CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – District Attorney Robert Nash narrowly beat Assistant City Attorney Neil Stauffer to keep his position Tuesday night in the decisive local Republican Primary.
With 5,571 votes to Stauffer’s 5,440, Nash won the district by only 131 votes. Nash’s margin was higher in Montgomery County, where he won by 344 votes. Stauffer actually won Robertson County by 213 votes.
But a win is a win.
“There’s so many people to thank,” Nash told Clarksville Now. “I just talked to Congressman Mark Green who’s allowed me to plaster his face all over Clarksville and Robertson County. I had some very important people in this country support me, this state, this city, and the dearest of friends I have support me. I walk a different walk than some people.”
He also thanked his wife, law partners and old friends.
“They’ve had no hesitation in supporting me in whatever crazy idea I’ve had, and they’ve been there,” Nash said. “Everybody knows what my philosophy on this job is. I’m not going to let people harm our citizens without dealing with this District Attorney’s Office first. We need to have public safety, there needs to be penalties we pay for certain things to be safe.
“I will do what I can to make Montgomery and Robertson County as safe as possible, so thank you to everybody.”
It was a three-way race between incumbent Nash, Stauffer and 23rd District Assistant DA Steve Powers for the Republican nomination to replace DA John Carney Jr., who retired last year.
“We weren’t successful, but I tell you what, we left it on the field. We gave it our all,” Stauffer told Clarksville Now.
There are no opponents in August, so Nash will remain the DA.
MORE: Election results: Here are final totals for Montgomery County mayor, district attorney, judge races
About the candidates
Nash, previously an Assistant DA, was appointed by Gov. Bill Lee to replace Carney. Nash earned a J.D. at Nashville School of Law and holds bachelor’s degrees from Austin Peay State University and Saint Leo University. He began his legal career as an associate attorney with the Clarksville firm of Sharon Massey-Grimes and Carrie Gasaway. He was recruited by Carney to join the DA’s Office in 2007.
Powers, a Clarksville native, serves as Assistant DA in the 23rd Judicial District (Cheatham, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart Counties). After getting a bachelor’s degree in business from Austin Peay State University and his law degree from the Nashville School of Law, he opened a private law practice in Ashland City and worked as an Assistant Public Defender. He accepted the position of Assistant DA in 2006.
Stauffer is the Assistant City Attorney for the City of Clarksville. He earned his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his J.D. from the Regent University School of Law. Stauffer served eight years in the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps and is a major in the Reserves. Stauffer served as Assistant General Counsel with the Tennessee Department of Health before joining the city.
Casey Williams and Chris Smith contributed to this report.