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Karl Foster Dean, born on September 20, 1955, is an American politician who served as the 6th Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, from 2007 to 2015. In 2018, he won the Democratic nomination for Tennessee governor in a landslide, campaigning on bringing economic prosperity to rural parts of the state and pushing for Medicaid expansion to try to reopen rural hospitals that had closed. However, he lost the election to businessman Bill Lee. During his time as mayor, Dean was known for his efforts to transform Downtown Nashville, increase sales tax revenue, and attract businesses to the city. So, while there may have been discussions about hospital closures in Tennessee, there is no indication that Karl Dean, the former mayor and gubernatorial candidate, was responsible for shutting down hospitals in the state.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Karl Foster Dean |
| Date of Birth | September 20, 1955 |
| Political Affiliation | Democratic Party |
| Profession | Attorney, Adjunct Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University Law School |
| Political Career | Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee (2007-2015), Nashville's Director of Law (1999-2007), Nashville's Public Defender (1990, 1994, 1998) |
| Campaign Messages/Policies | Improving education, public safety, and economic development, Supporting Medicaid expansion, Legalizing medical marijuana, Opposing arming teachers, Supporting conservationist efforts |
| Achievements as Mayor | Increased sales tax revenue, Development of Music City Center and other public venues, Business incentives and relocation to Nashville, Economic growth during the Great Recession, National recognition for Nashville as a "Boomtown" |
| Gubernatorial Bid | Won the Democratic nomination for Tennessee Governor in 2018 but lost the general election to Bill Lee |
| Personal Life | Married to Anne Davis, a prominent Tennessee lawyer, since 1983. They have three children. |
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What You'll Learn
Karl Dean's stance on Medicaid expansion
Karl Dean, a Democrat, has expressed a desire to expand Medicaid in Tennessee. He has stated that the state's failure to expand Medicaid has resulted in the closure of several rural hospitals and the cutting of in-patient services in many others. He believes that accepting Medicaid funds could have prevented these closures and improved access to healthcare in rural areas.
Dean has cited the success of Medicaid expansion in 32 other states, 17 of which had Republican-controlled legislatures. He has also noted that Republican Vice President Mike Pence, while serving as governor of Indiana, accepted Medicaid expansion funds. Dean argues that Tennessee has forfeited over $4 billion by not expanding Medicaid, and that this could have been used to prevent hospital closures and improve healthcare access.
Dean's stance on Medicaid expansion was a key part of his campaign platform when he ran for governor of Tennessee in 2018. He emphasised the need for Medicaid expansion, along with improving education and job creation, as pressing issues facing the state. He also highlighted his experience as the former mayor of Nashville, where he oversaw economic growth and development in the city.
Dean's opponent in the gubernatorial race, Republican businessman Bill Lee, stood against expanding eligibility for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Lee characterised the current Medicaid program as ""fundamentally flawed" and proposed a 20-year plan to address healthcare instead. He also suggested using telemedicine to increase access in rural areas and improving care coordination between providers in communities without full-service hospitals.
Despite their differing views on Medicaid expansion, both Dean and Lee expressed a desire to improve healthcare access and economic development in rural Tennessee communities. Dean, however, emphasised the role that Medicaid expansion could play in achieving these goals, while Lee proposed alternative approaches that did not involve expanding the program.
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Rural hospitals in Tennessee
Tennessee's former Nashville mayor and Democratic governor nominee, Karl Dean, has been an advocate for expanding Medicaid in the state. He has cited the state's failure to expand Medicaid as a reason for the closure of several rural hospitals and the cutting of in-patient services in many more. However, his opponent, Republican businessman Bill Lee, has opposed expanding eligibility for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Lee has instead proposed developing a 20-year plan to address healthcare and suggested using telemedicine to increase access in rural areas.
During his two terms as mayor of Nashville, Dean focused on improving education, public safety, and economic development. He added a minor league baseball stadium, a riverfront amphitheater, and a new convention centre, dubbed the Music City Centre, which has generated over $735 million in revenue for the city. Dean also incentivized businesses to relocate to Nashville, resulting in increased sales tax revenue of over $100 million.
Dean's campaign for governor of Tennessee centred on bringing economic prosperity to rural parts of the state, which he referred to as "forgotten Tennessee." He aimed to push for Medicaid expansion to help reopen closed rural hospitals and improve school funding and teacher pay. However, Dean lost the gubernatorial election to Bill Lee.
Tennessee's rural health infrastructure includes 65 acute-care small and rural hospitals, 15 of which are certified critical access hospitals (CAHs). The Tennessee Hospital Association (THA) works to improve the accessibility, availability, and affordability of quality healthcare in the state, specifically focusing on rural healthcare resources. THA develops rural programs, initiatives, and support services to enhance the clinical, financial, and operational performance of Tennessee's small and rural hospitals.
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Dean's victory in the Democratic nomination
Karl Foster Dean, born on September 20, 1955, is an American politician who served as the 6th Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, from 2007 to 2015. On February 26, 2017, Dean announced his candidacy for Governor of Tennessee in the 2018 election as a Democrat. In the first three months of his campaign, Dean raised $1.2 million and spent $200,000, making him the third most-funded candidate for governor.
Dean easily defeated Craig Fitzhugh in the Tennessee Democratic gubernatorial primary, winning 89 of 95 counties, including over 87% of the vote from his home county of Davidson County. He also won Shelby County, the state's other biggest Democratic stronghold. Dean's victory was the result of a year-long primary fight, during which he was a heavy favourite with a significant fundraising advantage. He ran as a "pragmatic, commonsense, get-it-done" Democrat, focusing on a message of education, jobs, and healthcare in Tennessee.
During his victory speech, Dean applauded Fitzhugh for running a "very spirited campaign" and emphasised the positive message of his own campaign. Dean's campaign platform included pushing for Medicaid expansion to reopen rural hospitals that had closed, better school funding, teacher pay, and pre-K expansion. However, winning in politically red Tennessee was a challenge, with Republicans attempting to paint him as a liberal.
Dean's tenure as mayor of Nashville was marked by significant achievements, including increased sales tax revenue, the creation of the Music City Center convention centre, and the construction of public venues such as Ascend Amphitheater and First Tennessee Park. He also incentivised businesses to relocate to Nashville and successfully led the city through the Great Recession, with Nashville experiencing GDP growth and a successful recovery.
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Dean's mayoral career
Karl Foster Dean, born on September 20, 1955, is an American politician who served as the 6th Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, from 2007 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, Dean previously served as Nashville's Director of Law under Mayor Bill Purcell from 1999 to 2007. Before that, in 1990, 1994, and 1998, he was elected the city's public defender.
Dean's campaign message for Mayor of Nashville focused on improving education, public safety, and economic development, with the slogan "it's all connected". During his first year in office, he reworked the arrangement between Metro and the Nashville Predators to keep the team in Nashville. Dean's tenure as mayor saw significant increases in sales tax revenue, with Nashville experiencing substantial growth as a major city.
One of the most notable projects of Dean's mayoral career was the creation of the Music City Center, a large convention center that has generated substantial revenue for the city. Additionally, he oversaw the construction of the Ascend Amphitheater and First Tennessee Park, public venues that have contributed significantly to the expansion of downtown Nashville. Dean also incentivized businesses to relocate to Nashville, including major companies like Bridgestone Americas and HCA.
During his time as mayor, Dean demonstrated a commitment to public safety, increasing the size of the Nashville police force and opening two new precincts. Nashville achieved its lowest crime numbers and homicide rate in history by 2013. Dean also focused on sustainability and environmental initiatives, expanding greenway and bike paths, adding park land, and establishing the Office of Environment and Sustainability.
In terms of education, Dean's administration increased the budget for Metro Nashville schools by $218 million, leading to improved graduation rates, reduced dropout rates, and better test scores. Dean's tenure also coincided with Nashville's successful recovery from the Great Recession, with the city experiencing consistent GDP growth and a significant increase in employment.
Overall, Karl Dean's mayoral career was marked by a focus on economic development, public safety, and education, leaving a lasting impact on Nashville's growth and transformation.
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Tennessee's 2018 gubernatorial election
The 2018 Tennessee gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, alongside other state and local elections. The primaries took place on August 2, 2018, with Republican Bill Lee and Democrat Karl Dean winning their respective party nominations.
Karl Dean, the Democratic former Nashville mayor, campaigned on bringing economic prosperity to rural parts of the state, which he called "forgotten Tennessee". He supported Medicaid expansion to try to reopen rural hospitals that had closed and better school funding. Dean also touted his socially progressive record as mayor, including his support for a nondiscrimination policy for gay, lesbian, and transgender employees of city contractors, and his opposition to a state bill allowing guns in parks.
However, Dean's progressive record also opened him up to attacks from Republicans, who painted him as a liberal. Ultimately, Dean lost the election to businessman Bill Lee, who was elected with 59.6% of the vote. This marked the third consecutive Republican gubernatorial win in Tennessee, and the closest win for a Republican since 1994.
This election also had the largest number of candidates (28) in a statewide election in US history, largely due to the Libertarian Party of Tennessee's protest of the state's party affiliation and ballot access laws.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Karl Dean did not close down Tennessee hospitals. In fact, as the former Nashville mayor, he pushed for Medicaid expansion to reopen rural hospitals that had closed.
Karl Dean believes that Tennessee must expand Medicaid. He has cited the state's failure to do so as a reason for several rural hospitals closing. He believes that Medicaid expansion is one of the most pressing issues facing Tennessee, along with improving education and job creation.
Karl Dean is a member of the Democratic Party. He has described himself as a "moderate Democrat" and has presented himself as less partisan than other people in public life.
