Together for Nashville

“I spoke to Freddie earlier tonight and congratulated him on earning the opportunity to serve as our city’s 10th Mayor. And now, my gratitude for everyone here.

Thank you to my family – to my husband and our anchor, Michael Rolli.

To my boys Benno and Lorenzo.

Thank you Icy – the first contributor to our campaign, to shaping my heart for others, and for always encouraging me. Icy I know you are watching from Bellevue.

To my parents Patricia Kryder and Al Ganier – thank you for all the ways you have supported us. Thank you to my sisters Tish Zone and Kitty O’Connor and their families.

Thank you to my campaign treasurer David Fox for all the ways you have and continue to serve our beloved city with wise counsel and resolve.

To my campaign team Casey Newcomer, Mills Waterhouse, Stephanie Johnson, Fran Bush, Stephanie McVay, Lauren Mendoza, Marvin Williams, Jabri Harrison, Meg Crisp, Jessica Darby and Troy Brewer. Thank you.

There are many angels – too many to name here – you know who you are, the Elect Alice Angels – and you know that angels are fighters and you fought hard. I know that I’ll never be able to properly thank you for all that you did for me. I felt your prayers and I will always do my best to deserve your confidence.

We gave our beloved city a real choice in this election and we came up short.

I extend my congratulations to Mayor-Elect Freddie O’Connell. You carry the hope and the best wishes from our family.

Thank you, thank you everyone here and listening tonight. All of you who contributed, who made calls, who sent emails and messages – thank you for your bravery because I know how you put yourself and your livelihood on the line in supporting a different way of working in this town.

We stayed focused on the issues which we know matter to most Nashvillians: keeping our city safe and supporting our police, a need to urgently improve educational outcomes for all kids, and to more responsibly manage our city’s finances.

Tonight, together let us celebrate.

Let us celebrate the joy we found on this journey to serve others.

Let us celebrate the ways the spirit of Nashville is still alive.

On this journey we found the good in Nashville – in the piano playing of Terri Fontaine at the Sunday services at the Veterans Administration hospital chapel at Vanderbilt.

We found hope in Nashville with Raul Lopez on the top of Valor Ridge in Antioch as men rebuilt their lives after prison.

We witnessed the real job creators of our city – small business owners like John Wang, Jimmy Cantrell, Carlos Figueroa, Cordia Harrington, Alex Bertelli and Nathan Massey – leaders committed to build their businesses here as long as our city keeps taxes manageable and crime under control.

We found fortitude in the book of Jeremiah and the message of Bishop Walker at Mt. Zion Church. We heard you and we did not give up.

We found care in the work of Scott Potter and so many dedicated metro employees whose work goes largely unnoticed but, without their steady hands, we could not wake each day turning on the faucet and trusting that our city’s water is safe.

We met true fearlessness in the faces and the stories of the mothers of PROPEL who will not be silenced in their belief that all children deserve to read – and that every child in this city represents our shared future and our shared prosperity.

We were humbled by the many citizens forming neighborhood groups and doing their own research and their own work – committed to holding our city accountable to be sure our streets are safe and that when crime is happening – we cannot feel safe if we are told to simply look the other way. We heard you, Nashville. The voices of victims deserve to be heard and their rights matter, too.

We found beauty in the handiwork of women in Hermitage creating a garland of fresh flowers to greet us at their Mandir last Saturday.

We found that in spite of so much change in our county some special traditions have held up for more than 140 years – namely that you should never miss the picnic for the St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Joelton. That you should never miss a chance to hear Deacon Guess at St. Vincent’s and that you should always accept an invitation to witness the light that emanates from Casa De Dios.

On this journey to serve we found so much more unites us than divides us – music, faith, family, hard work. Let us not lose sight of this ability to set aside differences pushed by people working hard to divide us, when we know there is so much more that binds us: to love our neighbors, to come together even in surprising ways that those who want to sow hate cannot understand is here in this room tonight.

Hold onto the hope that in this city – that once defied all odds and by changing one vote gave women — everywhere — our right to vote. Cling to that hope that in this same city we may, perhaps, surprise ourselves and once again come together to work effectively with our neighbors when we model the way forward as one that focuses first on solving the problem – and cares less about who can claim credit or who can blame others.

And while the outcome is not what we wanted, I still believe in my heart that we were called to serve in this moment for this message. That entering this race was to remind all of us that the highest point in the county, Ganier Ridge at Radnor Lake, is preserved for generations because everyone – citizens, city, state – came together. Those who enjoy the park don’t care that it is a state park and not a city park. They care that they have a park.

We are here to be a light to remind us – that when we work together with our partners at the state and in the region we can get more done for all of our citizens. That TennCare paying for diapers for babies across the state helps babies here, that advocating for more mental health services across the entire state helps families here, that our state’s leadership to provide free community college for all Tennesseans helps Nashville families, most. Quit worrying about who gets the credit and focus on getting the result.

We are here to be a light to remind our city that we can love our city and believe that we are failing when we settle for protecting a system that is not delivering results for our kids or safety for our teachers. We cannot be proud of a system that ranks us 94 or 95 out of all 95 counties in the state. Our kids deserve better. We cannot be proud when we are losing too many hardworking teachers who are tired of policies that don’t produce results.

We are here to be a light to remind us that talent doesn’t reside with a single political party and that to govern well and to be effective requires working together with our neighbors to solve our region’s biggest challenges.

To everyone in this room before me and especially behind me – thank you for your bravery. I know you had to be uniquely brave to stand with us against the attacks. I know you stood with us because you believe our best days are ahead.

God Bless our city and our people.

Let’s be safe getting home – let us be kind to one another and to ourselves.

And now, in true Music City fashion I want to introduce my childhood friend Jonathan Bodie who has penned a special song for tonight, In Tennessee.

Thank you and good night.”

– Alice Rolli, Candidate to serve as Nashville’s 10th Mayor.

September 14, 2023