United States municipal elections, 2021
This page will contain links to all municipal elections covered on Ballotpedia in 2021 by state and by date. More information will be added to this page as it becomes available. We provide comprehensive coverage of elections on the ballot in America's 100 largest cities by population each year.
To view a different election year, click one of the links below.
Battleground election summary
Ballotpedia designated certain 2021 elections as battlegrounds—races expected to have a meaningful effect on the balance of power in governments or to be particularly competitive or compelling. Here is a summary of some key 2021 municipal battleground elections:
Mayoral battlegrounds
St. Louis, Missouri
The city of St. Louis, Missouri, will hold a nonpartisan top-two primary election for mayor on March 2, 2021. The filing deadline for this election was January 4, 2021.
Candidates of all political affiliations will run in the primary election without partisan labels. Voters may choose any number of candidates to vote for and the two candidates to receive the most votes will advance to the general election. This method of voting is called approval voting.[1] This is the first election cycle in the city using this primary election method following the approval of Proposition D on November 3, 2020.
Four candidates filed to run in this election: 2017 mayoral candidate Andrew Jones, St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones, Aldermen President Lewis Reed, and Alderwoman Cara Spencer. The ballot will not have official partisan labels, but Andrew Jones ran as a Republican candidate in 2017 and Tishuara Jones, Reed, and Spencer have previously run for office as Democrats. To read more about each of the four candidates, click here.
Candidates have each made crime a key priority in this campaign. Andrew Jones said that the city's violent crime problem made it harder for the city to attract new businesses and retain existing ones, so addressing crime would improve safety while also improving the city's business climate. Tishaura Jones said that she supported restructuring the police department's budget to reallocate funding for mental health services, job training programs, and treating substance abuse. Reed's campaign website called for a focus on violent crime, using a strategy called focused deterrence with groups most likely to commit violent crimes. Spencer, citing her background in mathematics and modeling, said she would implement a data-driven strategy for crime reduction in the city.
On November 18, 2020, Mayor Lyda Krewson (D) announced that she would not seek re-election. "After a lot of thinking and a lot of discussion with my family, I have decided to retire in April and not file to run for reelection this coming Monday," she said. She became the city's first female mayor after winning election on April 4, 2017, with more than 67 percent of the vote.[2]
The last 10 mayors of St. Louis have all been Democrats. The last time a Republican held the mayor's office was Aloys Kaufmann, mayor from 1943 to 1949.[3]
Municipal elections across the United States
Use the tabs below to sort 2021 municipal elections either by state or by date.
By state
Alabama
- Birmingham, Alabama - Mayor and city council
Alaska
- Anchorage, Alaska - Mayor and service area board of supervisors
- Juneau, Alaska - Mayor and city assembly
Arizona
- Tucson, Arizona - City council
California
- Riverside, California - City council
- Los Angeles County, California - County water district
- Orange County, California - Board of supervisors (special)
- Riverside County, California - Home Gardens Sanitary District board
Colorado
- Aurora, Colorado - City council
- Colorado Springs, Colorado - City council
Delaware
- Dover, Delaware - City council
Florida
- Hialeah, Florida - Mayor and city council
- Miami, Florida - Mayor and city council
- Orlando, Florida - City commissioners
- St. Petersburg, Florida - Mayor and city council
Georgia
- Atlanta, Georgia - Mayor and city council
Idaho
- Boise, Idaho - City council
Iowa
- Des Moines, Iowa - City council
Kansas
- Topeka, Kansas - Mayor and city council
- Wichita, Kansas - City council
Louisiana
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana - City court judge (special)
- New Orleans, Louisiana - Mayor and city council
Maine
- Augusta, Maine - Mayor and city council
Maryland
- Annapolis, Maryland - Mayor and city council
Massachusetts
- Boston, Massachusetts - Mayor and city council
Michigan
- Detroit, Michigan - Mayor, city council, clerk, and board of police commissioners
- Lansing, Michigan - Mayor and city council
Minnesota
- Minneapolis, Minnesota - Mayor, city council, board of estimate and taxation, park and recreation board
- St. Paul, Minnesota - Mayor
Mississippi
- Jackson, Mississippi - Mayor and city council
Missouri
- Jefferson City, Missouri - City council
- St. Louis, Missouri - Mayor, comptroller, and board of aldermen
Montana
- Helena, Montana - Mayor and city council
Nebraska
- Lincoln, Nebraska - City council and airport authority board
- Omaha, Nebraska - Mayor and city council
New Hampshire
- Concord, New Hampshire - Mayor and ward councilors
New Jersey
- Jersey City, New Jersey - Mayor and city council
- Essex County, New Jersey - County sheriff
- Hudson County, New Jersey - County register
New Mexico
- Albuquerque, New Mexico - Mayor and city council
- Santa Fe, New Mexico - Mayor and city council
- Bernalillo County, New Mexico - Flood control authority board, community college board, and conservation district board
New York
- Albany, New York - Mayor and city council
- Buffalo, New York - Mayor and city court judges
- New York, New York - Mayor, city council, public advocate, and comptroller
- Erie County, New York - County council, comptroller, sheriff, supreme court judges, and county court judge
North Carolina
- Charlotte, North Carolina - Mayor and city council
- Durham, North Carolina - Mayor and city council
- Greensboro, North Carolina - Mayor and city council
- Raleigh, North Carolina - Mayor and city council
Ohio
- Cincinnati, Ohio - Mayor and city council
- Cleveland, Ohio - Mayor, city council, and city municipal court judge
- Columbus, Ohio - City council, city attorney, and city auditor
- Toledo, Ohio - Mayor, city council, and municipal judge
- Franklin County, Ohio - County municipal court judges
Oklahoma
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - City council
- Tulsa County, Oklahoma - Treasurer (special)
Oregon
- Multnomah County, Oregon - Community college and educational service boards
Pennsylvania
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - Mayor, city council, and controller
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - District attorney, city controller, judge of election, inspector of election, and local judicial seats
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Mayor and city council
- Allegheny County, Pennsylvania - County council and sheriff
South Carolina
- Columbia, South Carolina - Mayor and city council
South Dakota
- Pierre, South Dakota - City council
Texas
- Arlington, Texas - Mayor and city council
- Dallas, Texas - City council
- Fort Worth, Texas - Mayor and city council
- Garland, Texas - Mayor and city council
- Irving, Texas - City council
- Plano, Texas - Mayor and city council
- San Antonio, Texas - Mayor and city council
- Collin County, Texas - Community college board
- El Paso County, Texas - Community college board
- Harris County, Texas - Community college board
- Tarrant County, Texas - Community college board and water district board
Utah
- Salt Lake City, Utah - City council
Vermont
- Montpelier, Vermont - City council
Virginia
- Chesapeake, Virginia - Commissioner of revenue, commonwealth's attorney, sheriff, and treasurer
- Norfolk, Virginia - Commissioner of revenue, commonwealth's attorney, sheriff, and treasurer
- Richmond, Virginia - Commissioner of revenue, commonwealth's attorney, and sheriff, treasurer
- Virginia Beach, Virginia - Commissioner of revenue, commonwealth's attorney, sheriff, and treasurer
Washington
- Olympia, Washington - City council
- Seattle, Washington - Mayor, city council, and city attorney
- King County, Washington - Executive, sheriff, county council, superior court, Seattle port commissioner, airport district, cemetary district, fire district, water district, and hospital district
Wisconsin
- Madison, Wisconsin - Common council and municipal judge
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Municipal judge
- Dane County, Wisconsin - County executive, county supervisor (special), and circuit court judges
- Milwaukee County, Wisconsin - Circuit court judges
By date
February 2
Special election
February 9
Primary
February 16
Primary
February 23
Special election
March 2
Primary
General election
March 9
Special election
March 23
Special election
April 6
Primary
General election
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Jefferson City, Missouri
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Tulsa County, Oklahoma
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Dane County, Wisconsin
- Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
April 20
General election
April 27
Primary runoff
May 1
General election
- Arlington, Texas
- Dallas, Texas
- Fort Worth, Texas
- Garland, Texas
- Irving, Texas
- Plano, Texas
- San Antonio, Texas
- Collin County, Texas
- El Paso County, Texas
- Tarrant County, Texas
May 4
Primary
General election
May 11
General election
May 18
Primary
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
General election
June 8
Primary
- Essex County, New Jersey
- Hudson County, New Jersey
- Chesapeake, Virginia
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Richmond, Virginia
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
General election
June 22
Primary
August 3
Primary
- Tucson, Arizona
- Wichita, Kansas
- Detroit, Michigan
- Lansing, Michigan
- Olympia, Washington
- Seattle, Washington
- King County, Washington
August 10
Primary
August 24
Primary
General election
September 14
Primary
September 21
Primary
October 5
Primary
Primary runoff
General election
Runoff election
October 9
Primary
November 2
Primary
General election
- Tucson, Arizona
- Los Angeles County, California
- Riverside County, California
- Aurora, Colorado
- Miami, Florida
- Orlando, Florida
- St. Petersburg, Florida
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Boise, Idaho
- Des Moines, Iowa
- Topeka, Kansas
- Wichita, Kansas
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Augusta, Maine
- Annapolis, Maryland
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Detroit, Michigan
- Lansing, Michigan
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- St. Paul, Minnesota
- Helena, Montana
- Concord, New Hampshire
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Bernalillo County, New Mexico
- Jersey City, New Jersey
- Essex County, New Jersey
- Hudson County, New Jersey
- Albany, New York
- Buffalo, New York
- New York, New York
- Erie County, New York
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Durham, North Carolina
- Greensboro, North Carolina
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Columbus, Ohio
- Toledo, Ohio
- Franklin County, Ohio
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
- Columbia, South Carolina
- Harris County, Texas
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Chesapeake, Virginia
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Richmond, Virginia
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Olympia, Washington
- Seattle, Washington
- King County, Washington
Runoff election
November 16
General election
Runoff election
November 30
Runoff election
December 7
Runoff election
List of mayors of the 100 largest cities
The following table contains a list of current mayors of the 100 largest cities in the U.S. by population.
*In Minneapolis, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body while the mayor serves as the city's chief executive, qualifying it as a strong mayor system. However, the mayor has fewer powers with more limitations than most strong mayor and city council systems.[4]
Historical election data
The 100 largest cities in the U.S. held an average of 27.4 mayoral elections and 51.1 city council elections each year between 2014 and 2020. Ballotpedia covers local elections in America’s 100 largest cities by population and in the counties that overlap those cities. This section includes statistics for mayoral elections, city council elections, and county elections between 2014 and 2020, comparing uncontested races, incumbents who sought re-election, and incumbents who were defeated in their re-election bids.
The following table details the total number of elections at the city and county level covered by Ballotpedia between 2014 and 2020, including the number of cities that held mayoral and city council elections in a given year:
| Total municipal elections covered by Ballotpedia from 2014 to 2020 | ||||
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| Year | Cities | Mayor | City council | Counties |
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Mayoral elections
Between 2014 and 2020, 68.2% of incumbent mayors sought re-election; of these, 17.6% were defeated in their bids for re-election. The first chart below shows the number of incumbents who sought election each year compared to the number of seats up for election. The second chart shows the number of incumbents who were defeated compared to the number of incumbents who ran for re-election.
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The table below is organized by year and includes the total number of mayoral races and the number and percentage of uncontested races, incumbents who sought re-election, and incumbents who were defeated in their re-election bids.
| Mayoral election incumbency statistics from 2014 to 2020 | |||||||
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| Year | Total seats | Uncontested | Incumbents who sought re-election |
Incumbents defeated | |||
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City council elections
Between 2014 and 2020, 68.3% of city council incumbents sought re-election; of these, 14.5% were defeated in their bids for re-election. The first chart below shows the number of incumbents who sought election each year compared to the number of seats up for election. The second chart shows the number of incumbents who were defeated compared to the number of incumbents who ran for re-election.
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The table below is organized by year and includes the total number of city council races and the number and percentage of uncontested races, incumbents who sought re-election, and incumbents who were defeated in their re-election bids.
| City council election incumbency statistics from 2014 to 2020 | |||||||
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| Year | Total seats | Uncontested | Incumbents who sought re-election |
Incumbents defeated | |||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
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County elections
Ballotpedia covered 2,197 county and special district seats across 80 large counties in 2020. Of these, 1,405 (64.0%) races were uncontested and 1,877 (85.4%) incumbents sought re-election. Of the incumbents who ran for re-election, 151 (8.0%) were defeated.
By comparison, 23 large counties held elections for county and special district officials in 2019. A total of 96 positions were up for election, and incumbents ran in 65 (67.8%) of those races. Seven incumbents (10.8%) lost their re-election bids, and 33 elections (34.4%) featured only one candidate.[8]
Uncontested races
An average of 1.7 mayoral races and 48.0 city council races went uncontested between 2014 and 2020. In terms of mayoral elections, 2016 saw the highest number of uncontested races (four), and 2017 saw the fewest (zero). For city council seats, 2015 had the highest number of uncontested races (97) and 2019 had the fewest (30). The chart below shows the percentage of uncontested mayoral and city council races between 2014 and 2020.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ KSDK, "St. Louis passes Prop D, establishing non-partisan primary elections for citywide races," November 3, 2020
- ↑ St. Louis Public Radio, "Krewson Will Not Seek Second Term As Mayor, Announces Retirement From Public Office," November 18, 2020
- ↑ City of St. Louis, "St. Louis Mayors," accessed December 21, 2020
- ↑ MinnPost, "With Minneapolis' weak-mayor system, does it really matter who gets elected?" August 29, 2013
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Phoenix, Arizona, held a special mayoral election on November 6, 2018, which advanced to a runoff election held on March 12, 2019. The race is included in the 2018 figure.
- ↑ One city council seat, District of Columbia Ward 2, was on the ballot twice in 2020; the Ward 2 seat was up for special election in June and November. Both races are counted in this figure.
- ↑ Two city council seats, New York City Council District 45 and Nashville Metro Council District 29, were on the ballot twice in 2019. In New York, the District 45 seat was up for special election in May and November. In Nashville, the District 29 seat was up for special election in February and regular election in August. All four races are counted in this figure.
- ↑ Ballotpedia expanded its municipal coverage to include counties that overlap with the 100 largest cities in the United States in 2017.
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