Memphis mayoral election, 2015

Last updated
Memphis mayoral election, 2015
Flag of Memphis, Tennessee.svg
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CandidateJim StricklandA C WhartonHarold B. Collins
PartyDemocraticDemocratic
Popular vote42,02022,49018,767
Percentage41.3%22.1%18.5%
CandidateMike Williams
Popular vote16,388
Percentage16.1%
Mayor before election

A C Wharton
Democratic

Elected Mayor

Jim Strickland
Democratic

The 2015 Memphis mayoral election took place on October 8, 2015 to elect the Mayor of Memphis, Tennessee. The mayoral election coincided with elections for the thirteen seats on the Memphis City Council.

Memphis, Tennessee City in Tennessee, United States

Memphis is a city located along the Mississippi River in southwestern Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. The 2017 city population was 652,236, making Memphis the largest city on the Mississippi River, second-largest city in Tennessee, as well as the 25th largest city in the United States. Greater Memphis is the 42nd largest metropolitan area in the United States, with a population of 1,348,260 in 2017. The city is the anchor of West Tennessee and the greater Mid-South region, which includes portions of neighboring Arkansas and Mississippi. Memphis is the seat of Shelby County, the most populous county in Tennessee. As one of the most historic and cultural cities of the southern United States, the city features a wide variety of landscapes and distinct neighborhoods.

Contents

The election was officially nonpartisan, with all candidates running together, regardless of party. Due to the 1991 ruling of U.S. District Judge Jerome Turner, there is no runoff allowed in citywide elections.

Incumbent Democratic Mayor A C Wharton ran for re-election to a second full term in office. [1] [2] He was defeated by Memphis City Councilman Jim Strickland, a fellow Democrat, who earned a plurality of the vote and became the first white mayor of Memphis in more than two decades.

Democratic Party (United States) political party in the United States

The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. Tracing its heritage back to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison's Democratic-Republican Party, the modern-day Democratic Party was founded around 1828 by supporters of Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party.

A C Wharton American politician

A C Wharton Jr. is an American teacher, politician, and attorney who served as the 63rd mayor of Memphis, Tennessee and previously mayor of Shelby County. He is the first African American to serve in that office.

Candidates

Democratic Party

Declared

Memphis City Council

The Memphis City Council is the legislative branch of government for the city of Memphis, Tennessee. It is made up of 13 members: 7 single-district members and 6 "super district" members. Council members are elected to four-year terms with a two term limit. The city is governed by Mayor Jim Strickland and the thirteen city council members. Memphis uses a strong-mayor form of government in which the city council acts as a check against the power of the executive branch, the mayor. The council is responsible for approving the city budget, making land use decisions, and approving, amending, or rejecting other legislative proposals.

Memphis Police Department

The Memphis Police Department is the law enforcement agency of the City of Memphis, Tennessee.

Potential/Withdrew

Carolyn Jean Chumney is an American lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of Tennessee. She served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1991 to 2003 and represented the fifth district on the Memphis, Tennessee City Council from 2004 to 2007. Chumney was also an unsuccessful candidate for Shelby County mayor in 2002 and Memphis mayor in 2007. Chumney is currently running for District Attorney General for Shelby County.

Shelby County, Tennessee County in the United States

Shelby County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 927,644. It is the state's largest county both in terms of population and geographic area. Its county seat is Memphis, a port on the Mississippi River and the second most populous city in Tennessee. The county was named for Governor Isaac Shelby (1750–1826) of Kentucky.

County commission Governing body

A county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals. In some counties in Georgia however, a sole commissioner holds the authority of the commission.

Declined

Myron Lowery was the Mayor Pro Tem of Memphis, Tennessee, from July 31, 2009 to October 26, 2009. He is a former television news anchor for WMC-TV 5 in Memphis. Mayor Pro Tem Lowery has served on the Memphis City Council since 1991. He became interim mayor on July 31, 2009, following the retirement of Mayor W. W. Herenton. He ran for Mayor of Memphis in a special election held on October 15, 2009, losing to A C Wharton.

General Election

A C Wharton was first elected Mayor of Memphis in a 2009 special election following the resignation of Mayor Willie Herenton; he was elected to a full term in 2011. As mayor, Wharton oversaw the city's response to the 2009 recession and subsequent budget cuts.

Willie Wilbert Herenton is an American politician who was elected in 1991 as mayor of Memphis, Tennessee, and re-elected to a total of five terms. He stated he would resign in 2008 to run as superintendent of the school board; However changed his mind and did not leave office then. Herenton did resign July 30, 2009 to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2010, he was a candidate for election to the U.S. House of Representatives, until his defeat in the Democratic primary against incumbent Steve Cohen.

Wharton defended his record as mayor, but faced criticism from his challengers on Memphis' high crime rates, slow economic growth, and Wharton's benefits cuts to city workers. Strickland painted himself as a "law and order" candidate and promised to crack down on violent crime in the city, while Harold Collins called for a data-based approach to crime and for increased job training for Memphis residents. [16] [17]

On Election Day, Strickland defeated Wharton by nearly twenty percentage points, winning a plurality of the vote. [18]

Memphis Mayoral Election, 2015
CandidatePercentageVotes
Jim Strickland 41.3%42,020
A C Wharton 22.1%22,290
Harold B. Collins18.5%18,767
Mike Williams16.1%16,388
Sharon A. Webb0.6%610
M. Latroy Williams0.4%413
Anderson Fullilove, Jr.0.4%369
Robert Hodges0.2%240
David Phillip Walker, Jr.0.2%171
Leo Awgowhat0.1%119
Write-ins0.1%92

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References

  1. 1 2 "Wharton to Run for Re-election". MyFoxMemphis. August 29, 2012. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Greg Coy (November 18, 2014). "Wharton Raising Funds For Re-Election Bid". MyFoxMemphis. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Harold Collins Confirms His Run For Mayor". MyFoxAustin. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  4. ↑ Jackson Baker (January 15, 2015). "The Wait is Over: Strickland Announces Candidacy for Mayor". Memphis Flyer . Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  5. ↑ "MPA President Considering Run For Memphis Mayor". MyFoxAustin. December 19, 2014. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Police union president announces bid for mayor". WREG. February 23, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Jackson Baker (October 30, 2014). "Election Year 2015 is Upon Us". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  8. ↑ Jackson Baker (October 9, 2014). "Harold Collins On Verge of Declaring for 2015 Memphis Mayor's Race". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  9. ↑ Bill Dries (November 18, 2014). "Wharton Begins Re-Election Fundraising". The Daily News. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  10. ↑ Kyle Veazey (December 18, 2014). "Justin Ford considering run for mayor of Memphis". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  11. ↑ Jackson Baker (February 9, 2015). "Commission Chairman Justin Ford Says He'll Run for Mayor". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  12. ↑ Bill Dries (February 3, 2015). "Size of Mayoral Field Shadows Race". The Daily News. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  13. ↑ Alexandra Pusateri (June 19, 2015). "Get to Know a Candidate: Detric Golden for Mayor". The New Southern. Archived from the original on June 29, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  14. 1 2 Mike Matthews (December 18, 2014). "Has The Unofficial Race For Mayor Already Begun?". Local Memphis. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  15. ↑ Bill Dries (November 25, 2013). "As Elections End, New Campaigns Begin". The Daily News. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Strickland Upsets Wharton In Memphis Mayor's Race". Memphis Daily News. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  17. ↑ "Postmortem reports on the demise of A C Wharton as Memphis mayor". Humphrey on the Hill. 2015-10-09. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  18. ↑ "Memphis City Election 10.8.2015 | Shelby County Election Commission, TN". www.shelbyvote.com. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
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