Tennessee Democrats have a chance in a looming special District 7 congressional election

by Tyler Brasher, Tennessee Lookout, July 10, 2025-If you haven’t heard, Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Green announced his intent to resign from Congress on July 20 and there will be a special election to replace him in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, a district which spans from deep blue Davidson County in the east to deep red Decatur County in the west. Under Tennessee law, an election to fill a congressional vacancy must take place by early November — a tight turnaround. 

Democrats in Davidson County, in District 7, in Tennessee, and across the rest of the country have a

unique opportunity to flip this seat. The Republican margin in Congress is already razor thin: Republicans can lose just three votes on any given legislation. A few strategic seat flips could place Democrats within striking distance of retaking the majority in the House. 

Now, if you’re a good self-defeating Democrat, you may be thinking to yourself, “Self, didn’t former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry lose this race just eight months ago by 21.5 points?” Well, yes. She did. Flipping the district will take some work, but there are a few factors that narrow the gap. 

• The two Democrats competing in special congressional elections since November have vastly outperformed the expectations for their districts. In April, Democratic candidate Gay Valimont in Florida’s 1st Congressional District moved her district 17 points from November in the special election to replace Rep. Matt Gaetz. Similarly, Joshua Weil improved the margin in Florida’s 6th Congressional District by 19 points, also in April. That sounds like an average of 18 points to me, and I do basic math every single day for a living. 

• The gap in Tennessee’s District 7 of 21.5 points is not insurmountable. Nashville Democratic Rep. Aftyn Behn announced Tuesday she will run for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Mark Green. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout) Nashville Democratic Rep. Aftyn Behn announced Tuesday she will run for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Mark Green. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout) This special election has national implications. There are three other vacancies in Congress — Texas’s 18th Congressional District, Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, and Virginia’s 11th Congressional District are vacant due to deaths — right now which will require special elections: All three are in safe Democratic districts which are not likely to swing toward Republicans this cycle. In that case, all eyes will be on Tennessee as the premiere special election in the country. For once, a Tennessee Democratic candidate will have significant resources from outside the state. Assuming the other seats are retained by Democrats, once Green’s seat flips, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, will have a majority of just three members (he could lose just one vote on any given bill). Get your popcorn ready for a knockdown, drag-out fight for this seat. 

• President Donald Trump’s administration and congressional Republicans just handed the American public a hot mess with their One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBA”). The bill is certainly big, in terms of the tax cuts that the wealthy will reap and in terms of the harm that will be done to the poorest Americans, but it is anything but beautiful. The bill will cost millions of Americans their health coverage, shutter rural hospitals and the federal deficit will explode. (I’m beginning to think maybe it was never about fiscal responsibility?) This is not to mention the clean energy cuts and expansion of unaccountable Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation measures. Republicans may not realize just yet, but the bill harms Americans. Democrats are fired up and ready to go shout this from the rooftops. 

The Tennessee race is winnable for Democrats, with the right candidate. So, what does that candidate look like? I’d say they’re looking for someone who is: 

• Pragmatic and can rise above petty politics to do the right thing at all costs; 
• Deeply caring about their community, their district, our country, and humanity at large; 
• Capable of crafting and delivering a message built on kitchen table, economic issues like better public schools, cheaper health coverage, lower prices and eliminating Trump tariffs; 
• Unafraid to stand up against the Trump political movement and stand up for those among us who are marginalized and forgotten; 
• Experienced in public service and knows the ins and outs of getting things done; 
• Exciting to the base, who can deliver a win with an effective campaign that is built on the fundamentals.

Democrats have a number of options to choose from that might fit the bill. Within days of Green announcing his resignation, two Democratic state representatives announced their candidacy for the seat: Rep. Bo Mitchell and Rep. Aftyn Behn, both of Nashville. A few other names are being tossed around as well, including Nashville Rep. Vincent Dixie and former Nashville Mayor John Cooper. Better buckle up, as Democrats are in for an exciting primary. At the end of the day, no matter who you support this special election season, it’s important to engage in the process. Politics is about people after all. Democracy, if we work for it, gives people, like you, a voice.

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Rep. Vincent Dixie to Run in Dem Primary for D-7

  

Rep. Vincent Dixie

Rep. Vincent Dixie, a Nashville Democrat, tells the Lookout he will formally announce his campaign for the open seat in Congressional District 7 on Tuesday. He will be the third Democrat, all of whom are state lawmakers, to enter the race. (link)

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National Dems See Andy Ogles as a Vulnerable Incumbent

by Eli Motycka, Nashville Scene, July 11, 2025- The national Democratic Party targeted U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee's 5th Congressional District with attack ads this week as part of a nationwide strategy to flip House seats in 2026. Small-dollar banner ads associating Ogles with declining rural health care began running on Meta platforms on July 7, according to site analytics — 16 months before he faces reelection in Tennessee’s 5th.

Republicans currently hold a 220- to 212-seat majority in the House of Representatives, with three vacancies due to the recent deaths of Raul Grijalva, Gerry Connolly and Sylvester Turner, all Democrats. This means Democrats could win the chamber by flipping three Republican-held seats while defending the 215 seats won by Democrats in 2024. Ogles defeated Republican challenger and Metro Councilmember Courtney Johnston in a contested primary and won the general election by more than 17 percentage points over progressive Democrat Maryam Abolfazli in November. 

... Ogles has gained a reputation in Congress as a member of the GOP’s far-right flank alongside Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado and former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who resigned last year. A week after Trump’s second inauguration, federal prosecutors abandoned a DOJ investigation into Ogles that was believed to center on campaign finances. Ogles previously paid a $5,750 civil penalty to the FEC for campaign finance violations. (read more)

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TN State Rep. Bo Mitchell Announces Run for Dem Nomination for 7th Congressional District.

by Rod Williams, July 9, 2025- Tennessee Democrat State Representative Bo Mitchell has announced he is running for the Democratic nomination for the 7th Congressional District, the seat vacated by Congressman Mark Green. On Monday he filed paperwork with the FCC making it official that he is a candidate. 

Bo Mitchell is a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing District 50. He assumed office in 2012. In his most recent reelection for that seat he beat challenger Jennifer Frensley Webb, winning 54% of the vote to Webb's 46%. 

The State District 50 runs along the north and west edged of Davidson County and includes Hendersonville and Bellevue. While Republicans have not won this district, it is one that from time to time is considered winnable. It is probably the most Republican-friendly portion of Davidson County except for maybe Donelson.

U. S. District 7, includes State District 50, but that state district makes up only a small part of the U.S. 7th District. The district spreads from the Kentucky border to the Alabama border and west all of the way to Camden Tennessee. The portion of the district currently represented by Bo Mitchell in the State House is probably the most Democratic-friendly part of the 7th.

Bo Mitchell

In 2024 Republican Mark Green was reelected to the District 7 seat beating former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry for this seat wining 60% of the vote compared to Barry's 38%. Of course, it should be pointed out that Barry was a flawed candidate having been involved in a scandal involving having car sex in a Nashville cemetery with her on-duty Metro Police bodyguard. That scandal ended with her pleading guilty to felony theft for carrying on an affair on the city's dime including lavish foreign travel and overtime pay for her policeman boyfriend. She made restitution and received three years' probation.   The other race in the currently configurated District 7 was Mark Green versus Odessa Kelly in 2020. Mark Green won 60% to Kelly's 38%. Again, Green ran against a bad candidate. Kelly was a Black female political activist with no credentials. She was likable enough and was not an in-your-face angry radical activist but nevertheless, she was not the kind of candidate with the gravitas or the views to mount a serious challenge.Conventional wisdom deems District 7 a safe Republican seat and I will assume it is. In 2024 Trump won the 7th Congressional District 60% to Harris' 38%. That is a landslide. So far, Trump remains popular among his voters. However, Bo Mitchell is a better Democrat candidate than any that has previously tried to win this seat. Also, we do not know who the Republican nominee will be. If the Republicans nominate a real Trumpinista nut-job, and if Trump falters in the polls, and if Bo Mitchell is the nominee, this district could be competitive. However, that is a lot of "ifs."  If I was betting today, I would bet a Republican will win the 7th.

State House District 50

TN District 7, U.S Congress

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These Are the Twenty Safest Cities in Tennessee. Crime is Down. People are Safer than They Think.

by Rod Williams, July 9, 2025- An organization called Savewise analyzes crime data across the United States and issues reports on each state and list the safest cities in each state. This graphic to the right list the 20 safest cities in Tennessee. 

Not surprising to me, Americans think crime is much worse than it is. This is almost always the case. Crime rose in the 1960's and peaked about 1990 then began declining. The downward trend was reversed about 2020 with an uptick in crime, but since then has again been trending downward.

For a report on individual cities and more city and state specific crime data follow this link. 

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The Field For D-7 Grows: State Representative Lee Reeves (R-Franklin) Announces

The Pamphleteer, July 8, 2025- The Field For D-7 Grows This morning, state Representative Lee Reeves (R-Franklin) announced his plans to run for Congressman Mark Green’s seat. “[President Donald Trump] is our nation’s quarterback, calling the plays to Make America Great Again, and I’m running to be on his team in Congress,” he posted on X. “I’ll fight alongside him to secure our borders, protect our values, and deliver for the people of TN’s 7th District.” 

Reeves was quickly endorsed by the founder and CEO of Rotunda Public Affairs, Chris Burger. Though Burger has been floated as a potential candidate, his endorsement effectively knocks him off the ever-growing list.

Yesterday, state Representative Jody Barrett (R-Dickson) also made his plan to run for Green’s seat official. “I’m the first legislator in Tennessee history to earn a perfect conservative voting record, and I promise to take that same Tennessee toughness to Washington to stand with President Trump and fight the liberal elites trying to destroy our way of life,” he announced.

Since this special election does not conflict with the regular general election calendar, state representatives don’t risk forfeiting their chance to run for reelection next year in the TN General Assembly. This morning, the Banner also reported that the Secretary of State’s Office may have to push off the special general election until December to comply with certain notification requirements. 

For a list of other candidates see, July 3rd Update: Who is Running for Mark Green's Seat.

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Jeffery Epstein and How do you get a Conspiracy Theorist to Stop Believing a Conspiracy

 by Rod Williams, July 7, 2025- How do you get a conspiracy theorist to stop believing a conspiracy
theory? I don't know. It's hard. 

Will Trump supporters accept the now official version of the Jeffery Epstein story? Will they buy that there was no clients list, no blackmailing, and no murder of Epstein?

Two thirds of Republican voters and nearly three in 10 Americans continue to believe that the 2020 election was stolen and that Biden was not lawfully elected president. There is no evidence to support this, of course, and recounts and legal challenges offered no evidence of a stolen election, yet many still believe it. 

Fox News touted the theory that Dominion Voting Systems switched votes to Trump and had to pay a settlement of $787.5 million for defamation. Many believe it anyway. This believe that the election was stolen let to the attempted coup of January 6th, 2021, and no doubt led to the reelection of Donald Trump in 2024.

Some polls show up to 65% of Americans believe the Kennedy assassination was the result of a conspiracy. This is a good one, because you have your choice of conspiracies to choose from. Was it the Communist? Was it the mob? Was it LBJ? Was it the anti-Communist hawks who felt betrayed by the Bay of Pigs? You choose; just don't believe what is most obvious and what is supported by evidence.

And then there is 9-11. It is hard for me to believe that as many people as do, believe that the attack of 9-11 was an inside job. Several polls show up to 20% believe that. A Scripps Howard/Ohio University Poll had 36% of respondents saying it's "very likely" or "somewhat likely" that federal official either participated in the 9/11 attacks or took no action to stop them. Some believe the collapse of the buildings were the result of a controlled explosion and some nut-jobs believe planes did not actually fly into the building but were somehow hologram projections. Unfortunately, some 9-11 conspiracy theorist have close ties to Donald Trump.

There are, of course, those who believe the moon landing was faked. Some polls show up to 10% of American's believe this. And then there is the theory that Katrina was no accident. There is a legitimate argument that Katrina was the result of poor planning and lack of levy maintenance on the part of local, state, and federal government, but at the time, there was also this theory that the levies were dynamited for the purpose of killing a lot of Black people.

And then there is the Chemtrail theory that says when we see airplane vapor trails that that is not really vapor but dangerous chemicals the government is spraying into the air to control the environment or some such nonsense. And Donald Trump was a big promoter of the theory that Barack Obama was not really an American and thus not eligible to be president and so served illegitimately.  And Alex Jones circulated the theory that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax and a "false flag" operation designed by the government to restrict gun ownership. There are many more of course but those are the ones that come to mind. Don't forget of course the John Birch Society's big theory that explains everything. And the Jews. If you can't find a reason, you can always blame it on the Jews. 

Now, the Trump administration is trying to put to rest the Jeffery Epstein conspiracy theory.  The Trump Justice Department has said they have no evidence that the convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein blackmailed powerful figures, kept a “client list,” or was murdered while in custody awaiting trial. 

I guess that settles it. Except this Justice Department is Trump's justice department and lacks the independents and respect of previous justice departments, and Trump at one time was a close friend of Epstein.  However, while believing this Justice Department lacks credibility, I am willing to except this official explanation unless more evidence emerges. 

Will Trump's supporters accept it? Conspiracy theories find much more fertile ground on the American right than the American left.  Is it because conservatives are just dumber that the liberals, or what? Much of the reason is Donald Trump.  Donald Trump has been on the scene for over ten years poisoning the American mind to believe lies, from questioning Barack Obama's birth certificate to the big lie of the stolen election to presenting what is bureaucratic ineptitude and complexities and rent seeking and normal corruption as some sinister "deep state," controlling everything.

Trump supporters now have a choice to make. Can Trump do no wrong and will they continue to believe anything he tells them? Or, is Donald Trump part of the Deep State and covering up his own wrong doings and lying. 

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Rep. Jody Barrett Throws Hat in the Ring for Dist. 7 Race

 

For information on other candidates who may be running or who have announced follow this link.

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2025 City Freedom Index: How Free is Your City?

by Rod Williams, July 6, 2025- On July 1, The Beacon Center of Tennessee released its first in five years City Freedom Index. Below is the posting of the announcement from Beacon:

Today, Beacon released a new City Freedom Index for the first time in five years, ranking Tennessee’s 30 largest cities based on how local policies impact Tennesseans’ everyday life, from taxes and property rights to business regulations and individual liberty.

Each year, thousands of people move to Tennessee for various reasons, with many drawn to the state’s policies. And while the state you live in has a big impact on your life, so does the city. That’s why in 2020, Beacon released its first-ever City Freedom Index to shed light on the ways taxpayers are impacted by local government policies. Five years and many changed local policies later, the time has come for an update.

La Vergne proudly remained in the top spot in the City Freedom Index, showcasing the highest free enterprise ranking and consistently strong performance across the board. Farragut was one of the most-improved in this year’s index, jumping seven places to #2 since 2020.  Gallatin, Brentwood, and Hendersonville round out the top five freest cities.

Bartlett ranked last overall, while Germantown and Collierville also struggled in the bottom five along with two of Tennessee’s major cities, Nashville and Knoxville, struggling with business regulations, high fees, and rising costs of government. Since the data for the Index was compiled, Nashville and Bartlett have already passed property tax increases for next year, while multiple other cities in Tennessee have announced that they are considering increases.

Along with Farragut, both Jackson and Oak Ridge improved by more than five spots this year, placing them at the top of the “Most Improved” list.

As a composite index, cities were not ranked based on whether they were “free” or “not free,” but on how they compared relative to each other. Furthermore, as an index ranking cities, policies controlled by counties where a city is located were excluded.

You can find a detailed explanation of the methodology and full results here.

Below is the rankings:

 2025 City Freedom Index: How Free is Your City?

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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR CROSSES THE LINE

Ralph Bristol

by Ralph Bristol, reposted from Facebook, July 5, 2025- I find it EXTREMELY inappropriate that the head of the Social Security Administration would send me a news release applauding the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB). 

The SSA should not comment on the passage of legislation, regardless of its impact.  The SSA is not a political institution. It is there to implement the laws, not judge them, one way or the other. Beyond that, some of the reasoning the SSA administrator uses in his celebration of the OBBB is sad. That which is not sad is false. 

“The bill ensures that nearly 90% of Social Security beneficiaries will no longer pay federal income taxes on their benefits,” SSA administrator Frank Bisignano reports with glee.  

He continues, “The new law includes a provision that eliminates federal income taxes on Social Security benefits for most beneficiaries, providing relief to individuals and couples. Additionally, it provides an enhanced deduction for taxpayers aged 65 and older, ensuring that retirees can keep more of what they have earned.”   I think he’s counting the same thing twice here, but that’s not my problem with his statement.

“Most” retirees. Not all. That’s the new GOP way. The only way Republicans ever cut spending is by increasing the means-testing on programs created by Democrats without means-testing (to get them to pass with Republican support). Republicans later means-tested them, and now, anytime they are faced with the need to cut spending, they means test them more. Republicans have become a one-trick, means-testing pony.  That pony can only carry so much.  It’s not a mule!

Bisignano continues in his emailed news released, “By significantly reducing the tax burden on benefits, this legislation reaffirms President Trump’s promise to protect Social Security and helps ensure that seniors can better enjoy the retirement they’ve earned."

Now that’s an outright lie. The tax on SS retirement benefits, passed as part of Reagan’s “fix” in the 1980s, went directly into the SS Trust Fund to stretch out the insolvency date of the program. The OBBB will move up that date, which has already moved up to 2033 from earlier projections of 2035. 

So now, the SSA, a non-political institution, has entered the political debate by (1) declaring the administrator’s abiding support of further means-testing (Boo!!!) and (2) spreading false information, via email, to Social Security beneficiaries. 

I hope I’m not along in finding this unacceptable.

Ralph Bristol is the former long-time morning talk radio host broadcasting on Supertalk 99.7 WTN. He was one of the less provocative and bombastic of conservative radio personalities, more thoughtful and grounded in conservative ideas. He left talk radio in 2018 and retired. He lives in Nashville. 

Rods Comment: I totally agree! It is an outrage that Social Security is being politicalized. This is common however in authoritarian systems where there is little separation between the party in power and the government. Unfortunately, I expect more of this as we continue down this authoritarian path.

I also received the SS press release. I am posting it below.

Social Security Applauds Passage of Legislation Providing Historic Tax Relief for Seniors

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is celebrating the passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill, a landmark piece of legislation that delivers long-awaited tax relief to millions of older Americans. The bill ensures that nearly 90% of Social Security beneficiaries will no longer pay federal income taxes on their benefits, providing meaningful and immediate relief to seniors who have spent a lifetime contributing to our nation's economy. “This is a historic step forward for America’s seniors,” said Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano. “For nearly 90 years, Social Security has been a cornerstone of economic security for older Americans. By significantly reducing the tax burden on benefits, this legislation reaffirms President Trump’s promise to protect Social Security and helps ensure that seniors can better enjoy the retirement they’ve earned." The new law includes a provision that eliminates federal income taxes on Social Security benefits for most beneficiaries, providing relief to individuals and couples. Additionally, it provides an enhanced deduction for taxpayers aged 65 and older, ensuring that retirees can keep more of what they have earned. Social Security remains committed to providing timely, accurate information to the public and will continue working closely with federal partners to ensure beneficiaries understand how this legislation may affect them.

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THE END IS NEAR

Ralph Bristol

by Ralph Bristol, reposted from Facebook, July 2, 2025 -The insolvency of the Social Security and Medicare Trust funds is the single most predictable (and long-predicted) fiscal crisis in the history of the United States.  

Shortly after the Greenspan Commission, appointed by President Reagan, “saved” Social Security by raising the payroll tax, taxing benefits for the first time (in a means-tested way) and gradually raising the standard retirement age from 65 to 67, the trustees have released annual predictions about how long the Reagan rescue would last. 

The projected insolvency date has not changed much over the last four decades. It did change by one year recently, after a government-orchestrated dance with inflation, blamed on Covid-19 triggered the biggest monthly COLA increase since Reagan's dogged inflation. 

And now, the end is near. And so, we face the final curtain. My friends, I’ll say it clear. I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain. 

If President Trump doesn’t do it, and it appears unlikely that he will, the next president will do something about it, either in his first or second term. He won’t be able to avoid it. The end will not be near. It will be here. 

That assumes we have not already defaulted on our debt by then and the unstoppable force of the U.S. credit worthiness will be stopped by the immovable object of a bond market that slices up our credit card, which the silly monetary money theory people think has no limit. 

If he does it in his first term, he will do it expecting to be a one-term president, which makes it more likely that he will do it in his second term, which could make it more expensive for us – both those who pay for and those who receive the benefits. 

The Wall Street Journal, in an editorial this morning, wrote “If lawmakers acted tomorrow, restoring Social Security’s long-term solvency would require a 22% benefit cut for current and future beneficiaries, a payroll tax increase to 16%, up from the current 12%, or a combination of benefit cuts and tax hikes. If we waited until the trust fund was depleted, we would have to cut benefits by nearly 26%, or the payroll tax would have to rise to nearly 17%.”

NEITHER OF THOSE WILL HAPPEN

Because this was the most predictable economic fiscal crisis in history, I started warning about it when I first noticed it, which was when Jim DeMint was first running for Congress.  He and I created separate plans to reform Social Security by slowly transforming it from a pension system to a 401(k)-type system.  Only two people reading this, Marianna Leahy and Rick Tate, will remember that. 

In my plan, the same amount of money would be extracted from paychecks, and it would be mandatory, just like payroll taxes, but eventually, it would all go into a 401(k) plan instead of a pension plan.  I would have phased it in over 20 years to accommodate people who were closer to retirement at that time.  

DeMint’s plan was much less aggressive than mine, never converting completely into a 401(k)-type plan - always remaining a hybrid.  The Heritage Foundation, former President Bush, and a lot of states adopted something close to DeMint’s plan and ran with it, but 9-11 ended all talk of reforming Social Security– probably forever.  

The system is too close to insolvency to reform without increasing our nearly $2 trillion annual deficit to $3 instantly, and that would hasten the explosion of the debt bomb, the fuse of which is lit, but no-one knows it’s length, and no-one has had the courage, so far, to jump on it. 

When I introduced my plan to reform Social Security, I also predicted what would happen if we didn’t. That prediction has not changed.  I predicted that rather than significantly reducing benefits or increasing payroll taxes, Congress would simply convert Social Security into a partial welfare system, supported both by the flatter payroll tax and the increasingly progressive income tax, with more and more burden placed on the income tax. 

Instead of either reducing benefits 22% or increasing payroll by 17%, Congress will make up most of the difference with higher income taxes on an increasingly narrow band of the nation’s wealthy and even more borrowing, which will hasten the next, and much bigger crisis, the explosion of the debt bomb. 

Yes, there were times I'm sure they knew, they bit off more than they could chew. But through it all when there was doubt, they chewed it up and spit it out.  The record shows, they dodged the blow, and kicked it your way.

Ralph Bristol is the former long-time morning talk radio host broadcasting on  Supertalk 99.7 WTN. He left talk radio in 2018 and retired. He lives in Nashville. 

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Nashville’s Mayor Would Rather Not Be Tangled in an Immigration Fight

by Rod Williams, July 1, 2025-After the ICE raids in Nashville last month, Mayor O'Connell expressed his disapproval of the raids and apparently inadvertently published the names of ICE agents. In response Rep. Andy Ogles launched a probe of the mayor's actions.  

Mayor O'Connell has released a slew of documents in response to the federal inquiry and the investigation continues demanded more documents, including communications related to Executive Order 30, which required city employees to report ICE interactions. It looks like Ogles in on a fishing expedition. 

I agree with those who say that the names of ICE agents should not be published, and Mayor O'Connell did that. However, from what I have gathered from news reports and from what the mayor has said, it appears that the names were already public records and that the mayor published them inadvertently. He has apologized. Maybe he should have been more cautious and slower to respond and that mistake could have been avoided. 

In addition to the publishing of names of ICE agents, the other thing the Congressional inquiry is looking at is The Belonging Fund. This private fund helps immigrants in time of crisis. If an illegal immigrant is picked up and deporting or put in long-term detention, the fund may step in and help meet the immediate needs of the left behind family of the immigrant with things like rent, utilities and food. The Ogles probe is seeking to determine if any public funds were used to fund that fund. If they were, I would agree that that is inappropriate. I would find it inappropriate because I don't think any public funds should go to any non-profit without going through a transparent process. 

I am not a fan of Mayor O'Connell. In the most recent mayoral race, I contributed money to and worked for his opponent. I am opposed to his recent tax hike. However, in this recent controversy, my sympathies are with the mayor.  I also share the mayor's concern about unidentified masked people stopping and snatching people and retaining them simply because they look Hispanic. The vendetta against Mayor O'Connell seems to be out of proportion to what the major did. Other than publishing those names, it appears that O'Connell did nothing inappropriate. The mayor expressed his opinion in opposition the raids. That should not be against the law.  

Below are news reports spreading more light on the topic.

Nashville’s Mayor Would Rather Not Be Tangled in an Immigration Fight

By Emily Cochrane, New York Times, June 24, 2025-  Mayor Freddie O’Connell of Nashville would rather be talking about the state of the sidewalks. New traffic signals. Even the increase in the property tax rate. Instead, he has been busy addressing the fallout from a round of federal immigration raids last month in his liberal-leaning city.

First, angry residents accused city officials of helping federal agents detain more than 100 people during the raids, which Mr. O’Connell, a first-term Democrat, quickly denied. After the outcry, he ordered city departments to let his office know about any outreach from immigration agents; he also expressed support for a community fund that seeks private donations for immigrant families.

Tennessee Republicans then demanded investigations into whether the mayor had violated state law. The state has banned local governments from adopting “sanctuary city” policies, which it describes as limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement and giving undocumented immigrants “the right to lawful presence.”

Mr. O’Connell drew more Republican wrath when his office published the names of some immigration agents who had contacted the city. He has maintained that the names were published accidentally because they were in public records, including summaries of emergency calls.

The city has since removed the names and denies violating state law. Nonetheless, two congressional committees are investigating the effect of Nashville’s policies on federal immigration enforcement.

The backlash demonstrates how Mr. O’Connell, 48, is caught between the laws of his deeply Republican state and the progressive leanings of many of his constituents. It is perhaps the biggest test yet of his cautious pragmatism, at a moment when local leaders are on the front lines of the Trump administration’s aggressive overhaul of federal policy.

.... Mr. O’Connell, far more a policy wonk than a progressive firebrand, has intentionally avoided becoming a resistance figure in office. He has focused his criticism of the raids on the refusal of immigration officials to disclose whom they detained and why.

In the interview, he expressed some exasperation that “a tempest in a teapot” over his recent order requiring city departments to share knowledge about federal immigration outreach was grabbing local attention, rather than the budget he just signed or the impact of proposed federal cuts on Nashville, a diverse city of just over 700,000.

... Mr. Ogles is a leading member of the deeply conservative House Freedom Caucus. He has leveled the loudest attacks against Mr. O’Connell, accusing him of intimidating immigration officials with his recent executive order and enabling criminal behavior by not supporting President Trump’s immigration crackdown.

The mayor’s “embrace of sanctuary lawlessness in Tennessee may very well be criminal,” Mr. Ogles said in a statement, calling Mr. O’Connell “a rogue mayor.” The documents that the mayor’s office turned over to Congress last week, Mr. Ogles added, “open multiple avenues of inquiry and raise serious questions the mayor must answer.” He did not provide details.

.... The mayor has also felt some heat from left-leaning constituents who say he could be doing more to openly support Nashville’s immigrant population. But now that Mr. Ogles is investigating Mr. O’Connell, some critics declined to publicly air their frustrations with the mayor, saying that they did not wish to undermine him or invite broader criticism. (read it all)

The below video is sympathetic to the Department of Homeland Security and Andy Ogles in this conflict with Mayor O'Connell but nevertheless is a good summary and is informative.

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