2023 Memphis mayoral election

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2023 Memphis mayoral election
Flag of Memphis, Tennessee.svg
←  2019 October 5, 2023
Officially nonpartisan		2027 →
Turnout23.8% Decrease2.svg [1] 2.9 pp
  Paul Young 2023 (cropped).jpg
Candidate Paul Young Floyd Bonner
Party Democratic Democratic
Popular vote24,40819,895
Percentage27.62%22.51%
  Rudy Giuliani and Willie Herenton (47479766912) (closest crop.jpg 3x4.svg
Candidate Willie Herenton Van Turner
Party Democratic Democratic
Popular vote18,99018,778
Percentage21.49%21.25%
Memphis Mayor 2023.svg
Results by precinct
Young:     20–30%     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%
Bonner:     20–30%     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%
Herenton:     20–30%     30–40%     40–50%
Turner:     20–30%     30–40%
Tie:     20–30%     40–50%     No votes
Mayor before election

Jim Strickland
Democratic

Elected Mayor

Paul Young
Democratic

The 2023 Memphis mayoral election took place on October 5, 2023, to elect the next mayor of Memphis, Tennessee. Incumbent Jim Strickland was term-limited and could not seek re-election to a third term in office. [2] [3] [4] The election used the plurality vote system, with no possibility of a runoff. The election was officially non-partisan, but several candidates were affiliated with political parties. [5]

Contents

Municipal government official Paul Young won the election, with all other major candidates conceding on the night of the election. Young prevailed with a low plurality of the vote against numerous other candidates, including Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, former mayor Willie Herenton, and former Shelby County commission chair Van Turner. [6]

Background

Ordinance 5823

Memphis law states that mayors can only serve two terms. However, the Memphis City Council voted to put an ordinance on the ballot that, if passed, would extend the limit to three terms. Incumbent mayor Jim Strickland expressed interest in running for a third term if Memphis voters approved the ordinance. [2] [3] The ordinance was decided on August 4, 2022, the same day as Tennessee's regularly-scheduled primary elections. Voters overwhelmingly rejected it, keeping the two-term limit in place and barring Strickland from seeking re-election. [4]

Memphis Ordinance 5823 [7]
ChoiceVotes %
Against52,58266.27%
For26,75933.73%
Total votes79,341100.00%

Early voting

Early voting ran from September 16, 2023 to September 30, 2023. Turnout was the highest since 2007, with 57,951 votes being submitted. This compares to 52,718 early votes in 2019 and 51,840 in 2015. [8]

Candidates

Declared

The following 17 candidates are on the ballot: [9] [lower-alpha 1]

Withdrawn

Endorsements

Floyd Bonner
Organizations
  • Memphis Police Association [29]
  • Memphis Fire Fighters Association [29]
Van Turner
Federal politicians
State legislators
County officials
Labor unions
Organizations
Paul Young
Individuals
Organizations

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [lower-alpha 2] 		Margin
of error		Floyd
Bonner		Joe
Brown		Karen
Camper		Frank
Colvett		J.W.
Gibson		Willie
Herenton		Michelle
McKissack		Van
Turner		Paul
Young		Undecided
Hart Research Sept. 5-7 2023-± 5%19%4%1%-5%13%3%9%20%23%
Emerson College August 11-13 2023600 (LV)± 3.9%10%10%≤1%-5%16%3%7%14%26%
HIT Strategies May 2023400 (LV)± 4.9%9%4%1%4%1%13%2%9%8%48%
Caissa Public Strategy May 2023600 (LV)± 4.0%15%9%3%3%3%15%6%17%8%21%
Caissa Public Strategy February 20231,000 (LV)± 4.7%15%3%4%3%2%14%4%16%12%13%

Campaign finance

2022-2023 Campaign Finance Reporting [32] [33]
CandidateTotal ReceiptsTotal DisbursementsCash on Hand [lower-alpha 3] Loans Outstanding
Floyd Bonner$757,346$600,102$157,244$34,951
Karen Camper$125,567$109,716$15,851$4,500
Frank Colvett$157,450$125,924$31,526$0
J.W. Gibson$401,473$398,380$3,093$300,000
Willie Herenton$105,293$54,652$50,641$0
Michelle McKissack$155,957$133,434$22,523$25,000
Van Turner$564,435$450,790$133,645$0
Paul Young$1,059,250$855,283$203,967$0

Results

2023 Memphis mayoral election results [34]
CandidateVotes %
Paul Young 24,40827.6%
Floyd Bonner19,89522.5%
Willie Herenton 18,99021.5%
Van Turner18,77821.3%
J.W. Gibson2,1752.5%
Michelle McKissack1,4371.6%
Joe Brown 1,0281.2%
Karen Camper 5910.7%
James Harvey3250.4%
Brandon Price1290.1%
Carnita Atwater1220.1%
Tekeva Shaw950.1%
Jennings Bernard890.1%
Reggie Hall770.1%
Kendra Calico570.1%
Derek Winn570.1%
Justina Ragland530.1%
Write-in 770.1%
Total votes88,383 100%

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Key:
    D – Democratic Party
    I – Independent
    R – Republican Party
  2. ↑ Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  3. ↑ As of September 25, 2023

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References

  1. ↑ "Turnout | Shelby County Election Commission, TN". www.electionsshelbytn.gov. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland considering running for third term, if city council extends term limits". localmemphis.com. May 26, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Hardiman, Samuel (May 24, 2022). "Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland will 'seriously consider' possibility of a third-term" . The Commercial Appeal . Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "After hours-long delay, the results are in | Here's a look at who won Shelby County's hot races". August 5, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Memphis Municipal Election 10.5.2023 | Shelby County Election Commission, TN". www.electionsshelbytn.gov. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  6. ↑ Anderson, Courtney (October 5, 2023). "Paul Young claims victory in Memphis mayoral election". WREG . Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  7. ↑ "State and Federal Primary and County General". Archived from the original on August 20, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ↑ "Early voting total highest since 2007 Memphis elections". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "City of Memphis Municipal Election, October 5, 2023" (PDF). Shelby County . Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  10. ↑ Henry, Wiley (March 9, 2023). "Memphis Meeting to Discuss a Third Political Party Draws Scant Support for Now". The Tennessee Tribune. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Here's who else is running to be Memphis' next mayor". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  12. ↑ Hardiman, Samuel (October 25, 2022). "Floyd Bonner will run for Memphis mayor" . The Commercial Appeal . Archived from the original on December 5, 2022.
  13. ↑ "More to Come".
  14. ↑ "Here's who else is running to be Memphis' next mayor". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  15. ↑ "TN House Minority Leader Karen Camper announces run for Memphis mayor".
  16. ↑ Hardiman, Samuel (December 15, 2022). "Businessman J.W. Gibson II planning run for Memphis mayor" . The Commercial Appeal . Archived from the original on March 14, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Here's who else is running to be Memphis' next mayor". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  18. ↑ Baker, Jackson (March 8, 2023). "Going the Distance". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  19. ↑ Finton, Lucas (February 6, 2023). "Former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton announces bid to return to office" . The Commercial Appeal . Archived from the original on March 14, 2023.
  20. ↑ "MSCS board member Michelle McKissack makes it official: She's running for Memphis mayor".
  21. ↑ "Michelle McKissack for Memphis Mayor — ActBlue".
  22. ↑ "Here's who else is running to be Memphis' next mayor". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Here's who else is running to be Memphis' next mayor". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner confirms he is running for mayor".
  25. ↑ "Here's who else is running to be Memphis' next mayor". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  26. ↑ Hardiman, Samuel (September 1, 2022). "Paul Young, a longtime public servant, will run for Memphis mayor in 2023" . The Commercial Appeal . Archived from the original on September 26, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Paul Young for Memphis Mayor — ActBlue".
  28. ↑ "Frank Colvett drops out of mayor's race, says field is too crowded". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  29. 1 2 "The Commercial Appeal". www.commercialappeal.com. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Van Turner nets endorsements in Memphis mayoral race from top officials, city employee union". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 "Paul Young endorsements range from Young Democrats, Planned Parenthood to NLE Choppa". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Financial Disclosures | Shelby County Election Commission, TN". www.electionsshelbytn.gov. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Four mayoral candidates spent $1.76M combined over summer". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  34. ↑ Gowins, Max (October 5, 2023). "Election Results: Memphis Municipal Elections". Decision Desk HQ. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
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