Freddie O'Connell
Freddie O'Connell | |
|---|---|
 O'Connell in 2023 | |
| 10th Mayor of Metropolitan Nashville | |
| Assumed office September 25, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | John Cooper |
| Member of the Nashville Metro Council from the 19th district | |
| In office September 1, 2015 – September 1, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Erica Gilmore |
| Succeeded by | Jacob Kupin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas Frederick O'Connell 1976 or 1977 (age 47–48) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Domestic partner | Whitney Boon |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Education | Brown University (BA, BS) |
Thomas Frederick O'Connell (born 1976/1977)[1][2][3] is an American politician and currently serves as the 10th Mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.[4] From 2015 to 2023, he served as a member of the Nashville Metro Council representing the 19th district.
Early life and career
[edit]O'Connell was born in Nashville, Tennessee, to Beatrice, a retired teacher, and Tim, a federal civil servant and part-time songwriter.[5] He graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy in 1995, and earned two bachelor's degrees from Brown University in 2000, one in Music and the other in Computer Science.[5][6][7] He is of Jewish descent through one of his grandparents.[8]
O'Connell began his career in software and technology, working for startups and publicly traded companies. He was also president of the Salemtown Neighbors Neighborhood Association.[4] From 2005 until 2010, he co-hosted a political talk show on WRVU, the Vanderbilt University student radio station.[9]
Political career
[edit]In 2002, O'Connell ran as an Independent against future Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell.[9]
O'Connell formerly served as a board member and chair of the board for the Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority.[9] While municipal elections in Nashville are officially nonpartisan, O'Connell identifies as a Democrat.[10]
In 2015, O'Connell ran for the Nashville Metro Council in the 19th district, receiving 54 percent of the vote during the August 6 election.[11] In 2019, he ran for reelection unopposed.[9]
In April 2022, O'Connell announced that he would run for mayor of Nashville in the 2023 Nashville mayoral election.[12] In the first round of voting, O'Connell led all candidates with 27.2% of the vote.[13] He defeated Alice Rolli in the runoff on September 14, 2023, winning 64% of the vote.[14] He was sworn into office on September 25.[15]
Personal life
[edit]O'Connell lives in the Salemtown neighborhood of Nashville with his partner, Dr. Whitney Boon, an attending child neurologist at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, and their two children.[5][4] He has been known to occasionally DJ at events in the Nashville area.[16]
Electoral history
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Beth Harwell | 17,424 | 66.9 | ||
| Democratic | Shannon Wood | 7,152 | 27.5 | ||
| Independent | Thomas F. O'Connell | 1,471 | 5.6 | ||
| Total votes | 26,047 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freddie O'Connell | 900 | 54.3 | |
| Amanda Harrison | 322 | 19.4 | |
| Keith Caldwell | 237 | 14.3 | |
| Bill Shick | 190 | 11.5 | |
| Write-in | 8 | 0.5 | |
| Total votes | 1,657 | 100 | |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freddie O'Connell | 1,709 | 96.6 | |
| Write-in | 61 | 3.4 | |
| Total votes | 1,770 | 100 | |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freddie O'Connell | 27,503 | 27.14 | |
| Alice Rolli | 20,472 | 20.20 | |
| Matthew Wiltshire | 17,193 | 16.97 | |
| Jeff Yarbro | 12,356 | 12.19 | |
| Heidi Campbell | 8,337 | 8.23 | |
| Sharon Hurt | 6,104 | 6.02 | |
| Vivian Willhoite | 4,758 | 4.70 | |
| Jim Gingrich | 1,668 | 1.65 | |
| Natisha Brooks | 1,458 | 1.44 | |
| Stephanie Johnson | 581 | 0.57 | |
| Fran Bush | 503 | 0.50 | |
| Bernie Cox | 322 | 0.32 | |
| Write-in | 80 | 0.07 | |
| Total votes | 101,335 | 100.00 | |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freddie O'Connell | 72,989 | 63.8 | |
| Alice Rolli | 41,205 | 36.0 | |
| Write-in | 123 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 114,317 | 100 | |
References
[edit]- ^ "Freddie O'Connell elected Nashville mayor - Axios Nashville".
- ^ Montgomery Bell Academy 1993. Montgomery Bell Academy. p. 149. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ "Is there enough grassroots support to build on our transit successes?". Nashville Post. September 12, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Freddie O'Connell". Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ a b c Plazas, David (2023-05-24). "Meet Freddie O'Connell, candidate for Nashville mayor". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
- ^ "Freddie O'Connell". BallotReady. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/09/18/a-bloody-clipboard-and-biodiesel-car-the-story-behind-freddie-oconnells-rise-to-nashville-mayor/
- ^ https://twitter.com/freddieoconnell/status/1057289849902907393
- ^ a b c d Friedman, Adam (September 18, 2023). "A bloody clipboard and biodiesel car: The story behind Freddie O'Connell's rise to Nashville mayor". Tennessee Lookout. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ Plazas, David (June 22, 2023). "Struggling to pick a Nashville mayoral candidate? This scorecard might help". The Tennessean. Nashville. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ Wilemon, Tom (August 6, 2015). "Freddie O'Connell wins without runoff in District 19". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ Stephenson, Cassandra. "Council member Freddie O'Connell announces 2023 bid for Nashville mayor". The Tennessean.
- ^ "Freddie O'Connell, Alice Rolli secure spot in Nashville mayoral runoff". August 4, 2023.
- ^ Elliott, Stephen (September 14, 2023). "Freddie O'Connell Wins Mayoral Race, Besting Alice Rolli". Nashville Scene.
- ^ "'Get right to work': Freddie O'Connell sworn in as Metro Nashville's 10th mayor". The Tennessean.
- ^ Tribune, Tn (2024-01-01). "Mayor Freddie O'Connell Spins the Hip-Hop Classics on NYE". The Tennessee Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ "November 5, 2002 General Election" (PDF). Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ "August 6, 2015 Election Results (Certified)". Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ "August 1, 2019 Election Results (Certified)". Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ "August 3, 2023 Election Results". Nashville Election Commission. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ^ "September 14, 2023 Election Results (Certified)". Retrieved March 1, 2024.
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