“Lot of rats leaving the ship,” one David Briley loyalist quipped, a dual indictment of both the rats and the ship, proverbially sinking.
In the days since Metro Councilmember John Cooper finished atop the mayoral field on Aug. 1, sending him to a runoff against Briley, the incumbent and second-place finisher, some of Briley’s most prominent financial supporters have been switching sides.
Next week, developer Bill Hostettler, sign magnate and airport authority member Bobby Joslin, Ryman Hospitality CEO Colin Reed and historian David Ewing are throwing a fundraiser for Cooper, according to an invitation obtained by the Scene. Each had previously given more than $1,000 to Briley.
Reed’s flip might be the most surprising. Cooper was the loudest Metro Council critic of a 2017 incentive deal that gave Reed’s company millions of dollars in benefits related to a water park the group wanted to build at its Gaylord Opryland Resort.
“It’s a really, really big swimming pool for a really, really big hotel that no one in the county can use,” Cooper said at the time. “And a powerful interest has gotten a tax deal that, frankly, is unavailable to the average business.”
(Local residents can, in fact, visit the park, though they must book a hotel room at a discounted rate or reserve a “party room” to do so.)
“People all over the world want to come experience our city, and the implications and benefits of this need to be carefully navigated," Reed says through a spokesperson. “We will need to prioritize Nashville’s fundamentals while encouraging continued growth, investment and diversification of our local tourism industry. While Mayor Briley is a good man who has worked hard during a time of transition for Nashville, I came to the conclusion weeks before the primary that out of the four choices we [faced], John Cooper is best equipped to be mayor. I believe the city will make that same choice on Sept. 12.”
Hostettler and Ewing declined to comment. Joslin could not immediately be reached.
Another prominent flipper is Bill Freeman, the onetime mayoral candidate, real estate developer and co-owner of this publication. He has written repeatedly, including as recently as Election Day, about his support for Briley. No more, apparently.
The Briley team even quoted him in a press release touting their optimism one week before the first round of voting.
“Successful campaigns are built on momentum,” Freeman said. “Mayor Briley is showing serious momentum at the exact right time in this election.”
Unlike Reed, Ewing, Hostettler and Joslin, who made their largest financial contributions long before Cooper entered the race, Freeman made his pick in May, with knowledge of the field.
“I think the city will be best served by the balance that comes with keeping the same individual in office, and he has shown himself to be honest and receptive, having our best interests at heart,” Freeman wrote in his initial endorsement.
“I think David Briley is the best candidate in the race,” he added on June 20.
Freeman has since changed his mind, though. He said through a spokesperson that Cooper “clearly has the momentum” and ran the best campaign.
“I think the voters made it clear in the election that there is a need for change compared to a need for continuity,” Freeman says. “As nice as David Briley is, he has been unable to convincingly demonstrate that he has the skill sets to lead and the ability to put forth an agenda that is acceptable to most voting Nashvillians.”
Freeman’s son, Bob, a freshman state representative, is still supporting Briley.
Neither campaign would comment.
Briley and Cooper have already squabbled about fundraising. After Cooper spent more than $1 million of his own money on the race — far more than he raised from outside donors — Briley’s team accused him of trying to buy the race. Cooper’s team defended the strategy, saying that his ability to eschew donors “allows us to be mayor in the right way.”
Not anymore, apparently.
