As he approaches the end of his third year in office, Mayor Freddie O’Connell officially kicked off his 2027 reelection campaign on Monday at Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria in North Nashville. The event follows the official announcement on May 4 of O'Connell's bid for a second term in office, as well as a recently launched campaign spot that spoofs U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn's widely condemned gubernatorial ad.
O’Connell shared his primary goals for his next term, which reflect his previous election’s core agenda — creating affordable housing and transit options while investing in education and public safety.
After revving up his fundraising machine last year, incumbent O’Connell officially announces reelection campaign
“We are going to keep working for the next several years to make this city the best it can possibly be," said O'Connell. "I know we can make it easier to stay and I know we can build a Nashville for even more Nashvillians."
O’Connell said he plans to continue pushing initiatives from the past three years, including his “Choose How You Move” transit program and the multimillion-dollar East Bank development, which is set to include more than 300 affordable housing units.
"They broke ground on it just a few weeks ago," O'Connell said Monday night. "Soon, more than 300 people will have homes over there on the East Bank, and they will be affordable for a century."
O’Connell also highlighted plans to continue investing in Metro Nashville Public Schools, which saw a 4 percent increase in funding under the 2027 fiscal year budget passed July 1.
The incumbent also addressed his plans regarding Atlanta-based tech company DC BLOX's proposed construction of a 69,000-square-foot data center adjacent to the Nashville Zoo. That plan has received intense ongoing pushback from the community.
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"We're going to work very closely with the Metro Council to try to develop a responsible regulatory framework that gives the community a lot of say about what things we can safely operate," said O'Connell. "So far, waiting to see more good faith from the proposers on the table."
Speakers at the event included LiUNA Southeast business manager Ethan Link, TIRRC Votes executive director Lisa Sherman Luna, Metro legal director appointee Tyler Yarbro, South Nashville community leader Nicolle Valentine and O’Connell’s chief of staff Masami Tyson.
"In a chaotic and divisive world, we need the calm, steady, consistent voice to represent Nashville as the chief executive, the comforter-in-chief, and fighter-in-chief," said Tyson. "Our mayor, and that is none other than Freddie O'Connell."
Endorsements for O’Connell’s 2023 campaign included the Central Labor Council, Metropolitan Nashville Education Association and former AllianceBernstein chief operating officer Jim Gingrich.
O’Connell faces a handful of challengers, including Councilmember Joy Styles, activist Lou Wilbanks, and Natisha Brooks (who is also currently running as a Republican for Tennessee's 6th Congressional District).
Approval for O’Connell dropped from 67 percent in 2025 to 54 percent in 2026 — mostly due to the city's handling of the ice storm in January, according to a study from Vanderbilt University. During his term, O’Connell has also received criticism for rising property taxes, which have seen a 60 percent increase over the past five years.
Styles has been especially vocal about economic growth not coming at the expense of Nashville neighborhoods.
But O'Connell's challengers will need to see significant financial backing to rival the mayor's previous election campaign, which raised nearly $2 million in total. He has already transferred $77,000 from his 2023 run and brought in more than $440,000 in 2025 for his 2027 run.
The mayoral election will be held in August of next year.
A previous version of this story was published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
