Nashville mayoral election: See who has endorsed Freddie O'Connell and Alice Rolli

Cassandra Stephenson, Nashville Tennessean
Updated ·4 min read

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.

Read on to see who has endorsed each candidate. Then get caught up on everything related to the runoff election in The Tennessean's voter guide.

Freddie O'Connell

O'Connell has been endorsed by six 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

  • Former At-large Metro Council member Sharon Hurt, who received around 6% of the vote, winning multiple districts in the North Nashville area

  • Davidson County Assessor of Property Vivian Wilhoite, who received 4.7% of the vote, winning several precincts in Southeast Davidson County

  • Former AllianceBernstein COO Jim Gingrich, who suspended his campaign prior to the Aug. 3 election, but still received 1.65% of the vote

Freddie O'Connell addresses supporters during an election night party on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023 in Nashville, Tenn.
Freddie O'Connell addresses supporters during an election night party on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023 in Nashville, Tenn.

Groups and organizations:

  • Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education

  • Laborers' International Union of North America Local 386

  • TIRRC Votes, an offshoot of the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition

  • Nashville Justice League, alongside a grassroots group of Nashville musicians

  • Tennessee Democratic Party

  • The Buffalo PAC, a nonpartisan group of African American business and civic leaders

  • 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

  • SEIU Local 205

  • The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 492

  • The Sierra Club (nonprofit environmental organization)

Individuals:

  • Former U.S. Sen. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville

  • State House District 53 Rep. Jason Powell, D-Nashville

  • State Rep. Harold Love Jr., D-Nashville

  • State Sen. Brenda Gilmore, D-Nashville

  • State House Rep. Caleb Hemmer, D-Nashville

  • Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk

  • Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall

  • Deputy Mayor and former Metro Council member Brenda Haywood

  • 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

  • Sheri Weiner, newly-elected District 22 Council member, Nashville Fair Commissioners Board chair, former acting vice mayor and former two-term District 22 council member

  • 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

  • Rosetta Miller Perry, publisher of The Tennessee Tribune

  • Bill Freeman, owner of The Nashville Scene and co-founder of Freeman Webb

  • Jerome Moore, founder and CEO of Community Changers, creator and host of Deep Dish Conversations, host and producer of A Slice of the Community

  • Lonnell Matthews, Davidson County Juvenile Court Clerk

  • Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk Howard Gentry

  • Chief Public Defender Martesha Johnson

  • Mike Turner, firefighter, labor leader and former state rep., D-Old Hickory

  • Former Mayor Megan Barry

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, and nonprofit and business consultant Stephanie Johnson, who received 0.57%.

Alice Rolli, business and education strategist, answers questions during a debate for the Nashville mayoral candidates at Fisher Performing Arts Center in Nashville , Tenn., Thursday, May 18, 2023.
Alice Rolli, business and education strategist, answers questions during a debate for the Nashville mayoral candidates at Fisher Performing Arts Center in Nashville , Tenn., Thursday, May 18, 2023.

Groups and organizations:

  • Community Leaders for America, home of the national forum of Republican mayors and other local leaders

  • Davidson County Republican Party

  • Nashville Fraternal Order of Police

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).

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville mayoral election: See who has endorsed O'Connell, Rolli