CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Former City Council member, veteran and local pastor David Allen has announced he will run for mayor of Clarksville in the November city election.

He’s running on an infrastructure-focused campaign, he said.

“Our infrastructures not been able to keep up,” Allen told Clarksville Now. “I certainly feel that infrastructure in my administration would be No. 1. We’ve got to build roads. The 2020 plan (Transportation 2020+) is a good plan, but it’s like a Band-Aid. We need more.”

He said in a news release that he plans to also “construct, build and strengthen dwellings in strategic locations; improve the city’s safety, cleanliness and health; and increase economic opportunity via creating employment, increasing wages and expanding the economic horizon.”

About David Allen

Born and raised in Clarksville, Allen is an Air Force veteran and served in Operation Desert Storm, according to his announcement. He earned a bachelor’s degree from American Baptist College and a master’s and doctorate in theology from Slidell Seminary. He has served as senior pastor of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church for over 20 years.

For three terms, from 2008 to 2020, Allen served as the city councilman for Ward 8, which covers the Needmore Road and Hazelwood area of northeast Clarksville. He served as mayor pro tem from 2018 to 2020. He stepped down in 2020 due to term limits, and his wife, Wanda Allen, won election to replace him.

Allen is a graduate of Leadership Clarksville and Citizen’s Police Academy. He has served as an executive board member of the Clarksville Department of Electricity and as a board member of the Community Investment Revolving Fund (an extension of the Downtown District Partnership).

Together the Allens have five children: Tatyana, Ladaeja, Daelyn, Caniyah, and Jeremiah and a grandson, Robert.

About the election

Allen will face Mayor Joe Pitts, who announced in February his plan to run for re-election.

More mayoral candidates could be coming: Potential candidates can pick up papers starting June 20 and have until Aug. 18 to qualify.

The city election will be Nov. 8, with early voting from Oct. 19 to Nov. 3.

Local races for mayor and City Council will be on the ballot, along with Tennessee governor, Congress, state House and state Senate races.

Casey Williams contributed to this report.