This week's question was, including Lori Lightfoot's defeat on Feb. 28, how many incumbent mayors of the most populous 100 cities have lost re-election since 2016?

You answered: 12 (6%).
The correct answer was 23 (12%).

Including Lori Lightfoot's defeat in Chicago on Feb. 28, 23 mayoral incumbents of the 100 most populous cities have lost re-election since 2016. This represents 12% of the 200 mayoral elections we have covered across these cities during that time.

These defeats have been relatively rare in recent years. In 2022, there was only one: Ashleigh Aitken defeated acting Mayor Trevor O'Neil in Anaheim, Calif.

And we recorded two in 2021:

• Michelle Wu defeated acting Mayor Kim Janey in Boston, Mass.; and,
• Edward Gainey defeated incumbent Bill Peduto in Pittsburgh, Pa..

The largest number of mayoral incumbents who have lost in a recent given year is five, in 2020 and 2017.

Including Chicago, we are covering mayoral elections in 40 cities this year. That includes all elections in the most populous 100 cities and any mayoral elections in state capitals outside of the top 100.

Thanks for your response!