Andy Marshall, CEO and owner of the Franklin-based company A. Marshall Hospitality, won Tuesday night’s Republican primary election for Williamson County Mayor, according to unofficial election results.
With all 27 voting centers reporting just before 9:00 p.m., Marshall had garnered 12,864 votes, compared to Williamson County Commissioner Mary Smith, who had 10,787, and 28 write-in votes.
Marshall now advances to the August 6 general election, where he will not face a Democratic opponent.
When launching his campaign, Marshall said his priorities for Williamson County would be “encouraging smart growth, supporting top-ranked school systems, maintaining fiscal responsibility, continuing community safety, sustaining a pro-business atmosphere, fostering community engagement, and preserving agricultural heritage.”
Marshall entered Tuesday’s primary with the backing of many prominent Tennessee Republican leaders, including Governor Bill Lee, outgoing Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson, former Governor Bill Haslam, Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), and businessman Dave Ramsey.
He was also endorsed in his bid for county mayor by the mayors of Franklin, Brentwood, Spring Hill, Fairview, Thompson’s Station, and Nolensville.
State Senate Majority Leader Johnson congratulated Marshall on his victory in Tuesday’s primary, writing on social media, “Our community has placed their trust in your leadership, and I’m excited to see the work ahead to keep Williamson County moving forward.”
Marshall began his career in the grocery business. At 26 years old, he bought a grocery store in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, before going on to acquire three more.
In 1988, Marshall purchased Puckett’s, a small grocery store in the village of Leiper’s Fork, and launched a dinner and music program. He went on to form the Williamson County-based A. Marshall Hospitality, which has been recognized multiple times on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest growing companies.
A College Grove resident, Marshall serves on the boards of the Williamson County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Nashville Predators Foundation, the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central TN, the Williamson County Fair, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Tennessee Hospitality Association Education Foundation, the Tennessee Tourism Committee, and the Nashville State Community College.
He also has experience serving as president of the Downtown Franklin Association, on the board of the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, and as a founding board member of the Franklin Theatre.
View Williamson County’s unofficial election results here:
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X.
Photo “Andy Marshall” by Andy Marshall.
