2023 Memphis mayoral election
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| Turnout | 23.8%  [1] 2.9 pp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Tennessee |
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 Government |
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]
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[edit]
Ordinance 5823[edit]
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] | |||
| Choice | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Against | 52,582 | 66.27% | |
| For | 26,759 | 33.73% | |
| Total votes | 79,341 | 100.00% | |
Early voting[edit]
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[edit]
Declared[edit]
The following 17 candidates are on the ballot:[9][a]
- Carnita Atwater, community organizer and Democratic candidate for Governor of Tennessee in 2022 (I)[9][10]
- Jennings Bernard, private probation company owner (I)[11]
- Floyd Bonner, Shelby County Sheriff (D)[12]
- Joe Brown, former host of Judge Joe Brown and former Shelby County Criminal Court judge (I)[13]
- Kendra Calico, hunger relief charity president (I)[9][14]
- Karen Camper, Minority Leader of the Tennessee House of Representatives (D)[15]
- J.W. Gibson, former Shelby County commissioner[16]
- Reggie Hall, life coach[17]
- James Harvey, former Democratic chair of the Shelby County Commission (R)[18]
- Willie Herenton, former mayor (D)[19]
- Michelle McKissack, chair of the Shelby County Board of Education (D)[20] [21]
- Brandy (Brandon) Price, activist (D)[9][22]
- Justina Ragland[9]
- Tekeva Shaw, life coach[9][23]
- Van Turner, former chair of the Shelby County Commission (D)[24]
- Derek Winn, bakery assistant (I)[9][25]
- Paul Young, president and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission and former director of the Memphis Division of Housing and Community Development[26] (D)[27]
Withdrawn[edit]
- Frank Colvett, city councilor (R); withdrew July 27, 2023[28]
Endorsements[edit]
Van Turner
- Federal politicians
- Steve Cohen, U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 9th congressional district[30]
- State legislators
- Justin Pearson, state representative[30]
- County officials
- Lee Harris, mayor of Shelby County[30]
- Labor unions
- Organizations
- Planned Parenthood Tennessee (co-endorsement with Paul Young)[30]
- Stand for Children[30]
Paul Young
- Individuals
- Craig Brewer, film director[31]
- NLE Choppa, rapper[31]
- Elliot Perry, former professional basketball player[31]
- Organizations
- Planned Parenthood Tennessee (co-endorsement with Van Turner)[31]
- Shelby County Young Democrats[31]
Polling[edit]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size[b] | 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 2023 | 600 (LV) | ± 3.9% | 10% | 10% | ≤1% | - | 5% | 16% | 3% | 7% | 14% | 26% |
| HIT Strategies | May 2023 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 9% | 4% | 1% | 4% | 1% | 13% | 2% | 9% | 8% | 48% |
| Caissa Public Strategy | May 2023 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 15% | 9% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 15% | 6% | 17% | 8% | 21% |
| Caissa Public Strategy | February 2023 | 1,000 (LV) | ± 4.7% | 15% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 14% | 4% | 16% | 12% | 13% |
Campaign finance[edit]
| Candidate | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Cash on Hand[c] | 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[edit]
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Young | 24,408 | 27.6% | |
| Floyd Bonner | 19,895 | 22.5% | |
| Willie Herenton | 18,990 | 21.5% | |
| Van Turner | 18,778 | 21.3% | |
| J.W. Gibson | 2,175 | 2.5% | |
| Michelle McKissack | 1,437 | 1.6% | |
| Joe Brown | 1,028 | 1.2% | |
| Karen Camper | 591 | 0.7% | |
| James Harvey | 325 | 0.4% | |
| Brandon Price | 129 | 0.1% | |
| Carnita Atwater | 122 | 0.1% | |
| Tekeva Shaw | 95 | 0.1% | |
| Jennings Bernard | 89 | 0.1% | |
| Reggie Hall | 77 | 0.1% | |
| Kendra Calico | 57 | 0.1% | |
| Derek Winn | 57 | 0.1% | |
| Justina Ragland | 53 | 0.1% | |
| Write-in | 77 | 0.1% | |
| Total votes | 88,383 | 100% | |
See also[edit]
- 2023 Jackson, Tennessee mayoral election
- 2023 Knoxville, Tennessee mayoral election
- 2023 Nashville, Tennessee mayoral election
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Turnout | Shelby County Election Commission, TN". www.electionsshelbytn.gov. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ a b "Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland considering running for third term, if city council extends term limits". localmemphis.com. May 26, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b "After hours-long delay, the results are in | Here's a look at who won Shelby County's hot races". August 5, 2022.
- ^ "Memphis Municipal Election 10.5.2023 | Shelby County Election Commission, TN". www.electionsshelbytn.gov. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ Anderson, Courtney (October 5, 2023). "Paul Young claims victory in Memphis mayoral election". WREG. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ "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) - ^ "Early voting total highest since 2007 Memphis elections". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "City of Memphis Municipal Election, October 5, 2023" (PDF). Shelby County. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Here's who else is running to be Memphis' next mayor". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ Hardiman, Samuel (October 25, 2022). "Floyd Bonner will run for Memphis mayor". The Commercial Appeal. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022.
- ^ "More to Come".
- ^ "Here's who else is running to be Memphis' next mayor". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ "TN House Minority Leader Karen Camper announces run for Memphis mayor".
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Here's who else is running to be Memphis' next mayor". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ Baker, Jackson (March 8, 2023). "Going the Distance". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "MSCS board member Michelle McKissack makes it official: She's running for Memphis mayor".
- ^ "Michelle McKissack for Memphis Mayor — ActBlue".
- ^ "Here's who else is running to be Memphis' next mayor". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ "Here's who else is running to be Memphis' next mayor". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ "Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner confirms he is running for mayor".
- ^ "Here's who else is running to be Memphis' next mayor". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Paul Young for Memphis Mayor — ActBlue".
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b "The Commercial Appeal". www.commercialappeal.com. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "Van Turner nets endorsements in Memphis mayoral race from top officials, city employee union". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "Paul Young endorsements range from Young Democrats, Planned Parenthood to NLE Choppa". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ^ "Financial Disclosures | Shelby County Election Commission, TN". www.electionsshelbytn.gov. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ "Four mayoral candidates spent $1.76M combined over summer". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ Gowins, Max (October 5, 2023). "Election Results: Memphis Municipal Elections". Decision Desk HQ. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
External links[edit]
- Official campaign websites