Freddie O'Connell

Freddie O'Connell
O'Connell in 2023
10th Mayor of Metropolitan Nashville
Incumbent
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

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

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]

O'Connell after being declared the winner in the first round of the 2023 Nashville mayoral election

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

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

Tennessee's 56th state house district General Election, 2002^[17]

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

2015 Nashville Metro Council Election, District 19^[18]

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

2019 Nashville Metro Council Election, District 19^[19]

Candidate		Votes	%
Freddie O'Connell		1,709	96.6
Write-in		61	3.4
Total votes		1,770	100

2023 Nashville mayoral election (first round)^[20]

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

2023 Nashville Mayoral general election (runoff)^[21]

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

1. "Freddie O'Connell elected Nashville mayor - Axios Nashville".
2. Montgomery Bell Academy 1993. Montgomery Bell Academy. p. 149. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
3. "Is there enough grassroots support to build on our transit successes?". Nashville Post. September 12, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
4. "Freddie O'Connell". Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
5. Plazas, David (2023-05-24). "Meet Freddie O'Connell, candidate for Nashville mayor". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
6. "Freddie O'Connell". BallotReady. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
7. https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/09/18/a-bloody-clipboard-and-biodiesel-car-the-story-behind-freddie-oconnells-rise-to-nashville-mayor/
8. https://twitter.com/freddieoconnell/status/1057289849902907393
9. 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.
10. Plazas, David (June 22, 2023). "Struggling to pick a Nashville mayoral candidate? This scorecard might help". The Tennessean. Nashville. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
11. Wilemon, Tom (August 6, 2015). "Freddie O'Connell wins without runoff in District 19". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
12. Stephenson, Cassandra. "Council member Freddie O'Connell announces 2023 bid for Nashville mayor". The Tennessean.
13. "Freddie O'Connell, Alice Rolli secure spot in Nashville mayoral runoff". August 4, 2023.
14. Elliott, Stephen (September 14, 2023). "Freddie O'Connell Wins Mayoral Race, Besting Alice Rolli". Nashville Scene.
15. "'Get right to work': Freddie O'Connell sworn in as Metro Nashville's 10th mayor". The Tennessean.
16. Tribune, Tn (2024-01-01). "Mayor Freddie O'Connell Spins the Hip-Hop Classics on NYE". The Tennessee Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
17. "November 5, 2002 General Election" (PDF). Retrieved January 5, 2024.
18. "August 6, 2015 Election Results (Certified)". Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
19. "August 1, 2019 Election Results (Certified)". Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
20. "August 3, 2023 Election Results". Nashville Election Commission. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
21. "September 14, 2023 Election Results (Certified)". Retrieved March 1, 2024.

Political offices
Preceded by John Cooper	Mayor of Nashville 2023–present	Incumbent