Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell confirmed this week to multiple outlets that he will seek reelection in 2027 to “strengthen the foundation” of his administration’s policies.
O’Connell, elected in 2023, said his decision to run again is driven largely by the long-term nature of several major initiatives already underway, including his signature “Choose How You Move” transportation plan, redevelopment of the East Bank, and investments in “affordable housing.”
“These are all decade-or-more scenarios,” O’Connell told Axios. “It’s important to have some stability within Metro…I think the team we’ve assembled to work on these generational projects is the right team for the city.”
So far, Metro Council Member Joy Styles (District 32) is O’Connell’s only declared challenger in the 2027 race.
Styles has positioned herself as a pro-business alternative to the incumbent mayor, and has sharply criticized O’Connell’s leadership, arguing the administration has been ineffective and insufficiently engaged with local communities.
When announcing her candidacy, Styles accused the mayor of rushing large-scale projects without adequate public input and failing to address neighborhood-level concerns.
“I think the biggest issue that you’re going to see is who cares about constituents. It’s the argument that you’ve been hearing for months, that [O’Connell] is not listening to us,” she said at the time.
While O’Connell is reportedly entering the race with roughly $500,000 in campaign funds, the mayor faces a complicated political environment, according to recent polling data.
In February, a Baker Group Strategies poll showed that while O’Connell maintains a 55 percent approval rating, with 38 percent disapproving, only 37 percent of surveyed Davidson County voters say Nashville is on the right track, while 50 percent believe it is heading in the wrong direction.
O’Connell’s administration has been rocked in recent months by growing concerns over the rising cost of doing business in Nashville.
Those concerns have been underscored by the closure of Pelican & Pig, whose owners cited rising property taxes and operating costs, as well as uncertainty surrounding the iconic Acme Feed & Seed following a 356 percent increase in its property tax bill.
In response to questions surrounding the future of Acme Feed & Seed following the dramatic increase to its tax bill, O’Connell said bluntly earlier this year, “[N]ot all businesses…are possible for survival” in the city.
O’Connell’s latest budget proposal does not include property tax relief, instead introducing a “Legacy Business” grant program aimed at supporting select “longtime, local business owners.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X.
Photo “Freddie O’Connell” by TrentBenge. CC BY-SA 4.0.
