Nashville/ September 15, 2023 (SPN) | In January, Nashville Mayor John Cooper made the announcement that he would not seek re-election. Consequently, candidates from various parts joined the Nashville mayoral race.
During the primary election held in August, Nashville Councilman Freddie O’Connell and executive Alice Rolli emerged as the top two vote-getters, surpassing nine other contenders for the lead positions.
O’Connell secured 27% of the votes, while Rolli was a close second with 20%, which led to a runoff election. Following the election on Thursday, a definitive winner emerged.
O’Connell, widely regarded as the frontrunner throughout the campaign, garnered an impressive 64% of the votes, making him Nashville’s next mayor with a total of 61,840 votes compared to Rolli’s 34,384.
In the Nashville mayoral race campaign, Freddie O’Connell’s primary competitor was Alice Rolli, a Nashville native who graduated from Hume-Fogg High School. She boasts executive experience, having led companies through periods of rapid growth, including her role in tripling the size of Music Row’s QuaverEd.
Additionally, as an owner-manager of WorldStrides, the largest student travel organization in the country, she spearheaded expansion efforts to over 50 countries. In government, Rolli served at both state and federal levels, including positions as Assistant Commissioner of Strategy for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and as a special assistant and campaign manager for U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander.
O’Connell has represented District 19 since 2015, focusing on the downtown area. With a long history of community service, he has chaired various committees, including the Public Works Committee, the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Committee, and the Charter Revision Committee.
He has also been a member of important boards and organizations dedicated to serving residents, such as the Nashville Downtown Partnership Board of Directors, the Central Business Improvement District Board of Directors, and more.
Upon assuming the role of mayor, O’Connell will inherit a wide range of responsibilities. The mayor of Nashville is tasked with enforcing all laws and ordinances within Davidson County and holds the authority to veto any law or ordinance passed by the Metro Council, with the possibility of the Council overriding a veto through a 2/3 majority vote.
Additionally, the mayor is responsible for supervising various departments established by the Metro Nashville Charter or Metro Council ordinances, including Transportation and Infrastructure, Youth and Education, Affordable Housing, Environment and Sustainability, Economic and Community Development, Neighborhoods and Community Engagement, New Americans, Performance Management, and Communications.
The exact date for O’Connell to assume mayoral duties will depend on when the election results are officially certified.