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Mayoral election in Memphis, Tennessee (2019)
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| 2019 Memphis elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: July 18, 2019 |
| General election: October 3, 2019 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Mayor, city council, city court clerk, and municipal court judges |
| Total seats up: 18 (click here for other city elections) |
| Election type: Nonpartisan |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2019 |
Incumbent Jim Strickland defeated former Mayor Willie Herenton, County Commissioner Tamara Sawyer, and nine other candidates for a four-year term as mayor of Memphis, Tennessee, in a nonpartisan election on October 3, 2019. Strickland received 62% of the vote to Herenton's 29% and Sawyer's 7%.
Strickland, who unseated incumbent A.C. Wharton in 2015, said that he was running to continue his first-term policies. Strickland said that he expanded the city's police force and school system while maintaining a balanced budget, avoiding tax increases, and reducing unemployment.[1]
Herenton was elected as Memphis' mayor in 1991 and served until resigning during his fifth term in 2009. He said that he was running because his plan to combat poverty had fallen off track after he left office.[2] He said he would use his past experience as mayor to prioritize reducing poverty.[3][4]
Sawyer first won her seat on the county commission in 2018. She said that her earlier political experience, including as a leader of a movement calling for the removal of statues of figures associated with the Confederacy, demonstrated her experience in making policy.[5] Sawyer said that she would put less emphasis on business and more on what she described as long-term challenges for the city, including spending on public transportation and the electrical grid.[6][7]
Although the election was officially nonpartisan, Herenton, Sawyer, and Strickland were, as of 2019, all members of the Democratic Party.[8][9][10] As of October 2019, 62 of the nation's 100 largest cities had Democratic mayors and 30 had Republican mayors.
Memphis mayoral elections did not allow for runoffs.
Also on the ballot were Leo AwGoWhat, Michael Banks, Terrence Boyce, Steven Bradley, Robert Hodges, DeAngelo Pegues, David Walker, Sharon A. Webb, and Lemichael Wilson.
| Memphis voter? Dates you need to know. | |
|---|---|
| Candidate Filing Deadline | July 18, 2019 |
| Registration Deadline | September 3, 2019 |
| Absentee Application Deadline | September 26, 2019 |
| Early Voting | September 13 - September 28, 2019 |
| General Election | October 3, 2019 |
| Voting information | |
| Polling place hours | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT |
| Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day. | |
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for Mayor of Memphis
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Memphis on October 3, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jim Strickland (Nonpartisan) | 62.1 | 59,904 |
 | Willie Herenton (Nonpartisan) | 28.7 | 27,702 | |
 | Tamara Sawyer (Nonpartisan) | 6.9 | 6,669 | |
| Robert Hodges (Nonpartisan) | 0.5 | 471 | ||
| Sharon A. Webb (Nonpartisan) | 0.5 | 445 | ||
 | Lemichael Wilson (Nonpartisan) | 0.3 | 305 | |
 | Steven Bradley (Nonpartisan) | 0.2 | 232 | |
| Terrence Boyce (Nonpartisan) | 0.2 | 228 | ||
| David Walker (Nonpartisan) | 0.2 | 224 | ||
| Leo AwGoWhat (Nonpartisan) | 0.1 | 77 | ||
| DeAngelo Pegues (Nonpartisan) | 0.1 | 64 | ||
 | Pamela Moses (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | |
| Michael Banks (Nonpartisan) | 0.0 | 0 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 134 | ||
| Total votes: 96,455 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Candidate profiles
The following candidates were selected for inclusion in this section based on local media attention, endorsements, and fundraising as of September 2019.
Party: Nonpartisan
Incumbent: No
Political office: Mayor of Memphis (1991-2009)
Biography: After graduating from LeMoyne College, Herenton joined the Memphis City Schools as a teacher. While working as a teacher, Herenton obtained his master's degree from Memphis State University and a Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University. In 1979, Herenton was named superintendent of the Memphis school system. He stepped down from his position in order to run for mayor in 1991.[11]
- Herenton said that since he left office in 2009, "the passion and resources that had been poised to lift people out of poverty were sapped and re-directed," and that he would restore that focus.[2]
- Herenton said that his policies benefited the majority of the population in Memphis, asking "What is the value of prosperity for the few when the majority are neglected, excluded, and disregarded?"[3]
- Herenton said that he had the experience to deliver on his agenda and that he had a record of having "worked to transform blight into improved public housing, to freeze taxes on our more seasoned citizens, and to create a climate where businesses thrived."[4]
Party: Nonpartisan
Incumbent: No
Political office: Shelby County Board of Commissioners (2018-Present)
Biography: Sawyer obtained her bachelor's degree from the University of Memphis. She went on to work for seven years as a human capital analyst with the U.S. Navy's Integrated Warfare Systems Program Executive Office before joining Teach for America-Memphis as a managing director of diversity and community partnerships.[12] In 2017, Sawyer founded #takeemdown901, a movement advocating for the removal of statues depicting figures associated with the Confederate States of America in Memphis.[13]
- Sawyer said that in recent years Memphis' government "has had a conservative and business-first focus, which has translated to less services to support residents and neighborhoods" and that she would expand job-training programs, incentivize wage increases, and increase access to affordable housing if elected.[6]
- Sawyer was critical of what she described as city leaders' inaction on long-term challenges facing Memphis, including what she called an inefficient public transportation system, low-quality power lines and water pipes, an uneven focus on development in certain neighborhoods at the expense of others, and a lawsuit with the state of Mississippi over aquifer access.[7]
- Sawyer said that she had experience with local politics, referring to her founding of #takeemdown901 and her election to the county commission in 2018.[5]
Party: Nonpartisan
Incumbent: Yes
Political office: Mayor of Memphis (2016-Present), Memphis City Council (2008-2015)
Biography: Strickland obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of Memphis in 1986 and his law degree from the same school in 1989. After graduating, Strickland worked in private practice as an attorney with Glankler Brown PLLC and later Kustoff & Strickland PLLC before his election as mayor.[14]
- Strickland said that since he was sworn in there had been "unprecedented growth in jobs and economic development," saying that 18,000 jobs had come to Memphis and unemployment is near a record low.[1]
- Strickland said that he had delivered on promises he made in the 2015 election, including hiring more police officers, expanding access to pre-K, and increasing the number of participants in summer camp and summer youth programs.[1][15]
- Strickland described efficiency in government as a priority, saying that he was able to pass a balanced budget without increasing taxes throughout his first term.[1]
Campaign finance
The following chart contains campaign finance figures taken from disclosures filed with the Shelby County Election Commission and covering all raising and spending between January 16, 2019, and September 23, 2019. Only candidates who filed pre-general election financial disclosures and reported raising or spending money are included. View the full reporting schedule for mayoral candidates here.
In addition to the figures reported above, Strickland reported entering 2019 with $757,497.96 already in his campaign finance account.
Endorsements
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available.
| Noteworthy endorsements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Strickland | Herenton | Sawyer[16] | |||
| Elected officials | ||||||
| Shelby County Commissioner Mark Billingsley[17] | ✔ | |||||
| Shelby County Commissioner Reginald Milton[17] | ✔ | |||||
| Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner[17] | ✔ | |||||
| Shelby County Commissioner Willie Brooks[17] | ✔ | |||||
| Shelby County Commissioner Brandon Garrott Morrison[17] | ✔ | |||||
| Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr.[17] | ✔ | |||||
| Shelby County Commissioner Michael Whaley[17] | ✔ | |||||
| Shelby County Commissioner Mickell Lowery[17] | ✔ | |||||
| Shelby County Board of Education member Miska Clay-Bibbs[18] | ✔ | |||||
| Newspapers and editorials | ||||||
| The Commercial Appeal[19] | ✔ | |||||
| Organizations | ||||||
| AFSCME Local 1733[20] | ✔ | |||||
| Democratic Socialists of America | ✔ | |||||
| IBEW Local 1288[21] | ✔ | |||||
| Leadership for Educational Equity | ✔ | |||||
| Maria's List | ✔ | |||||
| Memphis for All | ✔ | |||||
| Memphis Fire Fighters Association[22] | ✔ | |||||
| Memphis People's Convention[23] | ✔ | |||||
| Memphis Police Association[24] | ✔ | |||||
| Up the Vote 901 | ✔ | |||||
| Vote Pro Choice | ✔ | |||||
| Women for Tennessee's Future[25] | ✔ | |||||
Campaign themes
Candidate survey
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Jim Strickland
Strickland's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Accomplishments Universal Pre-K Rebuilding Our Police Department Investing in Our Youth Responsible Budgeting Moving Memphis Forward Creating Jobs Transforming Memphis Rebuilding MPD Pre-K Investing in Our Youth Fixing Government Creating Better Core Services Reducing the Homeless Rate Minority Spending Running a Smart, Efficient Government Working with the State Turning Around Animal Services Memphis 3.0 |
” |
| —Friends of Jim Strickland[27][28] | ||
Willie Herenton
The following themes were found on Herenton's campaign website:
| “ |
Why Mayor? But what if you don’t have a boat? As Mayor, I will use the tools of the office to enact effective policies that empower those without boats and elevate those who speak truth to power. Over the course of 17 years, I worked to transform blight into improved public housing, to freeze taxes on our more seasoned citizens, and to create a climate where businesses thrived. My priority was lightening the tax burden on our older citizens, not to lessen the tax burden of corporations. My policies resulted in making Memphis financially strong and building the city’s reserves to $90 million. I am deeply concerned with the direction of the city. I understand the gravity of the responsibility that comes with being Mayor of Memphis. Based on my previous experience, demonstrated ability, and successes, I know I can direct the resources of the city toward providing opportunities for everyone and, more importantly, grooming tomorrow’s leaders. Only when we work together to move our city in the right direction can true momentum be achieved. Only together can we ensure it is sustained. Why Now? When I left office in 2009, my agenda to improve the lives of our citizens was unfinished. My goal to empower the people of our city to live their best lives was hijacked by those with a different agenda—an agenda that profits from maintaining the status quo, empowers the few, and neglects the many. The passion and resources that had been poised to lift people out of poverty were sapped and re-directed. The leadership of the city reverted to business as usual. Our City is adrift and no longer anchored by the things that bind us together. We are at a critical juncture in the history of our city—just as we were in 1992 when we came together to begin laying the foundation for a more inclusive and prosperous city for us all. Now with wisdom rooted in a lifetime of public service and an inextinguishable passion to finish what we started, I am certain that my plan for the city and her people will bear fruit for generations to come. Why Doc? It’s about breaking the cycle of poverty in Memphis by building families, not creating facades. It’s about increasing options for people, not just profits for portfolios. It’s about guaranteeing an equal opportunity to participate in our city’s prosperity, not just waiving taxes for temporary corporate tenants. It’s about honoring promises to those who serve and protect, not forsaking them by funneling resources into questionable business ventures. What is the value of prosperity for the few when the majority are neglected, excluded, and disregarded? I believe Memphis’ greatest power is her people. I have devoted nearly 50 years of my life to public service, and in that time, I successfully managed the two largest governmental institutions in Memphis. I shepherded into realization the signature projects that transformed the landscape of our city—from improving public housing, to bringing AutoZone Park and Peabody Place to fruition and building FedEx Forum. But notwithstanding these accomplishments, I believe the best investment we can make as a city is one made in her people. Doc Answers! At age 78, how is your health? Why did you resign your position as Mayor in 2009? How will you reduce the crime rate in Memphis? Why are your charter schools closing? |
” |
| —Friends to Elect Willie Herenton[29] | ||
Tamara Sawyer
Sawyer's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Economic Equity Too many of our children (nearly 50% of Black children and 39% of all children) are growing up in poverty; 40,000 live in households where the annual income is less than $10,000 a year. 65% of our jobs are at risk for coming automation. Nationally, Black wealth is predicted to go to zero by 2053. The majority of Memphians – and particularly Memphians who are poor, Black, Brown, or otherwise marginalized in society – do not have the supports in our city to succeed, and certainly not to thrive. In recent years, our local government has had a conservative and business-first focus, which has translated to less services to support residents and neighborhoods. Very little local public funding goes to investments in people, youth, neighborhood development, or broad economic development, even though the City of Memphis’ own Five-Year Fiscal Plan said its poll showed Memphians want these kinds of investments more than more police. What's Predictable By 2030, economists predict anywhere from 5 to 50 million jobs will be impacted by automation; some will be meaningfully changed, and others could be completely eliminated. Those who lose jobs to this technological revolution will not likely be qualified for the jobs that replace them. In Memphis, the business community and political leadership has repeatedly doubled down on attracting transportation, distribution, & logistics industries and touted our “low-wage workforce” as a strategic asset. As a result, we are the 2nd most at-risk city for automation in the US today. What Tami Will Fight For Instead Tami will fight for a Memphis where leadership puts its people first in our investments, our recruitment strategies, and in all decisions at city hall. Tami wants every Memphian – not just some – to have the opportunity to succeed and thrive. Tami's Economic Priorities
Education & Youth Development Only a third of students are performing on grade-level in our schools. Our students are not being met with the holistic supports they deserve, and our systems are not designed to give them what they need. Our schools are underfunded and our children are being shortchanged. Out-of-school programs in city community centers and libraries are not being adequately coordinated with schools to ensure the best results for young people. In 2019, 10,000 young people applied for the city’s MPLOY youth summer jobs program, but only 1,750 positions are available. Research has found that quality summer jobs programs can help reduce violence and incarceration and improve academic outcomes, but we don’t see those kind of investments prioritized by our city. What's Predictable What Tami Will Fight For Instead Tami will fight for a city where every student in Memphis has the opportunity to achieve their dreams and where we can’t predict their life outcomes based on their zip code. Tami's Youth Priorities
Moving Memphis Forward Our relationship with TVA has been reliable, but costly: studies suggest renegotiating this relationship could reduce Memphians’ annual energy costs by hundreds of millions of dollars. Our mayor was committed to this relationship – and its costs – until this election year. Additionally, reports on the state of the climate are alarming and require immediate action from cities across the country. Worryingly, Memphis has no specific commitment to reaching 100% renewable energy levels. Our city is not following our peers to ensure future generations can live and flourish on our planet. We are currently being sued by the state of Mississippi over our aquifer; if they win, we could be forced to pay millions in reparations to Mississippi. Notably, the current mayor has been completely silent on this issue and trusted Nashville to take care of us in Memphis, despite the fact they have a sparse track-record of ever doing so. Memphis has been noted to have some of the best water in the country, and we need to work and be diligent to keep it that way. When we make investments in our roads and parks, we do so without a commitment to equity and often repave and beautify the Poplar corridor or other developing areas like Downtown and Crosstown dozens of times before doing the same to Raleigh, Hickory Hill, Whitehaven, or Orange Mound. Among the most egregious examples of inequitable distribution of resources is the creation of the Poplar Corridor TIF that turned over an estimated $42 million in city and county property tax dollars to a group of private developers to spend solely as they determine on infrastructure improvements just around Poplar Ave in East Memphis. Memphis has an aging infrastructure that can be seen with the power outages that seem to get worse with each storm. Lead in our pipes can endanger our communities, especially our children, and we must be clear and transparent in assessing and solving those challenges. Our citizens deserve more than a disconnected transit system, a blind eye to their needs until it’s an election year, and a mayor that doesn’t understand what’s at stake with our water and land. What's Predictable If nothing changes, we will continue to pay higher utility bills unnecessarily; continue to be unable to get to work on time or at all; continue to see our water sources under threat; continue to send our kids to schools with lead present in the water supply above what’s safe; and continue to have an infrastructure that doesn’t serve us. In short, Memphians will continue to lose and at faster rates. What Tami Will Fight For Instead Memphians deserve a reliable and low-cost energy source, and a local government that protects our natural assets like our water aquifer, parks, and groundwater fiercely. Memphians deserve to have a city that reimagines its energy in these ways and also works to be more energy efficient, clean, and renewable. She knows we can be a city that invests our dollars where they are needed most and with the input of our citizens to strengthen our decision-making in every department. She also believes that we can create great jobs for our citizens as we green our city to lead on this issue for the future of our children and grandchildren. Tami's Priorities
Social Justice Current State Today, Black women are four times as likely to die in childbirth than white women, our infant mortality rates are still among the highest in the country and Black babies are three times as likely to die before they are one than white babies. Young people who menstruate don’t have ready access to menstrual products at home and school. Our families are often separated in the too-few homeless shelter options available and in investments that don’t support permanent housing. People in Memphis deserve - but don’t yet have convenient, judgment free - access to affordable quality healthcare which includes family planning services like coverage of contraception and reproductive services. Too many of our neighborhoods are food deserts, lacking access to fresh food with high nutritional value. Our parks and green spaces aren’t readily accessible to everyone nor are they all properly protected from encroachment by corporate interests. Memphians of all economic backgrounds deserve access to world-class, well-preserved parks. Our Spanish-speaking neighbors don’t have equal access to city services and our immigrant services are relegated to Spanish-speaking members only, even when they’re sparsely available. Today, queer youth represent 40 percent of the youth homeless population. Memphis is ranked 8th in the country for new HIV transmissions and queer Black men and transgender women of color are disproportionately impacted by this preventable and treatable virus. More Memphians today than ever are renting - more than 56% - and our rents are increasing by double percentage points annually. As Memphis housing prices increase, our people need consistent, reliable ways to find representation for disputes, protection, and for organizing. What's Predictable What Tami Will Fight For Instead She wants to lead a government that puts the people of Memphis first and strengthens the whole of our communities. She knows that, especially now, we need a mayor who will stand up to Nashville and even our federal government, not one that stands idly by while our citizens’ rights are infringed upon and core constituencies are attacked. Tami's Priorities
Criminal Justice Current State Our current city administration believes to its core that the only answer to crime is police - lots of them - despite research that shows that punishment policies have only a modest impact on decreasing crime. The current mayor has invested in policing and safety so that today, 70 percent of the 2019 budget goes to this effort alone. We are employing officers at near record-rates without any understanding as a community as to what this increase in investment and officers does to our local crime or response rates and without clear evidence that more police is the cause of any decreases in crime or increases in response times that we might see. We are led to believe that the only path to a safer city is one with an omnipresent police force. We have a Crime Commission that invests and significantly shapes public agencies but was chartered in a way that allows it to operate as a private entity, denying citizens the transparency that is required of healthy democracies. That same Crime Commission, alongside the current mayor, sought to hire Ray Kelly, the architect of the racist, failed “broken-windows” and “stop-and-frisk” policing in New York City to bring more “law and order” to our city. The City of Memphis currently abdicates its responsibilities to a private group whose president also produces reports in his job at the University of Memphis that validate the Crime Commission’s priorities. We need objective community based accountability and a democracy requires it. Our current mayor lobbied the General Assembly in Nashville for harsher, longer sentences, and continues to push for “tough on crime laws” that we see being reformed across the country. Along with the Crime Commission, he has a history of pushing for these tough on crime laws including mandatory sentencing and felony charge increases that puts even more power into the hands of the District Attorney. These laws have led to Tennessee being one of only eight states in the country to see its highest prison populations ever, a system that is made up of 40% Black people, despite the state only being 17% Black. Moreover, we have a district attorney that insists on filling our prisons with low-level drug offenders, a move that costs taxpayers millions of dollars, and refuses to instead prosecute only violent crimes as so many DA’s across the country are doing. She also refuses to hold law enforcement accountable for the shootings of Memphians. The current mayor has also refused to demonstrate a clear priority for transparency and accountability through his lack of support for the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB). Instead, he leads a city administration that criminalized local activists with the creation of a black list designed to limit their access to city hall and illegally surveilled them on social media using false accounts. At the same time that cities across the nation are declaring themselves sanctuary cities and our own county sheriff has declared that he will not cooperate with ICE, we have a city mayor that refuses to stand up to the general assembly and declare us a sanctuary city. He instead works alongside his police director to coordinate raids with ICE and turnover our neighbors to this agency that believes it is okay to cage children at the border and rip families apart. Finally, we also know that we have too many guns in Memphis and we need to reduce gun violence. We have licenses for handguns in Memphis of nearly 20,000 and we know that many more guns are on our streets illegally. We must fight to reduce this volume and ensure that our laws protect all of our citizens from further gun violence. What's Predictable Our criminal justice systems will continue to ensure these prisons and others are filled with our neighbors, our parents, children, and friends. We will continue to resist using proven tactics to create safer communities. We will continue to see mass deportation raids in our immigrant community. Our crime rate will continue to plague our communities and citizens, and we will continue to wage an ineffective, but deadly, war on them. What Tami Will Fight For Instead Tami also knows that when crime happens, we must have a system that supports both the victim of that crime and works with the person accused of that crime for rehabilitation and reentry into our communities. Tami's Criminal Justice Priorities
|
” |
| —Tami Sawyer for Mayor[30] | ||
Campaign advertisements
This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.
Tamara Sawyer
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Debates and forums
September 6, 2019, candidate forum
Steven Bradley, Tamara Sawyer, and Lemichael Wilson participated in a candidate forum at the National Civil Rights Museum hosted by the League of Women Voters and the Tennessee Nurses Association. Willie Herenton attended the event but was not a participant.[31]
Timeline
- September 26, 2019: Pre-general campaign finance reports covering raising and spending between July 1 and September 23 were due. Strickland reported raising $150,000 during that period and having $320,000 in cash on hand, while Herenton reported raising $37,000 and having $42,000 in cash on hand and Sawyer reported raising $73,000 and having $46,000 in cash on hand.
- September 19, 2019: The Commercial Appeal endorsed Strickland.
- September 6, 2019: Bradley, Sawyer, and Wilson participated in a candidate forum at the National Civil Rights Museum.
- August 14, 2019: The Memphis Fire Fighters Association endorsed Herenton.
Mayoral partisanship
Once mayors elected in 2019 assumed office, the mayors of 65 of the country's 100 largest cities were affiliated with the Democratic Party. Out of the 31 mayoral elections that were held in 2019 in the 100 largest cities, five partisan changes occurred. Democrats gained three mayorships: two previously held by Republicans and one previously held by an independent. Republicans won one office held by an unaffiliated mayor, and one office where the incumbent's partisan affiliation was unknown.
In the elections in Phoenix, Arizona and Wichita, Kansas, Democrats won seats with Republican incumbents. In Wichita, Democrat Brandon Whipple defeated Republican incumbent Jeff Longwell. In Raleigh, North Carolina, a Democrat won a seat previously held by an independent. In Aurora, Colorado, a Republican succeeded an unaffiliated mayor. In Garland, Texas, a Republican succeeded a mayor with unknown party affiliation. Incumbents did not seek re-election in Phoenix, Raleigh, Aurora, or Garland.
Click here to learn more.
Election history
2015
The city of Memphis, Tennessee, held elections for mayor and city council on October 8, 2015. Because this race could not move to a runoff, the candidate with the most votes was declared the winner, regardless of whether he or she won a majority.[32] The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was July 17, 2015.[33] Incumbent A. C. Wharton faced Jim Strickland, Harold B. Collins, Leo Awgowhat, Anderson Fullilove, Jr., Robert Hodges, David Phillip Walker, Jr., Sharon A. Webb, M. Latroy Williams and Mike Williams in the general election on October 8, 2015.[34] Strickland won the mayoral election.
| Memphis Mayor General Election, 2015 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
 Jim Strickland |
41.3% | 42,020 | |
| A. C. Wharton Incumbent | 22.1% | 22,490 | |
| 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-in votes | 0.1% | 92 | |
| Total Votes | 100,275 | ||
| Source: Shelby County Election Commission, "Memphis Election 2015 October," accessed October 8, 2015 | |||
2011
In the 2011 general election for Mayor of Memphis, Wharton won election to a full term after receiving 65% of the total votes cast.
| Mayor of Memphis, 2011 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| A.C. Wharton Incumbent |
65.5% | 48,645 | |
| Leo AwGoWhat | 0.2% | 141 | |
| James R Barbee | 0.4% | 310 | |
| Carlos F Boyland | 0.2% | 170 | |
| Edmund H. Ford Sr. | 28.2% | 20,911 | |
| James Harvey Sr. | 2.8% | 2,053 | |
| Robert Hodges | 1% | 751 | |
| DeWayne DEA Jones | 0.1% | 79 | |
| Marty Merriweather | 0.6% | 442 | |
| Kenneth B. Robinson | 1% | 774 | |
| Total Votes | 70,177 | ||
| Source: Shelby County 2011 Election Results | |||
About the office
Memphis' municipal government uses a strong mayor-council system. Under this form of government, an elected mayor serves as the city's chief executive officer while an elected city council serves as the municipal legislature. As the chief executive officer, the mayor is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, proposing a budget, signing laws, negotiating contracts, and appointing departmental directors.[35] Mayors of Memphis are elected to four-year terms in nonpartisan elections. No mayor may serve for more than two consecutive terms.[36]
About the city
- See also: Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee. As of 2010, its population was 646,889.
City government
- See also: Mayor-council government
The city of Memphis uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body while the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for Memphis, Tennessee | ||
|---|---|---|
| Memphis | Tennessee | |
| Population | 646,889 | 6,346,105 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 317 | 41,237 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 29.2% | 77.6% |
| Black/African American | 64.1% | 16.8% |
| Asian | 1.7% | 1.8% |
| Native American | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.1% |
| Other (single race) | 3.3% | 1.4% |
| Multiple | 1.5% | 2.2% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 7.2% | 5.4% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 85.7% | 87.5% |
| College graduation rate | 26.2% | 27.3% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $41,228 | $53,320 |
| Persons below poverty level | 25.1% | 15.2% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
State profile
- See also: Tennessee and Tennessee elections, 2019
Partisan data
The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019
Presidential voting pattern
- Tennessee voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2018 elections, both U.S. Senators from Tennessee were Republican.
- Tennessee had two Democratic and seven Republican U.S. Representatives.
State executives
- Republicans held six of Tennessee's 18 state executive offices. Elections for the other offices are nonpartisan.
- Tennessee's governor was Republican Bill Lee.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled the Tennessee State Senate with a 28-5 majority.
- Republicans controlled the Tennessee House of Representatives with a 73-26 majority.
Tennessee Party Control: 1992-2024
Five years of Democratic trifectas • Fourteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
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| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
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| Demographic data for Tennessee | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 6,595,056 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 41,235 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 77.8% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 16.8% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.6% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 4.9% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 85.5% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 24.9% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $45,219 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 21.4% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Tennessee. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
One of 95 Tennessee counties—1 percent—is a Pivot County. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Hardeman County, Tennessee | 7.92% | 5.91% | 6.18% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Tennessee with 60.7 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 34.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Tennessee cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 76.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Tennessee supported Democratic candidates for president and Republican candidates equally. The state, however, favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Tennessee. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns show the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns show the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[37][38]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 20 out of 99 state House districts in Tennessee with an average margin of victory of 50.7 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 22 out of 99 state House districts in Tennessee with an average margin of victory of 46.5 points. Clinton won one district controlled by a Republican heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 79 out of 99 state House districts in Tennessee with an average margin of victory of 36.8 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 77 out of 99 state House districts in Tennessee with an average margin of victory of 43.8 points. Trump won four districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 26.48% | 71.78% | R+45.3 | 19.62% | 76.53% | R+56.9 | R |
| 2 | 25.47% | 72.94% | R+47.5 | 22.34% | 73.09% | R+50.8 | R |
| 3 | 23.44% | 74.89% | R+51.5 | 15.82% | 81.34% | R+65.5 | R |
| 4 | 24.92% | 73.37% | R+48.5 | 17.60% | 79.09% | R+61.5 | R |
| 5 | 26.22% | 72.04% | R+45.8 | 18.39% | 78.32% | R+59.9 | R |
| 6 | 27.88% | 70.48% | R+42.6 | 24.82% | 70.87% | R+46.1 | R |
| 7 | 32.16% | 65.69% | R+33.5 | 28.10% | 67.14% | R+39 | R |
| 8 | 25.60% | 72.64% | R+47 | 22.13% | 73.51% | R+51.4 | R |
| 9 | 25.47% | 72.83% | R+47.4 | 16.67% | 80.51% | R+63.8 | R |
| 10 | 26.13% | 72.49% | R+46.4 | 19.78% | 76.98% | R+57.2 | R |
| 11 | 24.31% | 73.99% | R+49.7 | 16.57% | 80.41% | R+63.8 | R |
| 12 | 21.96% | 76.64% | R+54.7 | 18.10% | 78.27% | R+60.2 | R |
| 13 | 46.29% | 51.08% | R+4.8 | 46.53% | 46.55% | R+0 | R |
| 14 | 27.16% | 71.40% | R+44.2 | 31.73% | 62.39% | R+30.7 | R |
| 15 | 64.97% | 32.36% | D+32.6 | 63.19% | 30.19% | D+33 | D |
| 16 | 26.02% | 72.27% | R+46.3 | 25.79% | 69.20% | R+43.4 | R |
| 17 | 23.13% | 75.42% | R+52.3 | 17.26% | 79.08% | R+61.8 | R |
| 18 | 37.12% | 60.80% | R+23.7 | 40.01% | 52.84% | R+12.8 | R |
| 19 | 24.61% | 73.61% | R+49 | 20.94% | 74.82% | R+53.9 | R |
| 20 | 26.93% | 71.34% | R+44.4 | 24.49% | 70.69% | R+46.2 | R |
| 21 | 25.45% | 73.18% | R+47.7 | 21.22% | 75.52% | R+54.3 | R |
| 22 | 23.71% | 74.79% | R+51.1 | 16.46% | 80.41% | R+64 | R |
| 23 | 25.15% | 73.42% | R+48.3 | 17.86% | 79.49% | R+61.6 | R |
| 24 | 24.40% | 74.21% | R+49.8 | 21.09% | 74.46% | R+53.4 | R |
| 25 | 26.28% | 72.36% | R+46.1 | 20.11% | 77.28% | R+57.2 | R |
| 26 | 34.03% | 64.08% | R+30.1 | 31.79% | 62.75% | R+31 | R |
| 27 | 34.43% | 63.74% | R+29.3 | 31.70% | 62.61% | R+30.9 | R |
| 28 | 80.31% | 18.45% | D+61.9 | 77.92% | 17.79% | D+60.1 | D |
| 29 | 33.45% | 64.95% | R+31.5 | 29.81% | 65.70% | R+35.9 | R |
| 30 | 37.06% | 61.14% | R+24.1 | 34.33% | 60.41% | R+26.1 | R |
| 31 | 27.30% | 71.02% | R+43.7 | 18.77% | 78.05% | R+59.3 | R |
| 32 | 26.67% | 71.68% | R+45 | 21.60% | 74.28% | R+52.7 | R |
| 33 | 35.25% | 62.79% | R+27.5 | 31.54% | 63.16% | R+31.6 | R |
| 34 | 33.18% | 65.32% | R+32.1 | 31.29% | 63.52% | R+32.2 | R |
| 35 | 23.70% | 74.95% | R+51.3 | 15.89% | 81.43% | R+65.5 | R |
| 36 | 26.89% | 71.70% | R+44.8 | 18.57% | 78.26% | R+59.7 | R |
| 37 | 38.33% | 59.99% | R+21.7 | 36.08% | 58.84% | R+22.8 | R |
| 38 | 24.89% | 73.79% | R+48.9 | 16.00% | 81.84% | R+65.8 | R |
| 39 | 33.22% | 65.17% | R+32 | 24.43% | 72.61% | R+48.2 | R |
| 40 | 31.85% | 66.76% | R+34.9 | 23.97% | 72.67% | R+48.7 | R |
| 41 | 32.24% | 66.34% | R+34.1 | 20.31% | 77.25% | R+56.9 | D |
| 42 | 30.46% | 67.77% | R+37.3 | 25.64% | 70.08% | R+44.4 | R |
| 43 | 35.21% | 62.96% | R+27.8 | 22.37% | 74.65% | R+52.3 | R |
| 44 | 31.04% | 67.73% | R+36.7 | 26.55% | 69.59% | R+43 | R |
| 45 | 26.81% | 71.94% | R+45.1 | 25.43% | 70.33% | R+44.9 | R |
| 46 | 31.50% | 67.04% | R+35.5 | 25.22% | 70.47% | R+45.3 | R |
| 47 | 30.99% | 67.13% | R+36.1 | 23.89% | 72.27% | R+48.4 | R |
| 48 | 36.74% | 61.61% | R+24.9 | 33.92% | 60.93% | R+27 | R |
| 49 | 39.71% | 58.68% | R+19 | 37.26% | 57.65% | R+20.4 | R |
| 50 | 41.70% | 56.68% | R+15 | 44.24% | 50.66% | R+6.4 | D |
| 51 | 66.01% | 31.55% | D+34.5 | 67.37% | 26.85% | D+40.5 | D |
| 52 | 67.26% | 31.18% | D+36.1 | 67.30% | 27.78% | D+39.5 | D |
| 53 | 51.53% | 46.59% | D+4.9 | 54.11% | 38.90% | D+15.2 | D |
| 54 | 83.83% | 15.06% | D+68.8 | 81.44% | 15.31% | D+66.1 | D |
| 55 | 56.64% | 40.99% | D+15.7 | 62.66% | 30.37% | D+32.3 | D |
| 56 | 37.97% | 60.61% | R+22.6 | 47.22% | 46.82% | D+0.4 | R |
| 57 | 27.13% | 71.48% | R+44.4 | 24.99% | 70.38% | R+45.4 | R |
| 58 | 86.45% | 11.94% | D+74.5 | 82.52% | 12.58% | D+69.9 | D |
| 59 | 70.87% | 27.77% | D+43.1 | 70.12% | 26.06% | D+44.1 | D |
| 60 | 42.92% | 55.47% | R+12.6 | 44.82% | 49.40% | R+4.6 | D |
| 61 | 25.02% | 73.85% | R+48.8 | 31.20% | 63.62% | R+32.4 | R |
| 62 | 29.19% | 69.47% | R+40.3 | 22.37% | 74.69% | R+52.3 | R |
| 63 | 24.83% | 73.95% | R+49.1 | 28.09% | 66.72% | R+38.6 | R |
| 64 | 31.94% | 66.63% | R+34.7 | 25.56% | 70.79% | R+45.2 | R |
| 65 | 29.11% | 69.35% | R+40.2 | 29.72% | 64.68% | R+35 | R |
| 66 | 31.53% | 67.11% | R+35.6 | 24.53% | 71.72% | R+47.2 | R |
| 67 | 54.58% | 43.95% | D+10.6 | 47.83% | 45.50% | D+2.3 | D |
| 68 | 35.78% | 62.76% | R+27 | 31.26% | 63.72% | R+32.5 | R |
| 69 | 40.73% | 57.62% | R+16.9 | 29.72% | 66.98% | R+37.3 | R |
| 70 | 31.22% | 67.54% | R+36.3 | 22.18% | 75.41% | R+53.2 | R |
| 71 | 24.67% | 73.66% | R+49 | 15.60% | 81.73% | R+66.1 | R |
| 72 | 27.58% | 70.95% | R+43.4 | 18.81% | 78.70% | R+59.9 | R |
| 73 | 32.43% | 66.66% | R+34.2 | 30.38% | 66.96% | R+36.6 | R |
| 74 | 44.75% | 53.51% | R+8.8 | 32.44% | 62.91% | R+30.5 | R |
| 75 | 35.99% | 62.32% | R+26.3 | 23.49% | 73.77% | R+50.3 | R |
| 76 | 31.38% | 67.25% | R+35.9 | 24.03% | 73.21% | R+49.2 | R |
| 77 | 26.95% | 71.89% | R+44.9 | 19.93% | 77.87% | R+57.9 | R |
| 78 | 31.74% | 66.52% | R+34.8 | 24.60% | 71.32% | R+46.7 | R |
| 79 | 32.57% | 66.24% | R+33.7 | 25.73% | 71.87% | R+46.1 | R |
| 80 | 65.84% | 33.40% | D+32.4 | 59.47% | 38.32% | D+21.2 | D |
| 81 | 29.62% | 69.23% | R+39.6 | 24.73% | 72.28% | R+47.6 | R |
| 82 | 47.11% | 52.21% | R+5.1 | 39.75% | 58.51% | R+18.8 | D |
| 83 | 35.52% | 63.50% | R+28 | 42.62% | 53.17% | R+10.6 | R |
| 84 | 88.19% | 11.41% | D+76.8 | 87.27% | 10.83% | D+76.4 | D |
| 85 | 86.69% | 12.90% | D+73.8 | 86.70% | 11.57% | D+75.1 | D |
| 86 | 76.09% | 23.16% | D+52.9 | 72.98% | 24.31% | D+48.7 | D |
| 87 | 86.77% | 12.68% | D+74.1 | 86.66% | 11.18% | D+75.5 | D |
| 88 | 76.07% | 23.17% | D+52.9 | 75.43% | 21.94% | D+53.5 | D |
| 89 | 29.02% | 69.00% | R+40 | 30.19% | 63.68% | R+33.5 | R |
| 90 | 82.88% | 15.83% | D+67.1 | 82.77% | 13.27% | D+69.5 | D |
| 91 | 89.73% | 9.60% | D+80.1 | 86.97% | 10.77% | D+76.2 | D |
| 92 | 32.45% | 65.92% | R+33.5 | 23.60% | 73.36% | R+49.8 | R |
| 93 | 78.51% | 20.54% | D+58 | 76.41% | 20.35% | D+56.1 | D |
| 94 | 31.77% | 67.08% | R+35.3 | 26.34% | 71.15% | R+44.8 | R |
| 95 | 23.35% | 75.79% | R+52.4 | 28.51% | 67.82% | R+39.3 | R |
| 96 | 43.76% | 55.37% | R+11.6 | 50.57% | 45.95% | D+4.6 | D |
| 97 | 37.56% | 61.31% | R+23.8 | 41.60% | 54.17% | R+12.6 | R |
| 98 | 81.57% | 17.71% | D+63.9 | 80.24% | 17.34% | D+62.9 | D |
| 99 | 28.53% | 70.51% | R+42 | 29.33% | 67.14% | R+37.8 | R |
| Total | 39.08% | 59.48% | R+20.4 | 34.91% | 61.06% | R+26.2 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
See also
| Memphis, Tennessee | Tennessee | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Vote Jim Strickland, "Meet Jim Strickland," accessed August 7, 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Herenton for Mayor, "Why Now?" February 21, 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Herenton for Mayor, "Why Doc?" February 21, 2019
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Herenton for Mayor, "Why Mayor?" February 21, 2019
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tami Sawyer for Mayor, "About Tami," accessed August 7, 2019
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Tami Sawyer for Mayor, "Economic Equity," accessed August 7, 2019
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Tami Sawyer for Mayor, "Moving Memphis Forward," accessed August 7, 2019
- ↑ Memphis Daily News, "Strickland In Mayor's Race, Wharton Responds," January 15, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Herenton: 'We just want one'," February 8, 2010
- ↑ WREG, "Local activist wins Democratic nomination: ‘This is the work of our community’," May 2, 2018
- ↑ The Black Past, "WILLIE W. HERENTON (1941- )," August 8, 2007
- ↑ Shelby County, Tennessee, "Commissioner Tami Sawyer," accessed August 6, 2019
- ↑ Tami Sawyer for Mayor, "About Tami," accessed August 6, 2019
- ↑ City of Memphis, "Mayor Jim Strickland," accessed August 6, 2019
- ↑ Vote Jim Strickland, "Accomplishments," accessed August 7, 2019
- ↑ Tami Sawyer for Mayor, "Endorsements," accessed August 6, 2019
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 17.7 '"Facebook, "Friends of Jim Strickland," March 7, 2019
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "Two Memphis candidates for mayor have education backgrounds. Here’s what you should know," March 7, 2019
- ↑ The Commercial Appeal, "Endorsement: The Commercial Appeal makes choice for Memphis mayor," September 19, 2019
- ↑ Daily Memphian, "AFSCME union leadership backs Herenton challenge of Strickland," July 27, 2019
- ↑ Black Press USA, "POLITICS 2019: Herenton picks up more union backing," August 6, 2019
- ↑ Memphis Commercial Appeal, "The 901: Memphis unions find their champion in mayoral candidate Willie Herenton." August 15, 2019
- ↑ Memphis Commercial Appeal, "Memphis People's Convention endorses slate of mostly African American women, including Sawyer for mayor," June 10, 2019
- ↑ Memphis Commercial Appeal, "The 9:01: Herenton kicks off campaign with police union endorsement," April 8, 2019
- ↑ Women for Tennessee's Future, "WTF IS PROUD TO ENDORSE COMMISSIONER TAMI SAWYER," June 12, 2019
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Vote Jim Strickland, "Accomplishments," accessed August 6, 2019
- ↑ Vote Jim Strickland, "Moving Memphis Forward," accessed August 6, 2019
- ↑ Herenton for Mayor, "Why? Archives," accessed August 6, 2019
- ↑ Tami Sawyer for Mayor, "Issues," accessed August 6, 2019
- ↑ WMC Action News 5, "Few candidates show up for Memphis mayoral debate," September 6, 2019
- ↑ Memphis Flyer, "Majority Rules," March 15, 2007
- ↑ Shelby County Election Commission, "Election Calendar 2015," accessed December 18, 2014
- ↑ Shelby County Election Commission, "Official candidate list," accessed July 27, 2015
- ↑ Official City Charter of Memphis, TN, Sec. 6.37
- ↑ City of Memphis, "Government," accessed August 6, 2019
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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