2023 Nashville mayoral election explained
Election Name: | 2023 Nashville mayoral election |
Type: | mayoral |
Flag Image: | Flag of Nashville, Tennessee.png |
Ongoing: | no |
Previous Election: | 2019 Nashville mayoral election |
Previous Year: | 2019 |
Next Election: | 2027 Nashville mayoral election |
Next Year: | 2027 |
Election Date: | August 3, 2023 (first round) September 14, 2023 (runoff)
|
1Blank: | First round |
2Blank: | Runoff |
Image1: | Freddie O'Connell, Mayor, Nashville-Davidson County.jpg |
Candidate1: | Freddie O'Connell |
1Data1: | 27,503 27.14% |
2Data1: | 72,989 63.85% |
Candidate2: | Alice Rolli |
1Data2: | 20,472 20.20% |
2Data2: | 41,205 36.04% |
Image3: | Matt Wiltshire (cropped).png |
Candidate3: | Matt Wiltshire |
1Data3: | 17,193 16.97% |
2Data3: | Eliminated |
Image4: | Jeff Yarbro 2023 (cropped).jpg |
Candidate4: | Jeff Yarbro |
1Data4: | 12,356 12.19% |
2Data4: | Eliminated |
Image5: | Heidi Campbell (cropped).jpg |
Candidate5: | Heidi Campbell |
1Data5: | 8,337 8.23% |
2Data5: | Eliminated |
Image6: | Sharon Hurt (cropped).png |
Candidate6: | Sharon Hurt |
1Data6: | 6,104 6.02% |
2Data6: | Eliminated |
Mayor |
Before Election: | John Cooper |
Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
After Election: | Freddie O'Connell |
After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
Colour1: | 8da9e2 |
Colour2: | ed8783 |
Colour3: | 73bc84 |
Colour4: | c0c0c0 |
Colour5: | c88fe4 |
Colour6: | 81d0d0 |
Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
Party3: | Democratic Party (United States) |
Party4: | Democratic Party (United States) |
Party5: | Democratic Party (United States) |
Party6: | Democratic Party (United States) |
Turnout: | 20.52% (first round) 0.44 pp 23.02% (runoff) 2.50 pp[1] |
The 2023 Nashville mayoral election took place on August 3, 2023, to elect the next mayor of Nashville, Tennessee. Incumbent Democratic Mayor John Cooper did not seek re-election to a second term in office.[2] A wide field of candidates ran to succeed Cooper, with Democratic metro councilmember Freddie O'Connell and Republican political consultant Alice Rolli advancing to the runoff because no candidate surpassed 50% of the vote. In the runoff election, Democratic candidate Freddie O'Connell was elected with 63.9% of the vote, defeating Republican Candidate Alice Rolli, becoming the 10th mayor of metro Nashville.[3]
Freddie O'Connell was considered one of the more progressive figures in Nashville politics and is known for his vocal opposition to the use of public funds to build the Nissan Stadium.[4] Alice Rolli is a businesswoman who has worked for numerous prominent Tennessee Republicans in the past, including governor Bill Haslam and U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander.[5]
Rolli was considered an underdog in the runoff due to her status as a Republican in a heavily Democratic city. In the 60 years since the city of Nashville was consolidated with Davidson County in 1963, it has never elected a Republican mayor.[6] Democrat Joe Biden won the city with 64.5% of the vote in the 2020 presidential election.[7]
All Nashville municipal elections are required to be non-partisan, but candidates can be affiliated with a political party.
Candidates
Withdrew before the filing deadline
- Gilbert Ramirez, business owner and former police officer (running for Metro Council at-large)[22]
- Lorenzo Short, Jr. real estate broker[23]
Disqualified
- William Domann, musician[24]
- Zerit Teklay, author
Declined
- Megan Barry, former mayor (2015–2018) (Party affiliation: Democratic)[25]
- Hal Cato, former nonprofit executive[26]
- John Cooper, incumbent mayor (Party affiliation: Democratic)[27]
- David A. Fox, candidate for mayor in 2015[28] (endorsed Rolli)
- Bob Freeman, state representative for the 56th district (2018–present) (Party affiliation: Democratic)[25] (endorsed Campbell)[29]
- Odessa Kelly, community activist and nominee for Tennessee's 7th congressional district in 2022 (Party affiliation: Democratic)[30]
- Bob Mendes, metro councilmember[31] (endorsed O'Connell)
- Tara Scarlett, education nonprofit CEO[32]
- Jim Shulman, vice mayor of Nashville (ran for re-election)[33]
- Carol Swain, retired Vanderbilt University professor and candidate for mayor in 2018 and 2019 (Party affiliation: Republican)[34]
First round
First round polling
Fran
Bush! style="width:70px;"Heidi Campbell | Jim Gingrich | Sharon Hurt | Freddie O'Connell | Alice Rolli | Vivian Wilhoite | Matt Wiltshire | Jeff Yarbro | Other/ Undecided |
---|
VictoryPhones (R) | July 25–27, 2023 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 0.8% | 5.9% | – | 3.6% | | 25.4% | | 18.8% | 3.4% | 14.6% | 13.1% | 14.5% |
GBAO Strategies (D) | July 17–19, 2023 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | – | 8% | – | 6% | | 21% | | 13% | 4% | 10% | 12% | | 25% |
| July 17 | Gingrich withdraws from the race |
Music City Research | July 5–6, 2023 | 502 (LV) | ± 4.2% | – | 7% | 4% | 3% | | 20% | 13% | 3% | | 15% | 6% | | 30% |
Public Policy Polling (D) | June 2–4, 2023 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.2% | – | 8% | 3% | 7% | | 10% | 4% | – | 8% | | 9% | | 51% |
VictoryPhones (R) | May 2–4, 2023 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 2% | | 21.9% | 4.2% | 6.7% | 15.6% | 4% | 3.2% | 6.6% | | 17% | | 18.8% | |
First round results
Runoff
Runoff endorsements
Endorsements in bold were made after the first round.
Runoff polling
Freddie
O'Connell! style="width:70px;"Alice Rolli | Other/ Undecided |
---|
Show Me Victories (D) | August 11–16, 2023 | 430 (RV) | ± 3.8% | | 58% | 40% | 2% | |
Runoff results
See also
External links
- Official campaign websites
Notes and References
- Web site: Election Statistics Nashville.gov . 2024-02-20 . www.nashville.gov . en.
- Web site: 15 April 2022 . Exclusive: Mayor Cooper signals re-election bid to influential group in private session .
- News: West . Emily . September 14, 2023 . Freddie O'Connell to become Nashville's next mayor, elected with more than 64% of the vote . September 14, 2023 . News Channel 5.
- News: Rau . Nate . 4 August 2023 . O'Connell finishes first in Nashville mayor's race, will face Rolli in runoff . 4 August 2023 . Axios.
- News: Rau . Nate . 25 July 2023 . Mayoral candidate Alice Rolli makes her case . 4 August 2023 . Axios.
- News: Rau . Nate . 25 July 2023 . Mayoral candidate Alice Rolli makes her case . 4 August 2023 . Axios.
- News: Singer . Jeff . 4 August 2023 . Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 8/4 . 4 August 2023 . Daily Kos.
- Web site: Council member Freddie O'Connell announces 2023 bid for Nashville mayor . . Stephenson . Cassandra . April 28, 2022 . February 20, 2023.
- Web site: Elliott . Stephen . Republican Strategist Alice Rolli Running for Mayor . February 25, 2023 . February 24, 2023 . . en.
- Web site: Natisha Brooks enters race for Nashville mayor . February 21, 2023 . February 20, 2023 . Stephenson . Cassandra . . en-US.
- Web site: Former Nashville school board member Fran Bush announces run for mayor . February 20, 2023 . . February 18, 2023 . Wegner . Rachel . en-US.
- Web site: Tennessee state Sen. Heidi Campbell announces campaign for Nashville mayor . June 22, 2023 . . en-US . Stephenson . Cassandra . April 10, 2023.
- News: Plazas . David . June 22, 2023 . Struggling to pick a Nashville mayoral candidate? This scorecard might help. . June 22, 2023 . . Nashville . en.
- Web site: Stephenson . Cassandra . At-large Nashville Council member Sharon Hurt announces mayoral campaign . . February 1, 2023 . December 5, 2022.
- Web site: Abrams . Cynthia . April 18, 2023 . Nashville's mayoral race: Who's in? Who's out? . April 24, 2023 . WPLN-FM Nashville Public Radio . en-US.
- Web site: Donate to Vivan Wilhoite for Mayor . . June 22, 2023.
- News: Vivian Wilhoite jumps into Nashville mayor's race . . Rau . Nate . May 2, 2023 . May 3, 2023.
- Web site: Stephenson . Cassandra . Economic development and housing veteran Matt Wiltshire announces bid for Nashville mayor . April 24, 2023 . . en-US . July 13, 2022.
- Web site: Rau . Nate . Scoop: Tennessee state Sen. Jeff Yarbro enters Nashville mayor's race . April 23, 2023 . . en . February 17, 2023.
- Web site: Fiscus . Kirsten . February 8, 2023 . Retired AllianceBernstein chief operating officer Jim Gingrich announces run for Nashville mayor . April 24, 2023 . . en-US.
- Web site: Elliott . Stephen . 2023-07-17 . Jim Gingrich suspends mayoral campaign . 2023-07-17 . Nashville Post . en.
- Web site: 2023-05-02 . Petition List - August 3, 2023 Metropolitan General Election . 2023-05-02 . Davidson County Election Commission.
- Web site: 2023-05-02 . Petition List - August 3, 2023 Metropolitan General Election . 2023-05-02 . Davidson County Election Commission.
- Web site: 2023-05-18 . Petition List - August 3, 2023 Metropolitan General Election . 2023-05-19 . Davidson County Election Commission.
- News: Potential Candidates Bow Out of Mayoral Race . 14 February 2023.
- Web site: Hal Cato declines to enter 2023 Nashville mayoral race . The Tennessean.
- News: Stephenson . Cassandra . Fiscus . Kirsten . Nashville Mayor John Cooper announces he won't seek second term . 31 January 2023 . The Tennessean . 31 January 2023.
- Web site: Banner . Steve Cavendish, Nashville . Runoff for Nashville Mayor? Not So Fast. . 2023-02-18 . Nashville Scene . February 10, 2023 . en.
- Web site: Daryani . Addison Wright, Connor . 2023-07-19 . 2023 Nashville Election Endorsements . 2023-07-21 . Nashville Banner . en-US.
- News: Who's running for Nashville mayor in 2023.
- Web site: Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 2/20 . . 20 February 2023 . Metro Councilmember Bob Mendes said Monday that he'd stay out of this August's nonpartisan primary for mayor..
- Web site: Sichko . Adam . Mayor's race update: Tara Scarlett opts against a campaign; at least 11 people are in the field . Nashville Business Journal . 16 April 2023 . 13 April 2023.
- Web site: Nashville's vice mayor wants everyone to be polite and work together. Is this political approach out of touch?. September 30, 2022.
- Web site: Swain . Carol . You couldn't pay me enough to run for mayor of Nashville. The crime-ridden city is going to hell in a hand basket. My classroom is the world. . . 1 February 2023 . 24 December 2022.