RELEASE: TIRRC VOTES ENDORSES FREDDIE O’CONNELL FOR MAYOR OF NASHVILLE
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13, 2023
CONTACT
Luis Mata, luism@tirrcvotes.org
TIRRC VOTES ENDORSES FREDDIE O’CONNELL FOR MAYOR OF NASHVILLE
“This race is too important to sit out,” says pro-immigrant voting group.
NASHVILLE - TIRRC Votes, one of the leading organizations in Tennessee capable of expanding the electorate and mobilizing the state’s progressive base voters, has announced its endorsement for Mayor of Nashville.
Following their slate of endorsements for Nashville’s Metro Council races, the group is endorsing Councilmember Freddie O’Connell for Mayor of Nashville and Davidson County. Recognizing the power local mayors have to implement policy solutions that benefit the immigrant and refugee community, TIRRC Votes PAC strategically plans to invest in the mayoral race to ensure the next administration champions these issues.
“This race is too important to sit out. We need the next mayor of Nashville to hit the ground on day one delivering real solutions for immigrant and refugee families,” said Lisa Sherman Luna, TIRRC Votes Executive Director. “Freddie O’Connell has demonstrated he has the experience, vision, and commitment to be a true partner to our movement who will champion policies that will give us all opportunities to thrive.”
This year, TIRRC Votes and TIRRC Votes PAC will lead robust voter engagement efforts to increase immigrant voter participation and demonstrate the power of our communities in these key elections. Immigrants, who make up 12.5% of Nashville’s population, their children, and their allies make up a significant portion of the electorate. The group expects to run the largest nonpartisan GOTV operation in the county. TIRRC Votes PAC will reach 21,000+ households with their endorsements.
About TIRRC Votes:
TIRRC Votes launched in 2018 in response to the unrelenting assault on immigrant families. For the 2018 midterm elections, the new group developed a large-scale electoral mobilization program that engaged nearly 170,000 voters, made 36,000 phone calls and knocked on nearly 19,500 doors.
In 2019, TIRRC Votes invested in the Nashville municipal elections to elect the most progressive metro council in history. Twenty-one of the group’s endorsed candidates won their races, including the historic wins of Zulfat Suara, the first Black immigrant and Muslim to serve on the council, and Sandra Sepulveda, the first Latina elected to the council. A powerful team of more than 60 canvassers knocked on over 14,000 doors and contacted more than 42,000 voters in Nashville.
TIRRC Votes endorsements are based on several factors that aim to increase voter turnout among immigrant, Black, and Brown communities, and to build progressive political power in Tennessee. TIRRC Votes considers a range of factors when determining which candidates to endorse and where to invest in voter mobilization and turnout.
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TIRRC Votes was launched in 2018 to strengthen and expand our democracy by building power in immigrant and refugee communities and advocating for equitable and inclusive public policy. TIRRC Votes is affiliated with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC).
Paid for by TIRRC Votes PAC | Pratik Dash, Treasurer
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
P.O. Box 17149
Nashville TN 37217