Metro Council member Freddie O’Connell and former Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Assistant Commissioner Alice Rolli beat out a crowded field of candidates to advance to the runoff in the Nashville mayor’s race Thursday evening.
O’Connell advanced with 27 percent of the vote while Rolli came in at 20 percent. Candidates must receive more than the 50 percent vote threshold to avoid a runoff that will occur in September.
The election results mirrored a poll released earlier this week that found O’Connell leading with likely voters, followed by Rolli, affordable housing and economic development leader Matt Wiltshire, State Senator Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, State Senator Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, Metro Council member Sharon Hurt, and Property Assessor Vivian Wilhoite.
Following the election results, O’Connell framed his campaign as an opportunity for change, while Rolli stressed her underdog role as a Republican running in a largely Democratic county.
“This is our moment to open doors of opportunities for our kids, all of them. To keep our homes affordable for seniors, but also for people just starting their careers, and to make Nashville the place you want to stay, and then can stay. I want you to stay,” said O’Connell to supporters.
“When we launched this campaign five months ago, we were determined to reset the compact between our citizens and city hall. One hundred and fifty-three days ago the downtown crowd and the deciders counted us out but all of you made this possible,” said Rolli to her supporters.
Big night for progressives but not for turnout
A total of 101,245 residents voted in the mayor’s race which placed voter turnout just above 20 percent.
That’s in line with voter turnout in the 2019 Metro General Election but behind 2007 and 2015 elections that had similar highly contested mayoral contests.
The Davidson County voters who did show up produced big wins for progressive candidates, including O’Connell.
Metro Council member Angie Henderson beat out incumbent Jim Shulman in the vice-mayor’s race and only Zulfat “Z” Suara automatically qualified for an at-large council seat. Both are part of the progressive wing of Metro Nashville government.
Progressives also picked up wins in both State House seats in Davidson County.
Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) regained his House District 52 seat with more than 77 percent of the vote over his Republican opponent Laura Nelson. The Tennessee General Assembly controversially ousted Jones last April following a protest on the house floor over guns. Metro Council reappointed Jones days later.
The race was closer in the House District 51 Democratic primary where activist Aftyn Behn defeated recently named interim Representative Anthony Davis with 52 percent of the vote. Behn will be heavily favored to beat Republican David Hooven in the bid to replace the late Representative Bill Beck.
Behn frequently referenced her connections to Representative Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, during the campaign and is expected to follow in Johnson’s opposition to expanding options for families to have access to high quality public school choices.
“I’m anti-new charters and anti-privatization for all public services,” said Behn in an email to the Tennessee Firefly.
District 51’s Stratford Cluster has three public charter schools that made last year’s Reward School list including East End Prep, Explore, and Nashville Classical.
Expected Results in East and West Tennessee
Voters also decided vacant State House seats in East and West Tennessee Thursday.
Republican Interim Representative Timothy Hill comfortably defeated Democrat Lori Love in East Tennessee’s State House District 3 race. Hill is replacing former Representative Scotty Campbell who resigned after the House Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Subcommittee found him guilty of sexually harassing interns.
In Memphis Representative Justin Pearson defeated Independent Jeff Johnston with nearly 94 percent of the vote to regain his District 86 State House seat. Representative Pearson was ousted along with Representative Jones in April only to be reappointed by Shelby County Commissioners days later.
