Jim Gingrich, the former chief operating officer of AllianceBernstein, announced the suspension of his campaign for Nashville Mayor on Monday.
“With deep gratitude to the city of Nashville and a heavy heart, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for Mayor,” Gingrich began in a statement. “After deciding what was best for my family, how to honor my campaign team, respect every single supporter we have gained, and in consultation with the electoral data available, we have decided to put the best interest of the Nashvillians first and allow voters to rally behind another candidate.”
Gingrich said he entered the mayoral race “on a mission to change the trajectory of our city, how it manages its finances, and generate a conversation about what type of leadership our city deserves.”
He went on to thank his donors and campaign staff, adding, “I cannot express my appreciation and gratitude enough to every supporter.”
“Just as people of Nashville overwhelmingly opposed providing the largest public subsidy in history to build a new NFL stadium, voters equally oppose the building of a 30,000-seat racetrack facility on the current Nashville Fairground Speedway site with no protection for taxpayers,” Gingrich added. “We must elect a leader who will be more effective with our tax dollars, and that starts with not being wasteful with our tax dollars on bad deals. And, voters, it is necessary to implore your friends and family to join you at the polls.”
Gingrich concluded by announcing his withdrawal from the public eye to focus on his family and his nonprofit involvement, adding, “Thank you all for an opportunity of a lifetime.”
I cannot express my appreciation and gratitude enough to every supporter.
I am going to take some time out of the public eye to focus on my family and continue as a public servant through my nonprofit involvement.
Thank you all for an opportunity of a lifetime. pic.twitter.com/hHpNMQvocV
— Jim Gingrich (@JimForNashville) July 17, 2023
Gingirch was one of the first candidates to enter the Nashville mayoral race after current mayor John Cooper announced he would not be seeking re-election. In terms of fundraising, Gingirch even led the pool of mayoral candidates in terms of cash on hand with a total of $2.04 million through the first quarter of this year.
However, as shown by recent polling, Gingrich failed to capitalize on his financial momentum. A poll from Music City Research, a Nashville-based research firm focused on public opinion polling, reported that Gingrich polled at 4 percent among Davidson County voters.
The 2023 Nashville mayoral election will be held on August 3, with a runoff on September 14, if necessary.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Jim Gingrich” by Jim Gingrich.
