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Demetrus Coonrod

born 1974-12-30 (Age 51)
Demetrus Coonrod
Candidate for TN State House District 28 Hamilton, TN 2026-11-03
Candidate for TN State House District 28 Hamilton, TN 2026-08-06

Demetrus Coonrod is an independent candidate running for election to the Tennessee House of Representatives to represent District 28 in Hamilton County [1]. She is on the ballot in the general election scheduled for November 3, 2026 [1].

Coonrod previously served two terms as a member of the Chattanooga City Council, representing District 9. She was first elected to this seat on April 11, 2017, defeating incumbent Yusuf Hakeem [5]. She was sworn in for her second term on April 19, 2021 [5]. During her tenure, she served as chairwoman of the Council's Economic Development and Human Resources Committees [17]. Her time in office was marked by advocacy for underserved communities, criminal justice reform, and affordable housing [5].

Coonrod’s path to public office included significant personal challenges. She previously served an 84-month federal prison sentence for conspiracy to commit armed robbery, a conviction she attributes to lending her car to a friend who used it in a crime [5]. Following her release and a period of homelessness, she became a franchise owner for JanPro cleaning services and served as vice chair of the Hamilton County Democratic Party [5]. In 2022, she completed a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in criminal justice from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga [5]. She also published a memoir titled "Prison To Purpose: A Past That Shaped My Future" in 2021 [5].

During her time on City Council, Coonrod faced a challenge to her residency qualifications after it was revealed she owned a property on Heritage Drive in Harrison, Tennessee, which is outside Chattanooga city limits. A Hamilton County Circuit Court judge dismissed the challenge, ruling that she remained a resident of her district [4].

In 2024, Coonrod launched a campaign for the Tennessee House District 28 seat, challenging incumbent Democratic Representative Yusuf Hakeem [17]. She officially declared her candidacy in November 2023 and held a campaign kickoff event in February 2024 [19]. Her platform focused on education, criminal justice reform, healthcare accessibility, and reproductive rights [19]. Coonrod lost the Democratic primary election to Hakeem on August 1, 2024, receiving 36.7% of the vote [1].

After her loss in the state house primary, Coonrod announced she would not seek re-election to Chattanooga City Council District 9 in 2025 [11]. She left office on April 8, 2025 [5]. For the 2026 election cycle, she is running as an independent against fellow independent candidate Johnny Horne for the same state house district [1].

Sources

Public filings

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Tennessee — campaign finance

Tennessee — statement of interest

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