The 2019 Memphis mayoral election took place on October 3, 2019. Jim Strickland, the

incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-el ...

mayor, was elected to second term in office. The mayoral election coincided with elections to all thirteen seats on the Memphis City Council. The election was officially nonpartisan, but all three major candidates were members of the Democratic Party.

Candidates

Declared

W. W. Herenton Willie Wilbert Herenton (born April 23, 1940) is an American politician and a Civil Rights leader. He was elected as the first elected African-American Mayor of Memphis, Tennessee. He was subsequently re-elected to an unprecedented five consecuti ...

, former Mayor of Memphis and former Superintendent of

Memphis City Schools Memphis City Schools (MCS) was the school district operating state school, public schools in the city of Memphis, Tennessee, United States. It was headquartered in the Frances E. Coe Administration Building. On March 8, 2011, residents voted to d ...

. *Lemichael Wilson, restaurateur *Tami Sawyer, Shelby County Commissioner; Managing Director of External Affairs - Teach For America * Jim Strickland, incumbent Mayor of Memphis

Declined

*Keith Norman, pastor and former chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party *Van Turner, chairman of the Shelby County Commission *Mike Williams, president of the Memphis Police Association and candidate for mayor in 2015 (Mr. Williams has publicly defended the Memphis Police Association endorsement of Dr. Herenton

Endorsements

Campaign

Jim Strickland was elected in

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

, defeating incumbent mayor

A C Wharton A C Wharton Jr. (born August 17, 1944) is an American educator, 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 as Mayor of Shelby Coun ...

and becoming the first white mayor of Memphis in more than two decades. His first term was marked by a focus on economic development, the removal of Confederate statues in the city's downtown, and controversy over the police department monitoring

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police brut ...

activists. Strickland emphasized job growth and an increase in the number of police officers on the Memphis Police Department, while

Willie Herenton Willie Wilbert Herenton (born April 23, 1940) is an American politician and a Civil Rights leader. He was elected as the first elected African-American Mayor of Memphis, Tennessee. He was subsequently re-elected to an unprecedented five consecuti ...

and Tami Sawyer criticized the city's crime rate. Sawyer emphasized a generational change in leadership and her activism surrounding the removal of Confederate statues in 2017. Strickland was seen as the candidate of the city's business class and those satisfied with the direction of Memphis, while Sawyer relied on a base of young progressive voters and Herenton's base was largely made up of older black voters. Herenton dismissed Sawyer as "a distraction" in response to concerns that she and Herenton would split the black vote; Sawyer responded by calling Herenton a "misogynist." Sawyer faced criticism for an old tweet that was posted to Reddit in which she ridiculed a Memphis resident for crying over their recently euthanized dog. In mid-September 2019, further controversial tweets were unearthed from Sawyer's Twitter account, including one where Sawyer seemingly gloats about outing a closeted lesbian teacher. Throughout the campaign, Strickland led in fundraising and advertising, and he was the only candidate to air television or radio ads.

Results

The election resulted in a decisive victory for incumbent mayor Jim Strickland, who was re-elected to a second term in office with 62% of the vote.

References

External links

;Campaign websites
Herenton campaign website

Sawyer campaign website

Strickland campaign website

Wilson campaign website
{{2019 United States elections

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

Mayoral elections in Memphis, Tennessee