Barry, who also became the first Metro Council member elected Nashville mayor, beat David Fox comfortably 55 percent to 45 percent in the runoff election — a larger margin than most observers predicted. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Barry had 60,519 votes compared to 49,694 for Fox.
Her sizable win — one that retains Metro's power base in the mayor's office — signals a statement in favor of the direction and politics of outgoing Mayor Karl Dean. The 51-year-old Barry, a progressive ideologically, campaigned on the mantra of keeping Nashville moving forward and continuing public investments. Meanwhile, Fox pushed for a more fiscal conservative approach amid the city's unprecedented growth.
Barry's victory, which capped a five-week runoff that turned unusually partisan, also means a sigh of relief for Nashville and Tennessee Democrats, who staved off a tide of conservatives and Republicans who united around her opponent. Though candidates didn't run officially on party labels, Barry capitalized on a traditional Democratic coalition to handily win the race.