2015 Memphis mayoral election
October 8, 2015
 
Candidate Jim Strickland A C Wharton
Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan
Popular vote 42,020 22,490
Percentage 41.3% 22.1%
 
Candidate Harold B. Collins Mike Williams
Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan
Popular vote 18,767 16,388
Percentage 18.5% 16.1%
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.

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.

Candidates

Democratic Party

Declared

Potential/Withdrew

Declined

  • Edmund Ford Sr., Memphis City Councillor and candidate for Mayor in 2011[15]
  • Myron Lowery, Memphis City Councillor, former Mayor pro tempore and candidate for Mayor in 2009[7]
  • Jason Smith, State Senator and President of Smith Property Group

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.

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
Candidate Percentage Votes
Jim Strickland 41.3% 42,020
A C Wharton (incumbent) 22.1% 22,290
Harold B. Collins 18.5% 18,767
Mike Williams 16.1% 16,388
Sharon A. Webb 0.6% 610
M. Latroy Williams 0.4% 413
Anderson Fullilove Jr. 0.4% 369
Robert Hodges 0.2% 240
David Phillip Walker Jr. 0.2% 171
Leo Awgowhat 0.1% 119
Write-ins 0.1% 92

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. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. 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 August 8, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Postmortem reports on the demise of A C Wharton as Memphis mayor". Humphrey on the Hill. October 9, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Memphis City Election 10.8.2015 | Shelby County Election Commission, TN". www.shelbyvote.com. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
Official campaign websites
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