Nashville Mayor O'Connell maintains high approval after ice storm

A Baker Group Strategies poll of 418 likely voters finds 55% approve of Mayor O'Connell's job performance, while 67% say they were dissatisfied with the power utility's response to the recent ice storm.

Mayor O'Connell retains majority approval following a recent ice storm that disrupted power across much of Nashville. The storm prompted public scrutiny of the city's response and the utility's restoration efforts. Poll results are being discussed for what they may mean ahead of next year's mayoral race. The survey was conducted in the days after the storm and measures voter views of leadership and utilities. Key findings: - Overall approval: 55% of likely voters approve of Mayor O'Connell's job performance, while 38% disapprove. - Storm response ratings: 49% approve of how O'Connell responded to the storm and 44% disapprove. - Utility dissatisfaction: 67% of respondents said they were dissatisfied with NES (the power utility); just 30% were very satisfied. - Outages and blame: 74% said they lost power at some point, 45% blamed NES for the extended outage, and 9% blamed Mayor O'Connell. - Political and sample notes: The poll reported higher approval among Democrats and other groups, and it was conducted by Baker Group Strategies of 418 likely voters from Feb. 9-12 by live phone calls and text messaging. Summary: The poll shows Mayor O'Connell maintains a majority approval rating while many residents reported dissatisfaction with the power utility and concerns about the city's direction. Undetermined at this time.