WSMV4 hosts O’Connell, Rolli for Nashville mayoral candidate roundtable

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Nashville Councilman Freddie O’Connell will face off in September against executive Alice Rolli in the runoff election for Nashville’s next mayor.

WSMV4 is hosting O’Connell and Rolli for a mayoral candidate roundtable on Wednesday, Aug. 30. Eleven candidates were on the ballot to replace current Mayor John Cooper, who announced in January he would not run for re-election after one term in office. O’Connell won the most votes in the Aug. 3 primary, with 27% of the votes. Rolli followed close behind, earning 20% of the votes cast.

Freddie O'Connell and Alice Rolli will face off in a runoff for Nashville mayor.(WSMV)

O’Connell has served District 19 since 2015, representing the downtown area. He and his family have lived in the Salemtown area since 2007. He has served as a member of the Charter Revision Committee, the Planning, Zoning and Historical Committee, chair of the Public Works Committee and chair of the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Committee. He has also served as a member on various special committees that serve residents including the Nashville Downtown Partnership Board of Directors, the Central Business Improvement District Board of Directors, the Gulch Business Improvement District Board of Directors, the District Energy System Advisory Board, and the South Central Neighborhood Development Corporation Board of Directors. He has also previously served as board chair of Nashville MTA (now WeGo Transit) and board president of Walk/Bike Nashville.

Rolli is a Nashville native who graduated from Hume-Fogg High School. Her executive experience includes leading companies through periods of rapid growth. She helped Music Row dynamo QuaverEd triple in size. As an owner-manager of WorldStrides, the country’s largest student travel organization, she led expansion efforts to more than 50 countries. In government, she has served at both state and federal levels. She has served as Assistant Commissioner of Strategy for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and as a special assistant and campaign manager for U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander.

O’Connell and Rolli will face off Sept. 14 in the runoff election. Metro Charter requires the winner to receive a majority of the votes.