forum but advised them not to “make a scene.”
“If they want to support you and your re-election, and they want to support me, that is their right. We don’t discriminate in this community against anyone. Never did they lay a hand on anyone, and they were very respectful while they were here.”
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Garnering the support of self-proclaimed neo-Nazis is the latest incident causing controversy around the mayoral candidate. Hanson previously claimed on a local podcast that the Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale was involved in a love triangle with school staff, a claim that angered grieving parents of slain children. Many called for her to resign, but an ethics board dismissed the parents’ complaints.
A Franklin ethics board did determine Hanson violated the city’s ethics code by criticizing the Nashville International Airport for supporting the Franklin Justice and Equity Coalition, a community advocacy group, and its Juneteenth Festival. The board also found Hanson used her position as an alderman to get gifts and privileges. She was recently featured and mocked on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on HBO.
Moore has served as Franklin’s mayor for more than a decade. Before that, he served as an at-large member of the city’s Board of Mayor and Alderman. Four at-large alderman seats are also on the ballot.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m.
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