Live Results: Memphis Mayoral Election
By 270toWin Staff
October 5, 2023, 2:03 PM ET
Residents of Memphis, Tennessee will elect a new mayor on Thursday. Polls close at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.
Mayoral Election
Memphis
| Rank | Population* | Mayor | Terms | Status |
| 28 | 621,056 | Jim Strickland (D) | 2 | Term-limited |
*Population rank is based on the July 1, 2022 Census Bureau estimates. It is based on the city itself, not the associated metropolitan area.
Democratic Mayor Jim Strickland is ineligible to run for a third term. There are 17 candidates running to replace him in what is officially a nonpartisan election.
Thursday's first place finisher will be elected, despite the fact that they are likely to have nowhere near majority support. As Bolts magazine reports, "Memphis is by far the most populous city in the nation to elect its mayor this way, in a one-round, first-past-the-post election. There is no primary, no runoff, no ranked-choice voting to cull the herd, encourage consolidation, or help clarify the stakes. All other U.S. cities with at least half a million residents have some such mechanism to ensure that the field narrows, or that the winner gets broader support."
At the end of August, The Daily Memphian identified seven top mayoral candidates based on polling and fundraising. In the only public poll released during September, just four candidates had more than 5% support:
- Paul Young (20%), CEO of Downtown Memphis Commission
- Floyd Bonner (19%), Shelby County Sheriff
- Willie Herenton (13%), Former Mayor (1992-2009)
- Van Turner (9%), Former Chair, Shelby County Commission
Undecided led all candidates, with 23%.
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