Martesha Johnson
Democratic · TN · Metropolitan Chief Public Defender, Nashville and Davidson County
Martesha Johnson Moore is the incumbent Metropolitan Chief Public Defender and the Democratic nominee for another term. She was first sworn into the elected office in 2018 after a career in public defense and won the May 2026 county primary without named opposition.
Where Martesha Johnson stands, based on their records
Supports
Public Safety and Crime Control (1 record), Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties (1 record)
Track record
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 1 support
Johnson helped initiate and served in Davidson County's Task Force on Competency and Wellbeing, whose recommendations supported a $600,000 investment connecting people charged with low-level offenses to mental-health services.
April 14, 2022Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: nashville.gov
Track record — Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties · 1 support
Chief Public Defender Martesha Johnson filed an emergency petition seeking the release of people charged with nonviolent offenses from Nashville jails during the COVID-19 outbreak.
April 3, 2020Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: publicdefender.nashville.gov
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 1 favorable
Johnson issued the Public Defender Office's formal response to a Metro audit and committed the office to workload-monitoring policies, capacity action plans, resource requests, and advocacy for fewer appointments when capacity is reached.
September 13, 2021Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: nashville.gov
Past race Martesha Johnson ran in:
- Public Defender, 20th Judicial District · August 6, 2026 · Davidson County, Tennessee · incumbent