On Thursday night, after a long, long election season that led to a runoff between progressive Metro Councilmember Freddie O'Connell and conservative strategist Alice Rolli, O'Connell ultimately won the race to become the 10th mayor of Metro Nashville.

A two-term representative of Nashville's District 19, O'Connell built his campaign — which he launched nearly 17 months ago — on prioritizing the needs of residents over business interests. His message and de facto campaign slogan, "I want you to stay," worked. In the end, he beat Rolli by roughly 29 percentage points.

Rolli, whose résumé includes working for longtime Tennessee statesman Lamar Alexander, had a difficult time connecting with Nashville's mostly liberal electorate. 

"Thank you for your bravery," Rolli told supporters gathered at Plaza Mariachi on election night. "I know you had to be brave to support us, to support this. Thank you for your belief."

"I did just speak with Freddie," she continued, "our mayor-elect, and I told him that man I met 10 years ago at a Nashville Next table, the person who I know has a heart for service, that we congratulate him on being our city's 10th mayor."

Meanwhile across town at Eastside Bowl, O'Connell's watch party was a livelier scene.

“You could be anywhere," O'Connell told his supporters. "You could live anywhere. And you chose Nashville. And I want you to stay.”

"We're gonna make this city work for all of us," he continued.

There were close races and historic moments elsewhere on election night. A slate of all women will serve Nashville as the Metro Council's five at-large representatives: The winners were Zulfat Suara (who won outright after securing the necessary votes in last month's general election), Delishia Porterfield, Quin Evans-Segall, Burkley Allen and Olivia Hill. Hill is the first transgender woman ever elected to office in Nashville. 

Above, see scenes from election night taken by photographers Eric England and Hamilton Matthew Masters.

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