Tennessee Dems back O'Connell in GOP attacks
As Republicans dig in for a protracted fight with Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell, top Democrats are rallying around him, dismissing the attacks as partisan political stunts.
Why it matters: O'Connell needs all the friends he can get amid an unrelenting GOP pressure campaign.
Catch up quick: Two of the most vocal members of Tennessee's congressional delegation are leading the charge against the mayor.
Rep. Andy Ogles announced two U.S. House committees are investigating O'Connell's response to immigration raids in Nashville last month.
And Sen. Marsha Blackburn wants the U.S. Department of Justice to launch its own probe.
Context: After U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested nearly 200 people during a Nashville operation, O'Connell touted the creation of a charitable fund to help immigrant families.
He also updated a longstanding executive order, requiring city departments to report interactions with ICE within one day. Following that policy, city officials released the names of some federal agents in an online database.
Republicans accused the O'Connell administration of doxxing. O'Connell said publishing the names was an unintentional mistake. They were quickly removed.
What they're saying: Democratic officials surveyed by Axios presented a united front, uniformly defending O'Connell and accusing Republicans of trying to "out-MAGA each other."
Tennessee Democratic Party chairperson Rachel Campbell called the attacks by Blackburn and Ogles a "political stunt."
State Sen. Charlane Oliver told Axios that O'Connell is "leading our city with the compassion, maturity, and resilience that Nashvillians elected him for."
Davidson County Democratic Party chair Dakota Galban, state Rep. John Ray Clemmons and state Sen. Jeff Yarbro also expressed support for O'Connell.
Zoom in: State Sen. Heidi Campbell told Axios that O'Connell is "right to call out the use of masked and anonymous federal agents in our city."
"We all want dangerous people held accountable," Campbell said. "But the Trump administration isn't targeting violent criminals — they're targeting everyone."
"They're rounding up workers, splitting up families, and instilling fear in communities that are just trying to live and contribute."
Metro Councilmember Delishia Porterfield, one of the city's most influential progressives, who has at times disagreed with O'Connell on public safety issues, is squarely in his corner now. Her support is a bellwether since O'Connell received criticism from the left in the immediate aftermath of the raids.
Porterfield said it is "disappointing to see Rep. Ogles and Sen. Blackburn launch a political witch hunt against a mayor who has followed the law."
Reality check: The sight of Democrats backing O'Connell won't exactly have Blackburn and Ogles quivering in their boots.
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