Live Results: Memphis Mayoral Election

Residents of Memphis, Tennessee will elect a new mayor on Thursday.  Polls close at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

Mayoral Election 

Memphis

Rank Population* Mayor Terms Status
28 621,056 Jim Strickland (D) 2 Term-limited

*Population rank is based on the July 1, 2022 Census Bureau estimates. It is based on the city itself, not the associated metropolitan area.

Democratic Mayor Jim Strickland is ineligible to run for a third term.  There are 17 candidates running to replace him in what is officially a nonpartisan election.

Thursday's first place finisher will be elected, despite the fact that they are likely to have nowhere near majority support. As Bolts magazine reports, "Memphis is by far the most populous city in the nation to elect its mayor this way, in a one-round, first-past-the-post election. There is no primary, no runoff, no ranked-choice voting to cull the herd, encourage consolidation, or help clarify the stakes. All other U.S. cities with at least half a million residents have some such mechanism to ensure that the field narrows, or that the winner gets broader support."

At the end of August, The Daily Memphian identified seven top mayoral candidates based on polling and fundraising. In the only public poll released during September, just four candidates had more than 5% support:

  • Paul Young (20%), CEO of Downtown Memphis Commission
  • Floyd Bonner (19%), Shelby County Sheriff
  • Willie Herenton (13%), Former Mayor (1992-2009)
  • Van Turner (9%), Former Chair, Shelby County Commission

Undecided led all candidates, with 23%.

Upcoming Elections

Looking ahead to 2024? Bookmark the Presidential Election Calendar

  • October 10
    • Durham, North Carolina Mayoral (Primary)
    • Massachusetts State Senate District Worcester & Hampshire Special (Primary)
    • Oklahoma State Senate District 32 Special (Primary)
  • October 14
    • Louisiana All-Party Primary
      • General Election Runoff, as needed, November 18
  • October 24
    • Alabama State House Districts 16 and 55 
    • South Carolina State Senate District 19 Special (Primary)
      • Runoff, as needed, November 7
  • November 7
    • Kentucky, Mississippi Governor
    • State Legislature: Mississippi, New Jersey, Virginia
    • Rhode Island Congressional District 1 Special
    • Mayors:  Aurora, CO; Boise, ID; Charlotte, NC; Columbus, OH; Durham NC; Fort Wayne, IN; Houston, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA; Spokane, WA; Tucson, AZ; Wichita, KS
    • Legislative Special Elections:  FL State House District 35 (Primary), KY State House District 93, MA State Senate District Worcester & Hampshire, ME State House District 50, NH State House District Hillsborough 3,  RI State Senate District 1, SC State Senate District 42, TX State House District 2
  • November 16
    • Minnesota State House District 52B Special (Primary)
  • November 21
    • Utah Congressional District 2 Special
  • November 29
    • Mississippi Runoffs, as needed 
comments powered by Disqus

Headlines

Live Results: San Antonio and Garland Texas Mayoral Runoffs

San Antonio hasn't elected a GOP mayor in 30 years, but this race looks competitive

Election Recap June 3, 2025: Dems Hold State House Seat in South Carolina

On a related note, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has scheduled the special election to succeed the late Gerry Connolly

Live Results: South Carolina State House District 50 Special Election

This will fill the one vacancy in the Republican-dominated chamber

Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville Announces Gubernatorial Campaign

He'll be the favorite to succeed termed-out Gov. Kay Ivey in this deep red state

Election Recap May 20, 2025: Pittsburgh Mayor Ousted in Primary

Mayor Ed Gainey was defeated by a more centrist Democrat.