Mayoral elections in Evansville, Indiana

Elections are held in Evansville, Indiana to elect the city's mayor. Currently, such elections are regularly scheduled to be held every four years, in the year immediately preceding that of United States presidential elections.

1934

1934 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

← 1929 1937  →

Candidate William H. Dress Alvan V. Burch Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 22,367 18,720 Percentage 54.44% 45.56%

Mayor before election Frank W. Griese Elected Mayor William H. Dress Democratic

The 1934 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election saw the election of Democratic nominee William H. Dress.

1934 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	William H. Dress	22,367	54.44
	Republican	Alvan V. Burch	18,720	45.56
Total votes			41,087	100

1937

1937 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1934 1942  →

Candidate William H. Dress Alvan V. Burch Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 24,387 15,680 Percentage 70.87% 39.13%

Mayor before election William H. Dress Democratic Elected Mayor William H. Dress Democratic

The 1937 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent William H. Dress.

1937 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	William H. Dress (incumbent)	24,387	70.87
	Republican	Alvan V. Burch	15,680	39.13
Total votes			40,067	100

1942

1942 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1937 1947  →

Candidate Mason Reichert William H. Dress Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 17,088 15,743 Percentage 52.05% 47.95%

Mayor before election William H. Dress Democratic Elected Mayor Mason Reichert Republican

The 1942 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election saw the election of Republican nominee Mason Reichert, unseating Democratic incumbent William H. Dress.

1942 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Manson Reichert	17,088	52.05
	Democratic	William H. Dress (incumbent)	15,743	47.95
Total votes			32,831	100

1947

1947 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1942 November 4, 1947 1951  →

Candidate William H. Dress Manson Reichert Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 22,176 17,629 Percentage 55.71 % 44.29%

Mayor before election Manson Reichert Republican Elected Mayor William H. Dress Democratic

The 1947 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 4, 1947, and saw the election of Democrat William H. Dress returned to office for a third nonconsecutive term, unseating Republican incumbent Manson Reichert. Dress was only the second individual in the city's history to win three mayoral elections. ^[3]

Due to a change in state election law after the previous election, the election was moved to 1947. As a result, the preceding term of incumbent Reichert was extended to 1948, giving him an unprecedented five-year term as mayor before this election. ^[4]

1947 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	William H. Dress	22,176	55.71
	Republican	Manson Reichert (incumbent)	17,629	44.29
Total votes			39,805	100

1951

1951 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1947 November 6, 1951 1955  →

Candidate Henry O. Roberts Edwin F. Diekman Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 24,208 17,063 Percentage 58.66% 41.34%

Mayor before election Edwin F. Diekmann Democratic Elected Mayor Henry O. Roberts Republican

The 1951 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 6, 1951, and saw the election of Republican nominee Henry O. Roberts. Roberts defeated Democratic incumbent Edwin F. Diekmann, who had been appointed as mayor following the November 1949 death in office of William H. Dress. ^[3]

1951 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Henry O. Roberts	24,208	58.66
	Democratic	Edwin F. Diekmann (incumbent)	17,063	41.34
Total votes			41,271	100

1955

1955 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1951 November 8, 1955 1959  →

Candidate Vance Hartke Curtis E. Huber Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 25,862 21,699 Percentage 54.12% 45.40%

Mayor before election Henry O. Roberts Republican Elected Mayor Vance Hartke Democratic

The 1955 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 8, 1955, and saw the election of Democratic nominee Vance Hartke.

Hartke, the chairman of the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party organization, had faced city recreation director James R. Newcom in the Democratic primary election. The primary was competitive. ^[6]

In early June, during the general election, thirteen supporters of Hartke's vanquished primary election opponent, Newcom, filed a complaint under Indiana's Corrupt Practices Act of 1945. The complaint related to $8,000 that had been raised by a Jefferson–Jackson Day dinner, which these supporters of Newcom alleged was used to assist Hartke's candidacy, but should instead have been used to assist the Democratic Party in general. ^{[7] [8]} The lawsuit alleged that Hartke's campaign manager, Sheriff Frank McDonald, had therefore misused the proceeds from the dinner banquet. ^[9] The lawsuit was dismissed in late August, after the plaintiffs refused to post a $500 cost bond. ^[9]

Republican nominee Curtis Huber was a real estate man, who found himself in conflict with the local county Republican Party organization. ^[10]

The general election campaign between Hartke and Huber was considered to be one of the harshest up to that point in the city's history. ^[11]

In the coinciding city council election, Hartke's Democratic Party won seven seats, capturing all but two seats (with those two seats coming from wards that were considered to be overwhelmingly Republican-leaning ). ^{[10] [11]} The Democratic nominee also won the city clerk race and a race for city judge. ^[10] At the time, Vanderburgh County (which had voted for the national winner of every previous United States presidential election going back to 1892) was regarded as a political barometer, thus, attention was paid to the Democratic Party landslide in Evansville, the county seat of Vanderburgh County. ^[10] Ultimately, however, Vanderburgh County, and the nation, would end up voting for the Republican ticket in the subsequent 1956 United States presidential election.^{[ citation needed ]}

1955 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	R. Vance Hartke	25,862	54.12
	Republican	Curtis E. Huber	21,699	45.40
	Prohibition	William C. Christmas	230	0.48
Total votes			47,791	100

1959

1959 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1955 November 3, 1959 1963 →

Candidate Frank F. McDonald Donald B. Ingle Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 25,445 21,434 Percentage 54.03% 45.51%

Mayor before election Vance Hartke Democratic Elected Mayor Frank F. McDonald Democratic

The 1959 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 3, 1959, and saw the election of Democratic nominee Frank F. McDonald.

1959 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Frank F. McDonald	25,445	54.03
	Republican	Donald B. Ingle	21,434	45.51
	Prohibition	J. C. Kelly	214	0.45
Total votes			47,093	100

1963

1963 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1959 November 5, 1963 1967  →

Nominee Frank F. McDonald Henry O. Roberts Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 27,333 22,564 Percentage 54.78% 45.22%

Mayor before election Frank F. McDonald Democratic Elected Mayor Frank F. McDonald Democratic

The 1963 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 5, 1963, and saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Frank F. McDonald. He defeated former mayor Henry O. Roberts, the Republican nominee. ^[12]

1963 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Frank F. McDonald (incumbent)	27,333	54.78
	Republican	H. O. Roberts	22,564	45.22
Total votes			49,897	100

1967

1967 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1959 November 7, 1967 1967  →

Nominee Frank F. McDonald Henry O. Roberts Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 30,133 22,882 Percentage 56.84 % 43.16%

Mayor before election Frank F. McDonald Democratic Elected Mayor Frank F. McDonald Democratic

The 1967 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 7, 1967, and saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Frank F. McDonald to a third consecutive term. This made him the first mayor to win a third consecutive term in the city's history. ^[14]

Primaries

In the May 2 primary elections, incumbent mayor Frank F. McDonald ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, and John Lavens ran unopposed in the Republican primary. ^[14]

General election

1963 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Frank F. McDonald (incumbent)	30,133	56.84
	Republican	H. O. Roberts	22,882	43.16
Total votes			53,015	100

1971

1971 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1967 November 2, 1971 1975  →
Turnout	70%
Nominee Russell G. Lloyd Sr. William L. Brooks Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 33,063 23,905 Percentage 58.04% 47.81%
Mayor before election Frank F. McDonald Democratic Elected Mayor Russell G. Lloyd Sr. Republican

The 1971 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 2, 1971, and saw the election of Republican nominee Russell G. Lloyd Sr.

Incumbent Democrat Frank F. McDonald did not seek reelection to what would have been a fifth term. ^[15]

Primaries

Primary elections were held on May 4. ^[15]

Democratic primary

City Council president William L. Brooks defeated William Arendell, a former coroner, in the Democratic Party primary. Brooks had boasted the endorsement of outgoing mayor Frank F. McDonald, and was considered the front-runner in the primary. ^[15]

Republican primary

Russell G. Lloyd Sr. won the Republican Party primary against a single opponent. Lloyd entered the primary with the support of the local Republican organization. ^[15]

General election

At 70%, turnout was considered to be high. ^[16]

Lloyd's victory, with a 9,158, was considered impressive and surpisingly large. ^[16] His victory came amid a bad municipal election year for Indiana's Republican Party. Along with the Indianapolis mayoral election, Evansville's election marked one of only two Republican mayoral victories in the state's larger municipal areas with Democrats winning the elections in East Chicago, Fort Wayne, Gary, Hammond, South Bend, and Terre Haute. ^[16]

In the coinciding city council election, Republicans won 8 seats, and Democrats won one. ^[17]

The strong Democratic performance came despite outgoing mayor McDonald having been seen, prior to the election, as having established one of the strong city and county Democratic organizations in the state. ^[15]

1971 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^{[18] [16]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Russell G. Lloyd Sr.	33,063	58.04
	Democratic	William L. Brooks	23,905	47.81
Turnout			56,968	70

1975

1975 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1971 November 4, 1975 1979  →

Nominee Russell G. Lloyd Sr. J. Jeff Hays Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 27,350 19,890 Percentage 57.90% 42.10%

Mayor before election Russell G. Lloyd Sr. Republican Elected Mayor Russell G. Lloyd Sr. Republican

The 1975 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 4, 1975, and saw the reelection of Republican incumbent Russell G. Lloyd Sr.

Primaries

Primary elections were held on May 6.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary was won the Indiana state representative J. Jeff Hays. The Democratic primary was largely predicted to be a toss-up between Hays and Jerry Linzy, the director of development for the University of Evansville. ^[19] The third candidate was city sewage department employee Jack Roll. ^[19]

Republican primary

The Republican primary was won by incumbent mayor Russell G. Lloyd Sr., who was unopposed in the primary. ^[19]

General election

Lloyd became the first Republican mayor to win reelection in Evansville since 1895. ^[20]

1975 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Russell G. Lloyd Sr. (incumbent)	27,350	57.90
	Democratic	J. Jeff Hays	19,890	42.10
Total votes			47,240	100

1979

1979 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1975 November 6, 1979 1983  →

Nominee Michael Vandeveer Randall T. Shepard Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 22,739 19,808 Percentage 53.44% 46.56%

Mayor before election Russell G. Lloyd Sr. Republican Elected Mayor Michael Vandeveer Democratic

The 1979 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 6, 1979, and saw the election of Democratic nominee Michael Vandeveer.

Incumbent Republican mayor Russell G. Lloyd Sr., frustrated by tax and spending controls imposed by the state, did not seek reelection to a third term. ^[21]

Primaries

Primary elections were held on May 8. ^[22]

Democratic primary

City councilman Michael Vandeveer won the Democratic primary. ^{[18] [22]} Vandeveer defeated Vanderburgh County assessor James Angermeier. ^[22] Vandeveer was considered the front-runner in the primary. ^[22]

Republican primary

Randall T. Shepard, an administrative assistant to incumbent Republican mayor Russell G. Lloyd Sr., won the Republican primary. ^{[18] [22]} Lloyd defeated Bradley Ten Barge, a musician and retail worker. ^[22] Shephard was the frontrunner for the nomination, and had been endorsed by the local Republican Party organization's slating committee. ^[22]

General election

Ahead of election day, race was considered one of the most competitive mayoral races in the state of Indiana that year. ^[21]

1979 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Michael D. Vandeveer	22,739	53.44
	Republican	Randall T. Shepard	19,808	46.56
Total votes			42,547	100

1983

1983 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1979 November 8, 1983 1987  →

Nominee Michael Vandeveer David A. Koelher Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 28,016 12,570 Percentage 69.03% 30.9%

Mayor before election Michael Vandeveer Democratic Elected Mayor Michael Vandeveer Democratic

The 1983 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 8, 1983, and saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Michael Vandeveer.

Primaries

Primary elections were held on May 3. ^[23]

Democratic primary

Incumbent mayor Michael Vandeveer faced token opposition from two challengers. While neither opponent were seen as posing a strong challenge to Vandeveer, more serious of the two candidates running against Vandeveer in the primary was Berta Hammerseen, a former university professor and former member of the Evansville Housing Authority. Hammerstein criticized Vandeveer for the financial troubles of the city, and for shortcomings in regards to economic development in the city. Mark R. Chellgren of the Associated Press wrote shortly before the day of the primary, "the tone of her attacks has put off some party regulars, who give her little chance to unseat Vandeveer". Vandeveer's other challenger was Larry Williams, who did not do much in regards to campaigning. ^[23]

Republican primary

Four-term city councilman and high school teacher David Koehler won the Republican nomination. ^{[23] [24]} Running against him in the Republican primary was and former two-term Vanderburgh County sheriff James DeGroote. ^[23]

Koehler had the backing of the local Republican Party organization, which provided his campaign with organizational and financial support. ^[23] DeGroote dedicated himself as a full-time campaigner. ^[23]

Both candidates argued that economic development should be the first priority of Evansville's mayor. The campaign between them was not focused on issues, but rather on personality. Also effecting the race was debate over the influence of the county Republican chairman, Bob Whitehouse. ^[23]

Koehler worked to soften his public image. Despite being seen as a good manager, Mark R. Chellgren of the Associated Press wrote that he was seen as having, "little regard for the people side of government". ^[23]

DeGroote ran, in large part, on both his record as sheriff, and on presenting himself with a friendly image. ^[23]

General election

Early into the campaign, the Republican Party had hopes that its nominee might be able to unseat Vendeveer. However, Koehler's candidacy failed to create momentum. ^[25]

Koehler alleged that Vandeveer was guilty of "fiscal mismanagement", often pointing to a financial crisis that the city government had faced in 1981. Koehler also accused Vandeveer of subjecting residents to too many new fees, while also alleging that Vandeveer did not make the best use of the revenues generated by these fees. Koehler also attacked Vandeveer for his shortcomings in attracting economic development. ^[25]

Vandeveer insisted that the city's economic issues were largely attributable to the ongoing early 1980s recession, and predicted that the city would see improved economic fortunes by the end of the decade. ^[25]

Both nominees were in agreement that the state of Indiana should pass legislation to establish a new local option income tax, as well as provide additional new methods for city's such as Evansville to generate more revenue. ^[25]

1983 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Michael D. Vandeveer (incumbent)	28,016	69.03
	Republican	David A. Koelher	12,570	30.97
Total votes			40,586	100

1987

1987 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1983 November 3, 1987 1991  →

Nominee Frank F. McDonald II Al Folz Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 21,974 12,567 Percentage 63.62% 36.38%

Mayor before election Frank F. McDonald II (interim) Democratic Elected Mayor Frank F. McDonald II Democratic

The 1987 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 3, 1987, and saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Frank F. McDonald II, a city councilman who had been serving as interim mayor since May (having been appointed interim mayor on May 23, 1987, by the city council after mayor Michael Vandeveer resigned in order to accept a lobbyist job). ^{[26] [27]}

Primaries

Primary elections were held on May 5. ^[28]

Democratic primary

Days before announcing his plans to resign, incumbent Michael Vandeveer was renominated by his party. ^[27] He had been unopposed for the nomination. ^[28] After Vanderveer announced his resignation, Frank F. McDonald II was selected by Democratic leaders to fill his place. McDonald was also appointed by the city council to serve as interim mayor until the winner of the election would take office. ^[26]

Republican primary

Al Folz won the Republican nomination.

General election

Folz was seen as running too weak of a campaign organization to stand a strong chance at winning the Democratic-leaning city. ^[29]

1987 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Frank F. McDonald II (incumbent)	21,974	63.62
	Republican	Al Folz	12,567	36.38
Total votes			34,541	100

1991

1991 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1987 November 5, 1991 1995  →

Nominee Frank F. McDonald II Vaneta G. Becker Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 20,713 18,266 Percentage 53.14% 46.86%

Mayor before election Frank F. McDonald II Democratic Elected Mayor Frank F. McDonald II Democratic

The 1991 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 5, 1991, and saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Frank F. McDonald II.

Primaries

Primary elections were held on May 8. ^[30]

Democratic primary

Incumbent mayor Frank F. McDonald II won renomination unopposed. ^[30]

Republican primary

1991 Evansville, Indiana Republican mayoral primary ^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Vaneta Becker	5,584	72.16
	Republican	Robert Whitehouse	2,154	27.84
Total votes			7,738	100

General election

1991 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Frank F. McDonald II (incumbent)	20,713	53.14
	Republican	Vaneta G. Becker	18,266	46.86
Total votes			38,979	100

1995

1995 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1991 November 7, 1995 1999  →

Candidate Frank F. McDonald II Lori Frary Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 19,162 9,565 Percentage 66.70 % 33.30%

Mayor before election Frank F. McDonald II Democratic Elected Mayor Frank F. McDonald II Democratic

The 1995 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 7, 1995, and saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Frank McDonald II.

Primaries

Primary elections were held on May 2. ^[32]

Democratic primary

Incumbent Frank McDonald II was renominated, defeating challengers Frank Fuquay and Kerry Longest. ^{[32] [33]}

Republican primary

Business owner Lori Frary won the Republican nomination over David Coker, Jack Groshands, and Doug DeGroot. ^[32]

General election

The election was considered a low-key race. ^[34] Discussion largely centered upon the city's upcoming riverboat casino, which would open the month after the election. ^[34]

1995 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Frank McDonald II (incumbent)	19,162	66.70
	Republican	Lori Frary	9,565	33.30
Total votes			28,727	100

1999

1999 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1995 November 2, 1999 2003  →
Turnout	36%
Candidate Russell G. Lloyd Jr. Rick Borris Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 15,980 15,461 Percentage 50.83% 49.18%
Mayor before election Frank F. McDonald II [35] Democratic Elected Mayor Russell G. Lloyd Jr. Republican

The 1999 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 2, 1999, and saw the election of Republican nominee Russell G. Lloyd Jr.

Incumbent Democrat Frank F. McDonald II did not seek reelection.

Nominations

Democratic primary

1999 Evansville, Indiana Democratic mayoral primary ^[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Richard J. "Rick" Borries	4,850	44.19
	Democratic	Gail C. Riecken	3,964	36.12
	Democratic	Phil Hoy	2,015	18.36
	Democratic	Lawrence Hall	147	1.34
Total votes			10,976	100

Republican primary

1999 Evansville, Indiana Republican mayoral primary ^[37]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Russell G. Lloyd, Jr.	4,559	86.87
	Republican	David Woll	689	13.13
Total votes			5,248	100

General election

1999 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Russell G. Lloyd, Jr.	15,980	50.83
	Democratic	Richard J. "Rick" Borries	15,461	49.18
Turnout			31,441	36

2003

2003 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  1999 November 4, 2003 2007  →

Candidate Jonathan Weinzapfel Russell G. Lloyd Jr. Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 19,089 10,063 Percentage 63.58% 33.51%

Mayor before election Russell G. Lloyd Jr. Republican Elected Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel Democratic

The 2003 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 4, 2003, and saw the election of Democratic nominee Jonathan Weinzapfel, who unseated incumbent Republican mayor Russell G. Lloyd Jr.

Nominations

Democratic primary

2003 Evansville, Indiana Democratic mayoral primary ^[39]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jonathan Weinzapfel	4,117	100
Total votes			4,117	100

Republican primary

Incumbent Russell G. Lloyd was challenged by Douglas DeGroot, who ran a frugal campaign. ^[40] DeGroot's performance in the vote was regarded as surprisingly strong. ^[41]

2003 Evansville, Indiana Republican mayoral primary ^[39]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Russell G. Lloyd, Jr. (incumbent)	1,616	66.45
	Republican	Douglas DeGroot	816	33.55
Total votes			2,432	100

Independent candidates

Jack Groshans, Jr. ran as an independent candidate.

General election

Weinzapfel defeated Lloyd.

2003 was a good year for Democrats in Indiana's mayoral elections, with the party winning control of the mayoralties of all of the state's top seven most populous cities for the first time since 1959. ^[42] The Democratic Party also won control of the mayoralties in twenty of the state's thirty cities with populations above 25,000. ^[42] Additionally, in 2003, Democrats won more than 56% of partisan mayoral races in Indiana. ^[43]

During the general election, Vanderburgh County, where Evansville is located, saw voter turnout of 25% in its various elections. ^[44]

2003 Evnasville, Indiana mayoral election ^[45]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jonathan Weinzapfel	19,089	63.58
	Republican	Russell G. Lloyd Jr. (incumbent)	10,063	33.51
	Independent	Jack Groshans, Jr.	874	2.91
Total votes			30,026	100

2007

2007 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  2003 November 6, 2007 [46] 2011  →

Candidate Jonathan Weinzapfel David J. Nixon Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 13,097 2,268 Percentage 85.24% 14.76%

Mayor before election Jonathan Weinzapfel Democratic Elected Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel Democratic

The 2007 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 6, 2007, and saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Jonathan Weinzapfel.

Nominations

Primary elections were held May 8. ^[47]

During the primary elections, the voter turnout in Vanderburgh County, in which Evansville is located, was 6.12%. ^[47]

Democratic primary

2007 Evansville, Indiana Democratic mayoral primary ^[47]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jonathan Weinzapfel (incumbent)	3,251	100
Total votes			3,251	100

Republican primary

2007 Evansville, Indiana Republican mayoral primary ^[47]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	David J. Nixon	652	59.27
	Republican	Aaron M. Ridlen	448	40.73
Total votes			1,100	100

General election

Voter turnout in Vanderburgh County during the November elections was 19.42%. ^[46]

2007 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[46]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jonathan Weinzapfel (incumbent)	13,097	85.24
	Republican	David J. Nixon	2,268	14.76
Total votes			15,365	100

2011

2011 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  2007 November 8, 2011 [48] 2015  →

Candidate Lloyd Winnecke Rick A. Davis Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 11,664 10,009 Percentage 53.82% 46.18%

Mayor before election Jonathan Weinzapfel Democratic Elected Mayor Lloyd Winnecke Republican

The 2011 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 8, 2011, and saw the election of Rerpublican nominee Lloyd Winnecke.'

Incumbent Democrat Jonathan Weinzapfel did not seek reelection.

Nominations

Primary elections were held May 3. ^[49]

During the primary elections, the voter turnout in Vanderburgh County, in which Evansville is located, was 10.06%. ^[49]

Democratic primary

2011 Evansville, Indiana Democratic mayoral primary ^[49]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Rick A. Davis	3,997	58.74
	Democratic	Troy Tornatta	2,808	41.26
Total votes			6,805	100

Republican primary

Businessman Lloyd Winnecke defeated Douglas De Groot. De Groot had previously been a candidate in the 2003 Evansville Republican mayoral primary. ^[40]

2011 Evansville, Indiana Republican mayoral primary ^[49]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lloyd Winnecke	2,201	92.17
	Republican	Douglas De Groot	187	7.83
Total votes			2,388	100

General election

Voter turnout in Evansville for the municipal general election was 23.64%. ^[48]

2011 Evansville mayoral election ^[48]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lloyd Winnecke	11,664	53.82
	Democratic	Rick A. Davis	10,009	46.18
Total votes			21,673	100

2015

2015 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  2011 November 3, 2015 [50] 2019  →

Candidate Lloyd Winnecke Gail Riecken Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 12,309 6,723 Percentage 62.04% 33.88%

Mayor before election Lloyd Winnecke Republican Elected Mayor Lloyd Winnecke Republican

The 2015 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 3, 2015, and saw the reelection of Republican Lloyd Winnecke.

Nominations

Primary elections were held May 5. ^[51] During the primary elections, turnout in Vanderburgh County, in which Evansville is located, was 6.76%. ^[51]

Democratic primary

2015 Evansville, Indiana Democratic mayoral primary ^[51]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Gail Riecken	3,790	100
Total votes			3,790	100

Republican primary

2015 Evansville, Indiana Republican mayoral primary ^[51]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lloyd Winnecke (incumbent)	1,723	100
Total votes			1,723	100

Independent candidates

Steve "Woz" Wozniak ran as an independent candidate.

General election

During the general election, turnout in Vanderburgh County, in which Evansville is located, was 20.70%. ^[50]

2015 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[50]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lloyd Winnecke (incumbent)	12,309	67.23
	Democratic	Gail Riecken	6,723	33.88
	Independent	Steve "Woz" Wozniak	809	4.08
Total votes			19,841	100

2019

2019 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  2015 November 5, 2019 [52] 2023  →

Candidate Lloyd Winnecke Steve Ary Party Republican Independent Popular vote 11,711 2,119 Percentage 80.75% 14.61%

Mayor before election Lloyd Winnecke Republican Elected Mayor Lloyd Winnecke Republican

The 2019 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 5, 2019, and saw the reelection of Republican Lloyd Winnecke to a third consecutive term.

Nominations

Primary elections were held May 7. ^[53]

Democratic primary

No candidate ran for the Democratic Party nomination.

For the first time in at least 85 years, the Democratic Party failed to field a candidate in an Evansville mayoral election. ^[54]

Candidates

Declined to run

• Ryan Hatfield, state representative ^[54]
• Ben Shoulders, Vanderburgh County Commissioner ^[54]
• Jonathan Weaver, City Councilman ^[54]

Libertarian nomination

Bart Gadau was nominated by the Libertarian Party.

Republican primary

2019 Evansville, Indiana Republican mayoral primary ^[53]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lloyd Winnecke (incumbent)	1,938	88.05
	Republican	Connie L. Whitman	263	11.95
Total votes			2,201	100

Independent candidates

Steve Ary ran as an independent candidate.

General election

During the general election, turnout in Vanderburgh County, in which Evansville is located, was 19.94%. ^[52]

Winnecke became the fourth mayor of Evansville to be elected to a third term. ^[55]

2019 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[52]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lloyd Winnecke (incumbent)	11,711	80.75
	Independent	Steve Ary	2,119	14.61
	Libertarian	Bart Gadau	672	4.63
Total votes			14,502	100

2023

2023 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election

←  2019 November 7, 2023 2027  →

Candidate Stephanie Terry Natalie Rascher Michael Daugherty Party Democratic Republican Libertarian Popular vote 8,679 7,131 2,032 Percentage 48.64 39.96 11.4

Mayor before election Lloyd Winnecke Republican Elected Mayor Stephanie Terry Democratic

The 2023 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 7, 2023. Party nominees were selected in primary elections on May 2. Incumbent Republican mayor Lloyd Winnecke chose to retire rather than run for re-election to a fourth term in office and was succeeded by Stephanie Terry. ^[56]

Republican primary

Declared

• Cheryl Musgrave, Vanderburgh County commissioner and former Vanderburgh County Assessor ^[57]
• Natalie Rascher, talent acquisition professional and member of the Vanderburgh County Alcohol Beverage Commission ^[58]

Disqualified

• Caine Helmer, store greeter ^{[59] [60]}

Withdrew

• Gabe Whitley, lobbyist ^{[61] [62]}

Declined

• Justin Elpers, city councilor ^[63]
• Steve Schaefer, deputy mayor ^[64]
• Lloyd Winnecke, incumbent mayor ^[56] (endorsed Rascher) ^[65]

Endorsements

Cheryl Musgrave

Local officials

• Diana Moers, Vanderburgh County Prosecutor ^[66]

Organizations

• Evansville Fraternal Order of Police ^[67]

Natalie Rascher

Local officials

• Lloyd Winnecke, incumbent mayor of Evansville ^[65]

Results

Republican primary results ^[68]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Natalie Rascher	3,604	63.7%
	Republican	Cheryl Musgrave	2,045	36.2%
Total votes			5,649	100%

Democratic primary

Declared

• Stephanie Terry, Vanderburgh County councilor and executive director of the Children's Museum of Evansville ^[69]

Disqualified

• Brian Alexander, advertising planner ^{[70] [60]}

Declined

• Alex Burton, city councilor ^[63]
• Ryan Hatfield, Indiana state representative ^[71]
• Missy Mosby, city councilor ^[63]
• Phil Smith, Evansville assistant police chief ^{[72] [62]}
• Jonathan Weaver, at-large city councilor ^[63]

Endorsements

Stephanie Terry

Local officials

• Jonathan Weinzapfel, former mayor of Evansville ^[69]

Libertarian nominee

• Michael Daugherty, retired businessman ^[73]

Results

2023 Evansville, Indiana mayoral election ^[74]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Stephanie Terry	8,679	48.64
	Republican	Natalie Rascher	7,131	39.96
	Libertarian	Michael Daugherty	2,032	11.4
Total votes			17,842	100

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