O’Connell vs. Rolli: Nashville’s next mayor will be decided in a runoff

Nashville’s mayoral race is nonpartisan, but the two finalists clearly lean toward opposite sides of the political spectrum.

Freddie O’Connell, arguably the most progressive candidate on the packed ballot, landed 27.1% of the vote on Thursday.

“I shared with some of you, and then more of you, a very simple message of why I decided to run for mayor: I want you to stay. That’s it. That’s the simple formula,” O’Connell told supporters on Election Night. “I want it to be easier for all of us to be in this city we love.”

Thank you, Nashville! pic.twitter.com/XsOlmt91Fh

— Freddie O’Connell (@freddieoconnell) August 4, 2023

O’Connell currently represents District 19 in Nashville’s Metro Council.

“Over a year ago, what I started hearing was some people saying ‘I think you’d be great, but you can’t raise the money. I’d think you’d be great, but you can’t win,'” he said. “This is the interesting part — I couldn’t. But we could.”

Meanwhile, Republican Alice Rolli came in second with 20.2%.

“We had three mayors come out of the city council, and it has not gone well for our city. We have seen that,” Rolli told her supporters on Election Night. “We know it. We have lived it. We have the chance in this next chapter to decide if we want Nashville to build a wall or to build a bridge.”

@AliceRolli1 speaks on building a bridge not a wall between Davidson and surrounding counties. pic.twitter.com/IyMGxiofEc

— Blaise L Gainey (@BlaiseGainey) August 4, 2023

While Alice Rolli has never won elected office, she has experience in politics, serving as campaign manager for Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander during his 2014 election bid and having worked under Gov. Bill Haslam.

“If you believe as I do that we can love Nashville and we can love Tennessee; that we must work productively with our neighbors; that working together, more good for more people here will be accomplished — I invite you, whoever you supported before, to join us,” she said. “There is a place for you on our team.”

Another Democrat, Matt Wiltshire, was a close third for much of Election Night, as results rolled in. But the economic development and former affordable housing administrator for Metro conceded a couple hours after polls closed.

In all, just over 101,000 people voted in the election, with more than half casting ballots during last month’s two-week early voting period.

A runoff election will take place Sept. 14. The early voting period begins Aug. 25 and runs through Sept. 9.