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Lonnell Matthews
Office history
Current office and 2026 campaign
Lonnell Matthews Jr. is the Davidson County Juvenile Court Clerk 1, an office he has held since 2018 7. He won re-election in the August 4, 2022 general election 3, and ran unopposed for another term in the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary 2. In early 2026 he was named co-chair of a new Community Safety Task Force bringing together civic leaders from across Nashville 8.
Background and education
Matthews is a Nashville native who grew up in the Bordeaux neighborhood of North Nashville 45. He graduated from Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School and attended Tennessee State University, where he studied accounting and business law 45.
Career
Before entering elected office, Matthews spent roughly 14 to 15 years at the YMCA of Middle Tennessee (sources vary on the exact start year, with one placing it at 2001), leading youth-development programs and eventually rising to district executive director of youth outreach 4567. After his council service, he served in Mayor Megan Barry's administration as director of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods and Community Engagement, and later as the mayor's senior advisor on public safety and criminal justice policy 56. He has also co-chaired the My Brother's Keeper Nashville steering committee 7; his advocacy for youth and public-safety programs is rooted in the 2006 killing of his younger brother 478.
Office history
Matthews represented District 1 on the Metro Nashville Council from 2007 to 2015. Elected at age 27 in 2007, he was described as the youngest African American ever elected to the council, and won re-election in 2011 45. During his tenure he served as Speaker Pro Tempore and president of the council's Black Caucus, and chaired the Budget & Finance, Education, and Parks & Recreation committees 45. He was first elected Juvenile Court Clerk in 2018 7, re-elected in 2022 3, and ran unopposed for a third term in the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary 2.
Family
Matthews has been married to his wife, Johari, since 2012; the couple have two children, a son, Ari, and a daughter, Pilar 7.
Sources
Public filings
Candidates and officeholders are required by law to file campaign finance reports and statements of economic interest. The sites below don't support direct links to an individual record — search by last name on each.
Tennessee — campaign finance (search)
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State offices (Governor, TN Senate, TN House, State Executive Committee, statewide judiciary) —
Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.
Click Search for Candidates and PACs, enter last name “Matthews”, and submit.
US House, US Senate, and Presidential candidates file with the FEC — see the federal section below. - County and municipal offices (County Mayor, Commissioner, Sheriff, School Board, court clerks, municipal alderman, etc.) — most major TN counties use the EasyVote portal. Select the relevant county and search by candidate name (“Matthews”).
Tennessee — statement of interest
- Required for state and local officials and candidates — Tennessee Ethics Commission Conflict of Interest Search. Enter last name “Matthews”and, if needed, select the applicable position.