Howard Gentry

Howard Gentry is a Democratic politician and attorney serving as the Criminal Court Clerk of Davidson County, Tennessee [1]. He assumed office in 2014, though his tenure in the role began earlier; he was initially appointed to the position in 2011 and was reelected without opposition in 2012 [2]. His current term is scheduled to end on September 1, 2026 [1]. Gentry is running for re-election in the Democratic primary on May 5, 2026 [1].

A Nashville native, Gentry holds a B.S. and M.S. from Tennessee State University [1]. His professional background includes serving as a radio broadcaster and athletic director, as well as Vice President for Community Relations and Development at Tennessee State University [1]. Prior to his election as Criminal Court Clerk, Gentry served in other public offices within Davidson County. He was elected three times to countywide public office, including serving as a Metro Council member-at-large [2]. He also served as the first African American vice mayor of Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County, a position to which he was re-elected in 2003 [2]. In 2007, Gentry ran for Mayor of Nashville but narrowly missed the runoff by less than 300 votes [2].

Gentry has won multiple elections for Criminal Court Clerk. He defeated Steven Murff in the 2018 Democratic primary with 82% of the vote and won the general election later that year [1]. In 2022, he advanced from the Democratic primary and won the general election with 99.4% of the vote [1].

During his administration as Criminal Court Clerk, Gentry’s office instituted an employee policy handbook and redesigned its website to improve public access to criminal records, including case information, dockets, and crime mapping data [2]. The office also established outreach programs for individuals qualifying for expungements and implemented aggressive strategies to collect fines and costs [2].

Gentry has extensive civic engagement history. He is a past chair of the State of Tennessee Prayer Breakfast Committee and a founding chair of the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission and Nashville Poverty Reduction Council [2]. He has served as president of the State of Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and chair of the Boy Scouts of America Nashboro District [2]. His board affiliations include Nashville Public Television, Arts and Business Council, Fisk University, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Operation Andrew, and Key Alliance [2]. He is also a member of the NAACP and United4hope [2].

Gentry’s office is located at the Justice A.A. Birch Building, 408 2nd Avenue N., Suite 2120, Nashville, TN 37201 [3]. His official email is howard.gentry@nashville.gov and his phone number is 615-862-5601 [3].

Sources

• [1] Howard Gentry - Ballotpedia
• [2] Howard Gentry | Criminal Court Clerk of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County
• [3] Howard Gentry | Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts
• [4] Search Case Information
• [5] Public Case Search - Criminal Court Clerk of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County
• [6] Criminal Court Clerk of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County | Criminal Court Clerk of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County
• [7] Howard Gentry - Criminal Court Clerk
• [8] Howard Gentry - Criminal Court Clerk - Nashville.gov
• [9] Staff Directory | Criminal Court Clerk of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County
• [10] Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk - Justice For All TN