Freddie O’Connell and Alice Rolli emerged as the top two candidates for Nashville’s mayoral seat in the Aug. 3 general election. They will now face off in a runoff election on Sept. 14.
Endorsements for each candidate continue to roll in, from former mayoral race competitors to local unions and other organizations.
Freddie O’Connell
O’Connell has been endorsed by three of his former competitors for the mayoral seat:
- Matt Wiltshire, who finished third in the Aug. 3 general election with 17% of the vote
- State Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, who finished fourth in the Aug. 3 election with 12% of the vote
- State Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, who finished fifth with 8% of the vote
Groups and organizations:
- Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 386
- TIRRC Votes, an offshoot of the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition
- Amalgamated Transit Union
- Sunrise Movement Nashville
- Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood (endorsement)
- The Equity Alliance Fund
- Nashville Business Coalition
- Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, AFL-CIO
- Metropolitan Nashville Education Association
- International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 140
Individuals:
- Former U.S. Sen. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville
- State House District 53 Rep. Jason Powell, D-Nashville
- District 5 Metro Council member Sean Parker
- District 12 Metro Council member Erin Evans
- District 13 Metro Council member Russ Bradford
- District 14 Metro Council member Kevin Rhoten
- District 30 Metro Council member Sandra Sepulveda
- District 35 Metro Council member Dave Rosenberg
- At-large Metro Council member Bob Mendes
- Karen Johnson, Davidson County register of deeds and former Metro Council member
- Jill Speering, former MNPS board member
- Christine Lalonde, former council member
- Lynn Stinnett Williams, former council member
- David Kleinfelter, former council member
- Charlie Tygard, former council member
- John Bridges, author and LGBTQ advocate
- Aftyn Behn, rural progressive organizer and Tennessee House District 51 candidate
- Michele Sheriff, retired teacher and Metropolitan Nashville Education Association president, 2021-2023
- Mina Johnson, former Metro Council member and ex officio Planning Commission member
- Singer-songwriter Margo Price
Alice Rolli
Rolli has been endorsed by former competitor and former school board member Fran Bush, who received 0.5% of the vote in the Aug. 3 election.
Groups and organizations:
- Community Leaders for America, home of the national forum of Republican mayors and other local leaders
- Davidson County Republican Party
Individuals:
- David A. Fox, former school board chair, 2015 mayoral candidate, former journalist for The Tennessean, Bloomberg and co-founder of Nashville Post Co.
- J.C. Bowman, executive director & CEO of Professional Educators of Tennessee
- Joseph D. Love, Jr., artist
- Dr. Pearl Sims, former Metro Planning commissioner
- Andrew Winfield Dunn, former ECD director of international development
- Manuel A. Delgado, past recipient of East Nashville Businessman of the Year
- John D. Richardson, Tennessee Republican Party state executive committee member
- Teri Reid Fontaine, pianist and photography studio owner/manager
- Ashley Elizabeth Graham Johnson, former speechwriter and communications professional for Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, current communications director at QuaverEd
- John Wang, small business owner and 30-year Nashville resident
- Kelly Crockett, philanthropic leader
- Ted Clayton, founder of The Clayton Collection and social leader
- Marty Luffman, historian and businessman
- Debi Tate, former Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts Director for the Tennessee Supreme Court
- Jeff Beierlein, army veteran and business leader (Beierlein ran for the District 5 U.S. House seat in 2022 but did not win the Republican primary).
