Freddie O'Connell

O'Connell was born in Nashville, Tennessee, to Beatrice, a retired teacher, and Tim, a federal civil servant and part-time songwriter.{{Cite web |last=Plazas |first=David |date=2023-05-24 |title=Meet Freddie O'Connell, candidate for Nashville mayor |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/editorials/2023/05/24/nashville-local-election-freddie-oconnell-candidate-for-mayor/70239502007/ |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=The Tennessean |language=en-US}} He graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy in 1995, and earned two bachelor's degrees from Brown University in 2000, one in Music and the other in Computer Science.{{Cite web |title=Freddie O'Connell |url=https://www.ballotready.org/tn/tennessee-nashville-city-mayor/freddie-o-connell |access-date=January 1, 2024 |publisher=BallotReady|language=en}}https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/09/18/a-bloody-clipboard-and-biodiesel-car-the-story-behind-freddie-oconnells-rise-to-nashville-mayor/ He is of Jewish descent through one of his grandparents.https://twitter.com/freddieoconnell/status/1057289849902907393

O'Connell began his career in software and technology, working for startups and publicly traded companies. He was also president of the Salemtown Neighbors Neighborhood Association.{{cite web|url=https://www.nashville.gov/departments/mayor/people/freddie-oconnell|title=Freddie O'Connell|publisher=Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County|accessdate=January 1, 2024}} From 2005 until 2010, he co-hosted a political talk show on WRVU, the Vanderbilt University student radio station.{{cite web|url=https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/09/18/a-bloody-clipboard-and-biodiesel-car-the-story-behind-freddie-oconnells-rise-to-nashville-mayor/|title=A bloody clipboard and biodiesel car: The story behind Freddie O’Connell’s rise to Nashville mayor|work=Tennessee Lookout|last=Friedman|first=Adam|date=September 18, 2023|accessdate=January 1, 2024}}

In 2002, O'Connell ran as an Independent against future Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell.

O'Connell formerly served as a board member and chair of the board for the Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority. While municipal elections in Nashville are officially nonpartisan, O'Connell identifies as a Democrat.{{Cite news |last=Plazas |first=David |date=June 22, 2023 |title=Struggling to pick a Nashville mayoral candidate? This scorecard might help. |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/columnists/david-plazas/2023/06/22/nashville-election-scorecard-may-help-you-pick-your-mayoral-candidate/70332666007/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |work=The Tennessean |location=Nashville |language=en}}

In 2015, O'Connell ran for the Nashville Metro Council in the 19th district, receiving 54 percent of the vote during the August 6 election.{{cite web|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2015/08/06/metro-nashville-district-19-race/31124719/|title=Freddie O'Connell wins without runoff in District 19|last=Wilemon|first=Tom|work=The Tennessean|date=August 6, 2015|accessdate=January 1, 2024}} In 2019, he ran for reelection unopposed.

File:Freddie 23-08-03 Election Party.jpg]]

In April 2022, O'Connell announced that he would run for mayor of Nashville in the 2023 Nashville mayoral election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2022/04/28/council-member-freddie-oconnell-announces-2023-bid-nashville-mayor/9562263002/|title=Council member Freddie O'Connell announces 2023 bid for Nashville mayor|first=Cassandra|last=Stephenson|website=The Tennessean}} In the first round of voting, O'Connell led all candidates with 27.2% of the vote.{{Cite web|url=https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/08/03/freddie-oconnell-alice-rolli-secure-spot-in-nashville-mayoral-runoff/|title=Freddie O'Connell, Alice Rolli secure spot in Nashville mayoral runoff|date=August 4, 2023}} He defeated Alice Rolli in the runoff on September 14, 2023, winning 64% of the vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pithinthewind/freddie-oconnell-wins-mayoral-race-besting-alice-rolli/article_ea0bdf6a-534f-11ee-93ea-8729e1577f89.html|title=Freddie O'Connell Wins Mayoral Race, Besting Alice Rolli|first=Stephen|last=Elliott|date=September 14, 2023|website=Nashville Scene}} He was sworn into office on September 25.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2023/09/25/freddie-oconnell-sworn-in-as-metro-nashville-10th-mayor/70933131007/|title='Get right to work': Freddie O'Connell sworn in as Metro Nashville's 10th mayor|website=The Tennessean}}

O'Connell lives in the Salemtown neighborhood of Nashville with his partner, Dr. Whitney Boon, an attending child neurologist at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, and their two children. He has been known to occasionally DJ at events in the Nashville area.{{Cite web |last=Tribune |first=Tn |date=2024-01-01 |title=Mayor Freddie O'Connell Spins the Hip-Hop Classics on NYE |url=http://tntribune.com/mayor-freddie-oconnell-spins-the-classics-on-nye/ |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=The Tennessee Tribune |language=en-US}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Tennessee's 56th state house district General Election, 2002{{cite web|url=https://sharetngov.tnsosfiles.com/sos/election/results/2002-11/tn-house.pdf|title=November 5, 2002 General Election|access-date=January 5, 2024}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Beth Harwell

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 17,424

| percentage = 66.9

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Shannon Wood

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 7,152

| percentage = 27.5

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Thomas F. O'Connell

| party = Independent (United States)

| votes = 1,471

| percentage = 5.6

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 26,047

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing

| winner = Republican Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no party no change|title=2015 Nashville Metro Council Election, District 19{{cite web|url=https://www.nashville.gov/departments/elections/election-results-and-statistics/election-results/150806|title=

August 6, 2015 Election Results (Certified)|publisher=Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County|accessdate=January 1, 2024}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate no party no change|candidate=Freddie O'Connell|votes=900|percentage=54.3}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change|candidate=Amanda Harrison|votes=322|percentage=19.4}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change|candidate=Keith Caldwell|votes=237|percentage=14.3}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change|candidate=Bill Shick|votes=190|percentage=11.5}}

{{Election box write-in no party no change|candidate=Write-in|votes=8|percentage=0.5}}

{{Election box total no party no change|votes=1,657|percentage=100}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no party no change|title=2019 Nashville Metro Council Election, District 19{{cite web|url=https://www.nashville.gov/departments/elections/election-results-and-statistics/election-results/190801|title=

August 1, 2019 Election Results (Certified)|publisher=Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County|accessdate=January 1, 2024}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate no party no change|candidate=Freddie O'Connell|votes=1709|percentage=96.6}}

{{Election box write-in no party no change|candidate=Write-in|votes=61|percentage=3.4}}

{{Election box total no party no change|votes=1,770|percentage=100}}

{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin no party no change|title=2023 Nashville mayoral election (first round){{cite web|url=https://www.nashville.gov/departments/elections/election-results-and-statistics/election-results/230803|title=August 3, 2023 Election Results|publisher=Nashville Election Commission|access-date=August 4, 2023}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate no party no change|candidate=Freddie O'Connell|votes=27,503|percentage=27.14}}

{{Election box winning candidate no party no change|candidate=Alice Rolli|votes=20,472|percentage=20.20}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change|candidate=Matthew Wiltshire|votes=17,193|percentage=16.97}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change|candidate=Jeff Yarbro|votes=12,356|percentage=12.19}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change|candidate=Heidi Campbell|votes=8,337|percentage=8.23}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change|candidate=Sharon Hurt|votes=6,104|percentage=6.02}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change|candidate=Vivian Willhoite|votes=4,758|percentage=4.70}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change|candidate=Jim Gingrich|votes=1668|percentage=1.65}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change|candidate=Natisha Brooks|votes=1,458|percentage=1.44}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change|candidate=Stephanie Johnson|votes=581|percentage=0.57}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change|candidate=Fran Bush|votes=503|percentage=0.50}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change|candidate=Bernie Cox|votes=322|percentage=0.32}}

{{Election box write-in no party no change|candidate=Write-in|votes=80|percentage=0.07}}

{{Election box total no party no change|votes=101,335|percentage=100.00}}

{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin no party no change|title=2023 Nashville Mayoral general election (runoff){{cite web|url=https://www.nashville.gov/departments/elections/election-results-and-statistics/election-results/230914|title=September 14, 2023 Election Results (Certified)|access-date=March 1, 2024}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate no party no change|candidate=Freddie O'Connell|votes=72,989|percentage=63.8}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change|candidate=Alice Rolli|votes=41,205|percentage=36.0}}

{{Election box write-in no party no change|candidate=Write-in|votes=123|percentage=0.1}}

{{Election box total no party no change|votes=114,317|percentage=100}}

{{Election box end}}

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{{s-bef|before=John Cooper}}

{{s-ttl|title=Mayor of Nashville|years=2023–present}}

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{{s-end}}

{{Mayors of US State Capitals}}

{{Mayors of the 50 largest U.S. cities}}

{{Mayors of Nashville}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:OConnell, Freddie}}

Category:1970s births

Category:21st-century mayors of places in Tennessee

Category:American people of Jewish descent

Category:Brown University alumni

Category:Living people

Category:Mayors of Nashville, Tennessee

Category:Metropolitan Council members (Nashville, Tennessee)

Category:Tennessee Democrats

Category:Year of birth uncertain