Tim Kelly (Tennessee politician)

American politician and businessman

Tim Kelly

66th Mayor of Chattanooga

Incumbent

Assumed office
April 19, 2021
Preceded by| Andy Berke
Personal details
Born|  (1967-04-03) April 3, 1967 (age 57)
Political party| Independent
Alma mater| Columbia University (BA)
Emory University (MBA)
Website| Government website

Tim Kelly (born April 3, 1967)[1] is an American politician and businessman who is serving as the 66th mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee. He defeated Kim White in the runoff election held on April 13, 2021, by a margin of 15,969 to 10,662.[2]

## Early life and education

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Tim Kelly was born on April 3, 1967, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Betty Sue and Patrick Kelly. Kelly is a 1985 graduate of Baylor School in Chattanooga. He was a John Jay Scholar, and majored in German Comparative Literature at Columbia University, graduating in 1989.[3][4] At Columbia, he was a roommate of Brent Forrester, who went on to become a writer of The Simpsons and showrunner of popular shows such as The Office.[5] After graduating, he returned to Chattanooga, where he began working and eventually took over the family's auto dealerships. Kelly returned to school in 2012, earning his M.B.A at Emory University in Atlanta.

## Business career

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After graduating from college, Tim Kelly took over his family's car business in Chattanooga, which consisted of a Cadillac and SAAB dealership. He added a Subaru dealership during his first year in business and later began selling GMC Trucks, Hummers, Mitsubishis, and Infinitis. In 2001, he founded Polaris of Chattanooga, and in 2003, he started Southern Honda Powersports. He later created the Zipflip and SocialBot apps. Kelly had taken on several roles in Chattanooga community organizations, including sitting on the boards of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, the Community Foundation, Benwood, and the River City Company. Kelly is also a trustee of the Baylor School.

## Chattanooga FC

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In 2009, Kelly co-founded the Chattanooga FC along with Krue Brock, Marshall Brock, Paul Rustand, Sean McDaniel, Daryl Heald, Hamilton Brock, Thomas Clark, and Sheldon Grizzle The team was founded to play in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid, and considered roughly equal to the USL Premier Development League.

Kelly was integral in organizing the first public stock offering of any American soccer team using the securities reform laws passed in late 2016 that allowed such investments. Under Kelly's direction, Chattanooga Football Club is the only major team other than the Green Bay Packers to offer common stock to the public. Chattanooga FC exceeded the $500,000 mark in public funding in February 2019. 44% of people with stock are from outside the Chattanooga metro area and come from 44 states and ten different countries.

## Mayor of Chattanooga

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### 2021 election

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Main article: 2021 Chattanooga mayoral election

Kelly announced his intention to run for mayor on May 21, 2020,[6] to succeed then-incumbent Andy Berke, who was term-limited.[1] On March 2, 2021, Kelly received 30% of the votes cast in the general election, the highest number of votes of the 15 candidates in the race.[7] Kelly won the mayoral runoff election against Kim White on April 13, 2021, with 59.9% of the votes.[8][9] He was inaugurated on April 19, 2021.[10] Kelly has stated that he does not identify with any political party.[1]

Kelly endorsed the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, for President in the 2024 Presidential election.[11]

### 2025 election

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Main article: 2025 Chattanooga mayoral election

Tim Kelly is running for re-election to a second term in of office.[12]

### Mayor tenure

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Parts of this article (those related to Section) need to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (February 2023)

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## References

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1. ^ a b c Taylor, Sarah Grace (May 21, 2020). "Business owner Tim Kelly announces mayoral campaign to 'get Chattanooga back on the right track'". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
2. ^ "April 13th 2021 Chattanooga mayoral results" (PDF). Hamilton County Election Commissioner. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
3. ^ Schulson, Rachel (January 12, 2021). "Start-Ups: Zipflip, SocialBot". Baylor School Magazine. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
4. ^ "The Mayors of Columbia". Columbia Magazine. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
5. ^ "The Core Had a Huge Impact on Mayor Tim Kelly '89". Columbia College Today. December 9, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
6. ^ "Tim Kelly announces plans to run for Chattanooga Mayor". WRCB-TV. May 21, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
7. ^ "UPDATE: Runoff needed to decide next Chattanooga mayor". WRCB-TV. Chattanooga. March 2, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
8. ^ "April 13th 2021 Chattanooga mayoral results" (PDF). Hamilton County Election Commissioner. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
9. ^ Zechman, Bliss; Kim-Martinez, Isaiah (April 14, 2021). "Tim Kelly becomes Chattanooga's mayor-elect, congratulated by Kim White". WTVC-TV. Chattanooga. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
10. ^ Taylor, Sarah Grace (April 19, 2021). "Tim Kelly takes office as mayor of Chattanooga". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
11. ^ Dolgin, Sarah (September 8, 2024). "Chattanooga's mayor, an independent, endorses Harris". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
12. ^ Floyd, David (September 7, 2023). "Kelly announces bid for second term as Chattanooga mayor". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved September 25, 2024.