Metro Councilmember Joy Styles announces 2027 bid for mayor

Nashville’s next mayoral election isn’t until 2027, but a field is beginning to form.

On Tuesday, at the Southeast Community Center in Antioch, District 32 Metro Councilmember Joy Styles announced her bid for the city’s top role.

Styles cited a litany of complaints against Nashville’s current mayor, Freddie O’Connell, as the motivation for her campaign.

“I did not endorse this mayor,” Styles said. “I didn’t encourage anyone to vote for him because I had the sense that this is what we would get with his leadership. I then watched in succession, starting from November of 2023, bad decisions being made.”

Her frustrations ranged from O’Connell’s handling of the Boring Company tunnel, to an “overemphasis on his pet project for transit and the East Bank,” to the handling of HR allegations inside Metro’s Department of Emergency Communications.

Over the last year, Styles had repeatedly urged O’Connell to take a close look at DEC’s director, Steve Martini. After an outside investigation, O’Connell asked Martini to resign. Martini refused, and has since by placed on administrative leave.

Styles is in her second term representing the Antioch area, and has pushed for investment in the area, including at the Global Mall site (the location of her announcement).

Over her last term, Styles has also been a central voice in the debate over the management at Metro Arts, repeatedly calling for a higher budget for the office. During the arts funding controversy, she unsuccessfully sought votes of “no confidence” for then-Metro Finance Director Kevin Crumbo and Metro Law Director Wally Dietz. Styles herself was found by a Metro Human Resources report to have exhibited “inappropriate” behavior toward two Metro Arts employees, the Nashville Banner reported.

Styles has also faced two ethics hearings during her current term, but was cleared of violating any of Metro’s ethical standards in both matters.

Mayor Freddie O’Connell hasn’t officially announced his bid for a second term, but, earlier this month, told WPLN’s daily show This Is Nashville that he intends to run.