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Nashville’s mayoral race: Who’s in? Who’s out?

Edited by Cindy AbramsWPLN
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The number of people throwing their hats in the ring for Nashville mayor has skyrocketed since current Mayor John Cooper announced he’s not running for re-election.

Mayor Cooper was elected in 2019. By the time he announced on Jan. 31 that he would not seek a second term, three candidates had already unveiled their campaigns. Since then, the list only continues to grow.

Candidates won’t face off in a debate until May 18 — which is also the qualifying deadline to declare a campaign. The election is set to take place on Aug. 3.

Who has announced their campaigns?

Sharon Hurt

Courtesy Sharon Hurt campaign

Sharon Hurt

At-large Councilmember Sharon Hurt has served on the Metro Council since 2015. She worked with nonprofit Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnerships for 23 years, stepping down from her role as president and CEO in 2021.

In a statement on her campaign website, Hurt says she will work to “restore hope and prosperity on every forgotten block of our city.”

Courtesy Freddie O'Connell

Freddie O’Connell

Freddie O’Connell

Metro Councilmember and software architect Freddie O’Connell was the first candidate to announce an intention to run.

O’Connell has represented District 19 — made up of downtown, Germantown and Music Row, the council’s most populous district — since 2015. Before that, O’Connell chaired Metro Transit Authority’s board for three years, led the Salemtown Neighbors Neighborhood Association for five years, and served on various other boards and committees.

O’Connell says his focus is on “improving residents’ day-to-day lives” by focusing on city infrastructure and implementing an efficient transit system “that people can use to bring down their cost of living.”

Matt Wiltshire

Courtesy Matt Wiltshire

Matt Wiltshire

The economic development and former affordable housing veteran launched his campaign in July 2022. He previously worked for the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, where he worked to implement a 10-year, $750 million affordable housing plan.

Wiltshire’s campaign prioritizes public infrastructure and finding funding for affordable housing and education.

In the first reports for campaign funding, Wiltshire demonstrated an early lead with over $1 million in funds.  

Courtesy Jim for Nashville Facebook

Jim Gingrich

Jim Gingrich

The former Chief Operating Officer of Wall Street firm AllianceBernstein retired from his post in 2020. Gingrich, who is not originally from Tennessee, was part of the team who worked to move the asset management company’s headquarters to Nashville in 2018. His campaign cites the $165 million investment and subsequent jobs created.

The business executive’s campaign notes that he is “not a career politician.” He says he hopes to address issues like “chaotic and unrestrained growth,” a lack of affordable housing, crime and gridlocked traffic.

Courtesy Natisha Brooks

Natisha Brooks

Natisha Brooks

Brooks, who entered the race in February, is a self-described “Christian conservative constitutionalist.”

She formerly operated a home school academy, as well as ran for congressional seats in Republican primaries in 2020 and 2022.

Brooks’ campaign identified some of her top priorities as parental choice in education, improving assistance for adoptive and foster families, increasing police and addressing gentrification.

Courtesy Fran Bush campaign

Fran Bush

Fran Bush 

In a video posted to her Facebook page in mid-February, the former Metro Nashville Public Schools school board member announced her campaign for mayor. In the video, she said her work involved supporting students academically and fighting for pay raises.

Bush served four years on MNPS’s school board, before losing her District 6 seat last August. Her loss came after she publicly opposed school closures during COVID-19.

She described her campaign priorities as “neighborhoods, affordable housing, homelessness, crime prevention and safety, education and infrastructure.”

Courtesy Jeff Yarbro campaign

Jeff Yarbro

Jeff Yarbro

Democratic state senator has served in the Senate, representing Nashville, since 2014. He spent four years as the Senate minority leader and was reelected to his District 21 seat last year for another four-year term. Yarbro also works as an attorney at Bass, Berry & Sims law firm.

Yarbro cites his work building “broad coalitions” to pass more than 75 pieces of legislation to “improve people’s lives.” His campaign says he seeks to continue this work, focusing on affordable housing, childcare, resources for homeless youth and prohibiting wage discrimination against those with disabilities.

Courtesy Alice Rolli Twitter

Alice Rolli

Alice Rolli

The Republican strategist is the latest addition to the field, announcing that she filed campaign paperwork on Feb. 23.

Rolli served as campaign manager for Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander during his 2014 reelection bid. She also worked in the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development during Gov. Bill Haslam’s term.

A statement issued by her campaign treasurer says that she will value the “quality of life for all who are committed to make our city their home” over the quantity of people or companies who “pay to come here.”

Courtesy Senator Heidi Campbell Facebook

Heidi Campbell

Heidi Campbell

In the wake of the Covenant School shooting, Democratic state Sen. Heidi Campbell launched her mayoral campaign, citing the tragedy as her reason for stepping up.

Campbell currently represents Tennessee’s 20th district. Earlier this year, she ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in the race for Tennessee’s recently redistricted 5th congressional district. She eventually lost to Republican opponent Andy Ogles.

Campbell, a music marketing director, previously served as the mayor of Oak Hill, a small town in Davidson County that maintains its own municipal government.

In her launch speech, Campbell said that “Nashville is in the midst of a hostile takeover.”

“As a state senator, I’ve been standing up for our city every day, and I have a deep understanding of the issues between our local and state government,” she said. “We need someone who has the experience and relationships to start with a clean slate and get results.”

Courtesy Bernie Cox campaign

Bernie Cox

Bernie Cox

Bernie Cox, a former candidate in the Nashville’s 2019 mayoral race, has launched another campaign for this year’s election.

Cox’s campaign emphasizes his role as a “non-politician.” He cites his background as a business owner, entrepreneur and “private citizen” as bringing him closer to “reality with the citizens of Nashville in what we see as real problems.”

Cox’s policy priorities are outlined as supporting law enforcement, maintaining Nashville’s historical architecture amidst city development and managing growth and traffic congestion.

Courtesy Stephanie Johnson campaign

Stephanie Johnson

Stephanie Johnson

Stephanie Johnson secured the last of her required signatures in early April. Johnson, the creative director of a skincare company, has also served in the Americorps Vista program and on the Nashville Mayor’s Youth Summit Council.

In 2019, Johnson ran for the District 7 Metro Council seat, losing to Emily Benedict.

On her campaign website, Johnson identifies her key priorities as better securing Metro Schools the resources they need, implementing an “unhousing housing” plan to provide affordable housing, implementing safety measures across Nashville and improving city infrastructure.

Courtesy Gilbert Ramirez campaign

Gilbert Ramirez

Gilbert Ramirez

Gilbert Ramirez, a former MNPD officer, business owner, and president of the Filipino American Association of Tennessee, says he wants to act as an advocate for Nashville’s residents.

Ramirez was decommissioned by the MNPD in 2019 following an internal investigation into his alleged promotion of an Antioch food and game business that was managed by his partner. He denied the policy violation. In a press release related to the investigation, the department outed his sexuality without his permission.

His campaign describes his priorities as infrastructure and transportation, maintaining current property taxes, education and improving reading comprehension, affordable housing and public safety.

Courtesy Zerit Teklay campaign

Zerit Teklay

Zerit Teklay

Zerit Teklay, who also uses the name “Dr. Wisdom,” hopes to serve as the first immigrant mayor of Nashville.

His campaign website also lists his desire to run in the U.S. presidential election in 2024 and for president of Eritrea.

His campaign says he is running because “he wants to be the change Nashvillians need.”

Courtesy Metro Nashville Government

Vivian Wilhoite

Vivian Wilhoite

Davidson County Property Assessor Vivian Wilhoite filed paperwork in early April to appoint a campaign treasurer for her mayoral campaign, though Wilhoite has yet to make a formal announcement.

Wilhoite formerly served on the Metro Council from 2003 until 2011, representing District 29.

In 2016, she defeated the incumbent in the Davidson County Property Assessor Race. She won re-election to the role in 2020.

Lorenzo Short Jr.

Lorenzo Short Jr. has filed his petition to run for mayor, though he has yet to launch a formal campaign.

Who’s out?

Some who were considered potential candidates — initially demonstrating openness toward campaigns — have officially withdrawn interest.

State Rep. Bob Freeman, whose father owns the Nashville Scene, told the outlet that “the timing isn’t right,” while former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry elected to instead focus on her upcoming memoir. Barry resigned as mayor in 2018 after pleading guilty to felony theft.

This story was last updated on April 18.

Cynthia Abrams

Cindy Abrams is WPLN’s metro reporter. She grew up in Eugene and Portland, Oregon and moved east after graduating from Whitman College. Cindy comes to Nashville from central Virginia, where she covered the courts at Rappahannock News. She was WPLN’s digital news intern in 2021 before joining the station full-time as a newscast and digital producer last year. She started covering the Metro government in the fall of 2023.

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