Matt Wiltshire officially announced his mayoral campaign last week via The Tennessean, believed by many to be Nashville’s paper of record. He snagged an elegant domain name, posting a six-point platform that takes tasteful swipes at Mayor John Cooper. On Wednesday afternoon, Wiltshire alerted journalists that his campaign had outraised opponents — including the incumbent. Wiltshire reported raising $351,332 in one week, which his campaign presents in a color-coded table alongside Freddie O’Connell's and Cooper's disclosures. The election will take place next summer.
That one-week timeframe is correct measured from Wiltshire's July 13 announcement, though he first teased a mayoral bid three months ago. Wiltshire left his job at the Metro Development and Housing Agency in May, and has since updated his Linkedin, which identifies him as a “Candidate for Mayor (July 2022 - Present)." The groundwork had been laid for weeks, and the decision to kick off the campaign after July 1 allows Wiltshire to escape official disclosures (and keep fundraising) for another six months.
Even though Wiltshire will enter the public arena without much name recognition, he isn't making rookie mistakes. He has veteran pollster and strategist John Rowley on board, and a flurry of calls, checks and social events are behind his fundraising, likely concentrated around West Nashville. Wiltshire’s wife, Crissy Wieck, chairs the board at Harpeth Hall, and his treasurer, Anna Cramer, is similarly well-connected at the University School of Nashville.
Fellow challenger and current District 19 Councilmember O’Connell reported $102,507 — including support from Quin Segall, vice chair of Nashville's Industrial Development Board, and Jason Bergeron, former Fair Board member. Prominent politico-attorney and former mayoral candidate Charles Bone sent $1,500 to O’Connell, who also received checks from real estate magnates Bert Mathews and Tony Giarratana, attorney (and former Scene staffer) John Spragens, and prolific Waller lobbyist James Weaver. Besides processing fees, O’Connell’s lone campaign expense was a $12,200 poll.
Cooper raised $334,396 between Jan. 15 and June 30 and is still $725,000 in the hole, thanks to a largely self-financed run in 2019. Every principal at Jigsaw Consulting contributed to Cooper, as did current Metro legal director Wally Dietz and former legal director Bob Cooper (now at downtown firm Bass, Berry & Sims). Fundraiser April Orange is currently running the mayor's campaign operations, though Cooper hasn’t officially announced a run for reelection.
