Wikipedia

2015 Memphis mayoral election

The 2015 Memphis mayoral election took place on October 8, 2015, to elect the next mayor of Memphis, Tennessee. Incumbent Democratic Mayor A C Wharton ran for re-election to a second full term in office.[2][3] 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.

2015 Memphis mayoral election
← 2011 October 8, 2015
Officially nonpartisan		 2019 →
Turnout28.0% Increase[1] 10.0 pp
 
Candidate Jim Strickland A C Wharton
Party Democratic Democratic
Popular vote 42,020 22,490
Percentage 41.41% 21.97%
 
Candidate Harold B. Collins Mike Williams
Party Democratic Democratic
Popular vote 18,767 16,388
Percentage 18.49% 16.15%
Results by precinct
Strickland:      20–30%      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Wharton:      20–30%      30–40%      40–50%
Collins:      20–30%      30–40%      40–50%
Williams:      20–30%      30–40%      >90%
     No votes
Mayor before election

A C Wharton
Democratic

Elected mayor

Jim Strickland
Democratic

The election was officially non-partisan, but each candidate was affiliated with a political party. The mayoral election coincided with elections for the thirteen seats on the Memphis City Council. Due to the 1991 ruling of U.S. District Judge Jerome Turner, there is no runoff allowed in citywide elections.

Candidates

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Democratic Party

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Declared

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Potential/Withdrew

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Declined

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  • Edmund Ford Sr., Memphis City Councillor and candidate for Mayor in 2011[16]
  • Myron Lowery, Memphis City Councillor, former Mayor pro tempore and candidate for Mayor in 2009[8]
  • Jason Smith, State Senator and President of Smith Property Group

Results

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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.[17][18]

On Election Day, Strickland defeated Wharton by nearly twenty percentage points, winning a plurality of the vote.[19]

Memphis mayoral election, 2015
Candidate Votes %
Jim Strickland 42,020 41.41%
A C Wharton (incumbent) 22,290 21.97%
Harold B. Collins 18,767 18.49%
Mike Williams 16,388 16.15%
Sharon A. Webb 610 0.60%
M. Latroy Williams 413 0.41%
Anderson Fullilove Jr. 369 0.36%
Robert Hodges 240 0.24%
David Phillip Walker Jr. 171 0.17%
Leo Awgowhat 119 0.12%
Write-ins 92 0.09%
Total 101,479 100.00%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Turnout | Shelby County Election Commission, TN". www.electionsshelbytn.gov. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Wharton to Run for Re-election". MyFoxMemphis. August 29, 2012. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c 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.
  4. ^ "Harold Collins Confirms His Run For Mayor". MyFoxAustin. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  5. ^ Jackson Baker (January 15, 2015). "The Wait is Over: Strickland Announces Candidacy for Mayor". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  6. ^ "MPA President Considering Run For Memphis Mayor". MyFoxAustin. December 19, 2014. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  7. ^ "Police union president announces bid for mayor". WREG. February 23, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  8. ^ a b c d Jackson Baker (October 30, 2014). "Election Year 2015 is Upon Us". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  9. ^ Jackson Baker (October 9, 2014). "Harold Collins On Verge of Declaring for 2015 Memphis Mayor's Race". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  10. ^ Bill Dries (November 18, 2014). "Wharton Begins Re-Election Fundraising". The Daily News. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  11. ^ Kyle Veazey (December 18, 2014). "Justin Ford considering run for mayor of Memphis". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  12. ^ Jackson Baker (February 9, 2015). "Commission Chairman Justin Ford Says He'll Run for Mayor". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  13. ^ Bill Dries (February 3, 2015). "Size of Mayoral Field Shadows Race". The Daily News. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ a b 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.
  16. ^ Bill Dries (November 25, 2013). "As Elections End, New Campaigns Begin". The Daily News. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  17. ^ "Strickland Upsets Wharton In Memphis Mayor's Race". Memphis Daily News. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  18. ^ "Postmortem reports on the demise of A C Wharton as Memphis mayor". Humphrey on the Hill. October 9, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  19. ^ "Memphis City Election 10.8.2015 | Shelby County Election Commission, TN". www.shelbyvote.com. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
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Official campaign websites

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