NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — As the race for Nashville Mayor begins to heat up, opinions among the candidates differ on ways to improve Music City, especially when it comes to the newly-approved Titans stadium deal.
NewsChannel 5 Political Analyst Pat Nolan says the deal cast a major dividing line between candidates running for mayor.
"They're looking at all the things in Nashville that pushes buttons, and the stadium seems to be one of those things that pushes a button," Nolan said.
The stadium was one topic some candidates brought up at a forum this week, moderated by NewsChannel 5's Vicki Yates.
Sharon Hurt voted for the stadium among current council member candidates, but Freddie O'Connell voted against it.
And not all mayoral candidates have come out with a clear stance on the project.
"I suspect the others will have to come out with something — it's kind of an issue that's speaking directly to the legacy of Mayor John Cooper," Nolan said.
A recent Vanderbilt poll showed 52% of Nashville adults do not approve of the new Titans stadium, though that's within the poll's margin of error.
But Nolan says a candidate being vocal about the stadium could help propel them into a second vote.
"There are so many people running for mayor that if somebody can catch lightning in a bottle on a particular issue, they can get themselves into a runoff, and if you get one of the last two tickets to the final vote maybe you have a chance," Nolan said.
