Washington Co. Dems chair takes early start to JC commission campaign

With more than three months to go until he can start petitioning to run in the general election, an active and locally known Democrat has officially launched his campaign for Johnson City commissioner. Sylvain Bruni held a campaign kickoff Thursday night at The Down Home in downtown Johnson City where he introduced his vision for the city government. At least 50 people came out to learn more about Bruni's base, which was accompanied by Johnson City-themed bingo and live music. Ahead of the launch party, Bruni explained why he's starting his campaign so early. "Starting early is basically to assert myself as a valuable candidate to Johnson City," Bruni said. With costs of living continuing to rise, Bruni said affordability is the main focus of his campaign. "Affordability really is the foundation for healthy communities. It's not a luxury, it is a necessity and we need to focus on that," Bruni said. "And I think the eyes of the commission have been off the ball in that respect … the price is really not right." Bruni is going after one of the two city commission seats up for election this year — one held by Vice Mayor Jenny Brock and the other held by Commissioner Whitney Goetz. Brock has previously said she will not seek reelection. Goetz said in a statement to the Johnson City Press Thursday that she does plan to run to keep her commission seat. "It is the honor of a lifetime to serve Johnson City, and I look forward to sharing more in the future about my perspective and continued work to make our community the best place to live, work and raise a family," Goetz said in the statement. Brock did not respond to a statement request by press time regarding her decision to not run again. The two commission seats will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Prospective candidates can pick up petitions to run in the election as soon as June 22 and to qualify, must complete and file petitions by Aug. 20. Bruni currently serves as chairman of the Washington County Democratic Party and in 2024, ran for a seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives. He's also frequent attendee of Washington County and Johnson City commission meetings. Most recently, Bruni has served on a committee to provide community input on a city-wide noise and vibration study that will assess the impacts data centers could have on residents' quality of life. As the leader of a local coalition against data center bitcoin mining in Johnson City, Bruni has heavily advocated for a data center impact study.