United States municipal elections, 2020

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Elections were held in 56 of America's 100 largest cities by population in 2020. That included elections for mayor in 29 of the 100 largest cities.

Elections were also held for local positions in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico. That included elections for mayor in 19 cities in Guam and 78 cities in Puerto Rico.

This page provides links to Ballotpedia's coverage of 2020 municipal elections in those 56 cities, along with elections in counties that overlap with them. It also provides links to Ballotpedia's coverage of 2020 municipal elections in the U.S. territories. Click here for coverage of mayoral elections in 2020, and click here for coverage of school board elections in 2020.

Elections covered on this page may have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. To read more about those elections and changes to them, click here.

Below, you will find the following:

Note: The statistics on this page do not include data from local elections in the U.S. territories.

Battleground election summary

Ballotpedia designated certain 2020 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 2020 municipal battleground elections:

Battleground general elections

Mayoral election in Miami-Dade County, Florida

See also: Mayoral election in Miami-Dade County, Florida (2020)

Daniella Levine Cava defeated Esteban Bovo Jr. in the nonpartisan general election for Mayor of Miami-Dade County on November 3, 2020. Incumbent Mayor Carlos Gimenez reached his consecutive term limit and could not run for re-election. Though the race was nonpartisan, the candidates received partisan support. Four local Republican organizations endorsed Bovo, who held office in the Florida House of Representatives as a Republican from 2008 to 2012.[1] Seven local and state Democratic organizations, including the Florida Democratic Party, endorsed Levine Cava.[2] The office was last held by a Democratic-aligned candidate in 2004, which was also the last time a Democratic-aligned candidate and a Republican-aligned candidate faced off in a general election.

Mayoral election in Portland, Oregon

See also: Mayoral election in Portland, Oregon (2020)

Incumbent Ted Wheeler defeated Sarah Iannarone and Teressa Raiford (write-in) in the general election for mayor of Portland, Oregon on November 3, 2020. Wheeler said he led on police reform and the city's COVID-19 response. His campaign website said, "We are in the midst of a pandemic, the ensuing economic crisis, racial justice reckoning, and facing the constantly growing effects of climate change. We have an incredible amount of work ahead, and need continued leadership now more than ever."[3] Iannarone's campaign website said, "The current Mayor’s record is full of broken promises on solutions for houselessness and inequality. He’s shown no leadership on civil unrest or public safety. ... I’m offering a progressive alternative."[4]

Mayoral election in Stockton, California

See also: Mayoral election in Stockton, California (2020)

Kevin Lincoln defeated incumbent Michael Tubbs in the general election for mayor of Stockton, California, on November 3, 2020. Tubbs conceded the race on November 17.[5] The general election was held after no candidate received a majority of the vote in the March 3 primary.[6] Mayoral elections in Stockton are nonpartisan, meaning that candidates’ party affiliations do not appear on the ballot. However, Lincoln was a member of the Republican Party at the time of the election and Tubbs was a member of the Democratic Party.[7] Tubbs' campaign website said he was "running to continue revitalizing our neighborhoods, attract more good paying jobs, increase safety through community policing, and bring innovation into our civic life and local economy."[8] According to the Los Angeles Times, Tubbs was "the city’s first Black mayor and a favorite in progressive circles for championing ideas such as universal basic income."[9] Lincoln's campaign website included proposals for a homeless policy initiative, public safety policy initiative, and civic engagement plan.[10] Lincoln received support from local police and firefighters unions.[9][11] His professional experience included serving in the Marines, working in private security, and pastoring a church.[7]

Mayoral election in El Paso, Texas

See also: Mayoral election in El Paso, Texas (2020)

Oscar Leeser defeated incumbent Donald "Dee" Margo in the runoff election for mayor of El Paso, Texas, on December 12, 2020. Leeser received 79.5% of the vote to Margo's 20.5%. The runoff election was held after no candidate received a majority of the vote in the November 3 general election. Mayoral elections in El Paso are nonpartisan, meaning that candidates’ party affiliations do not appear on the ballot. However, media outlets identified Leeser as a member of the Democratic Party, and Margo previously served as a Republican in the Texas House of Representatives.[12][13] Leeser served as mayor of El Paso from 2013 to 2017. He did not seek re-election in 2017, and Margo won a runoff election for the office. According to The Texas Tribune, the 2020 runoff election was "dominated by Margo’s management of the [COVID-19] crisis."[14] According to the Tribune, "Margo ran on his experience guiding the city through three major crises — not just the pandemic, but also the 2019 massacre at a Walmart and the Central American migrant influx prior to that," while Leeser "pitched himself as a better crisis manager who would do more to bring the city together to get the virus under control."[15][14]

District Attorney election in Los Angeles County, California

See also: District Attorney election in Los Angeles County, California (2020)

George Gascón defeated incumbent Jackie Lacey in the nonpartisan election for Los Angeles County District Attorney on November 3, 2020. Lacey was first elected in 2012.[16] Gascón was first elected as San Francisco district attorney in 2011.[17] In 2015, he ran unopposed.[18] This race drew media attention following events and activity in response to law enforcement's use of force and the death of George Floyd.

Battleground primaries

District attorney election in Travis County, Texas

See also: District Attorney election in Travis County, Texas (2020)

José Garza (D) defeated incumbent Margaret Moore (D) in the July 14, 2020, Democratic primary runoff for Travis County District Attorney. Moore, who was first elected in 2016, said she was running to continue initiatives she launched during her first term, including reducing the number of prison sentences sought for drug offenses, reducing the use of cash bail, and expanding the resources dedicated to prosecuting sexual assault cases.[19] Garza, who, at the time of the 2020 election headed the Workers Defense Project, said he wanted to fix what he believed was a broken criminal justice system. He said he was running against Moore because of how her office had handled sexual assault cases.[20]

City treasurer election in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See also: City treasurer election in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (2020)

Incumbent City Treasurer Spencer Coggs defeated Brandon Methu in the general election for city treasurer of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on April 7, 2020. Coggs had held elected office since 1982, while this was Methu's first run for office. Coggs was first elected city treasurer in 2012.[21] He was a Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Senate representing District 6 from 2003 to 2013, and he also served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1982 to 2002.[22] Methu founded OpportunityCrowd, a real estate investment platform. As of his 2020 campaign, he was a real estate investor for a commercial real estate firm in Milwaukee and served as a member of Milwaukee's Board of Review.

State's attorney Democratic primary in Cook County, Illinois

See also: Cook County State's Attorney election, 2020 (March 17 Democratic primary)

Incumbent Kim Foxx won the Cook County, Illinois, state's attorney Democratic primary on March 17, 2020. Three other candidates ran: Bill Conway, Bob Fioretti, and Donna More. The election took place a year following national attention around the case of former Empire actor Jussie Smollett, who filed a police report January 2019 alleging that two men attacked him while making comments about race and sexual orientation. Smollett was later charged with multiple counts related to filing a false police report. Foxx dropped the charges against Smollett in March 2019 in favor of an alternative prosecution program. Foxx's 2020 Democratic primary challengers criticized her handling of the case.

Mayoral partisanship

See also: Partisanship in United States municipal elections (2020)

Once mayors elected in 2020 assumed office, the mayors of 65 of the country's 100 largest cities were affiliated with the Democratic Party.

Mayoral elections were held in 29 of the 100 largest U.S. cities in 2020. Seven party changes took place as a result of these 29 elections. Five offices held by Republican incumbents and two offices held by Democratic incumbents changed partisan control.

In Scottsdale, Arizona, independent David Ortega won the open seat. Incumbent Jim Lane (R) was term-limited. In Irvine, California, Democrat Farrah Khan defeated incumbent Christina Shea (R). In San Diego, California, Democrat Todd Gloria won the open seat. The incumbent, Kevin Faulconer (R), was term-limited. In Stockton, California, Republican Kevin Lincoln II defeated incumbent Michael Tubbs (D). In Honolulu, Hawaii, independent Rick Blangiardi won the open seat. Democratic mayor Kirk Caldwell was term-limited. In El Paso, Texas, Democrat Oscar Leeser defeated incumbent Donald Margo (R). In Corpus Christi, Texas, nonpartisan Paulette Guajardo defeated incumbent Joe McComb (R).

Municipal elections across the United States

Use the tabs below to sort 2020 municipal elections either by state or by date.

By state

Alabama

  • Jefferson County, Alabama - Treasurer, tax collector, tax assessor, constables, circuit court judge, and district court judge


Alaska

  • Anchorage, Alaska - City council, service area board of supervisors, and superior and district court judges

Arizona

California

Colorado

  • Denver, Colorado - District attorney, county court judges, district court judges, probate court judge, regional transportation districts
  • Adams County, Colorado - County commissioners, county court judges, district court judges, district attorney
  • Arapahoe County, Colorado - County commissioners, county court judges, district attorney, district court judges, regional transportation districts
  • El Paso County, Colorado - County commissioners, county court judges, district court judges, district attorney

Florida

  • Jacksonville, Florida - Circuit court judgeships, county court judgeships, soil and water conservation district, city council (special election), clerk of courts, state attorney, public defender
  • Hillsborough County, Florida - County commissioners, sheriff, county court judgeships, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, soil and water conservation districts, clerk of court, state attorney, public defender
  • Miami-Dade County, Florida - County commissioners, county mayor, property appraiser, clerk of court, county judgeships, special districts, soil and water conservation district, state attorney, public defender
  • Orange County, Florida - Clerk, comptroller, property appraiser, public defender, sheriff, state attorney, supervisor of elections, tax collector, Orange County Court judges, soil and water conservation districts
  • Pinellas County, Florida - County commissioners, clerk of circuit court, comptroller, sheriff, property appraiser, tax collector, supervisor of elections, county judgeships, fire control district, state attorney, public defender


Georgia

  • DeKalb County, Georgia - Board of commissioners, chief executive officer, district attorney, clerk of superior court, solicitor-general, sheriff, tax commissioner, chief magistrate, probate court judge, superior court judgeships, state court judgeships, associate state court judgeships, board of education districts, soil and water conservation district supervisors
  • Fulton County, Georgia - County commission districts, county school board districts, clerk of superior court, solicitor general, district attorney, sheriff, tax commissioner, office of surveyor, soil and water district supervisor, and state and probate court judgeships

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

  • Cook County, Illinois - County clerk of circuit court, county state's attorney, board of review commissioner, metropolitan water reclamation district, county circuit court, county judicial circuit

Indiana

  • Indianapolis, Indiana - County treasurer, coroner, surveyor, and superior and circuit court judgeships
  • Allen County, Indiana - County commissioner, coroner, county council, surveyor, treasurer, circuit court judge

Kansas

  • Sedgwick County, Kansas - County commissioners, county clerk, county treasurer, register of deeds, sheriff, district court judgeships

Kentucky

  • Lexington, Kentucky - Urban council districts, soil and water supervisors
  • Louisville, Kentucky - Metro councilors, county commissioners, soil and water conservation supervisors, county surveyor (unexpired term), and family court judge of the 30th circuit court, seat 3 (unexpired term)

Louisiana

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

  • Wayne County, Michigan - County commissioners, prosecutor, treasurer, community college trustees, probate court judges, district court judges, and circuit court judges (1 special and 17 regular elections)

Minnesota

Missouri

  • St. Louis, Missouri - Circuit attorney, sheriff, treasurer, board of aldermen (special election), community college board, and circuit court and associate circuit court judges
  • Clay County, Missouri - County commissioners, assessor, public administrator, sheriff, treasurer, and circuit court and associate circuit court judges
  • Jackson County, Missouri - County prosecutor, sheriff, and circuit court and associate circuit court judges
  • Platte County, Missouri - County commissioners, assessor, public administrator, sheriff, treasurer, and associate circuit court judges

Nebraska

  • Omaha, Nebraska - Public power district subdivisions
  • Douglas County, Nebraska - Metropolitan College board of governors, county clerk, county commissioners, public defender, Learning Community Coordinating Council seats, Metropolitan Utilities District of Omaha seats, and Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District seats
  • Lancaster County, Nebraska - County commissioners, special districts, and judicial seats

Nevada

New Jersey

New Mexico

  • Bernalillo County, New Mexico - County commissioners, county clerk, treasurer, district attorney, 2nd Judicial Court judgeships, and metropolitan court judgeships

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

  • Toledo, Ohio - City council (special)
  • Cuyahoga County, Ohio - County council, prosecuting commissioners, court of appeals judgeships, court of common pleas judges
  • Fairfield County, Ohio - County commissioners, county treasurer, county recorder, county coroner, county sheriff, county engineer, prosecuting attorney, clerk of courts, and two court of common pleas judges
  • Franklin County, Ohio - County commissioners, county prosecutor, clerk of courts, sheriff, recorder, treasurer, engineer, coroner, court of common pleas judgeships, probate court judge
  • Hamilton County, Ohio - County commissioners, prosecuting attorney, clerk of courts, sheriff, recorder, treasurer, engineer, coroner, court of common pleas judges
  • Lucas County, Ohio - County commissioners, coroner, sheriff, recorder, engineer, treasurer, prosecuting attorney, clerk of court of common pleas, court of common pleas judges

Oklahoma

Oregon

Tennessee

Texas

  • Arlington, Texas - City council
  • Austin, Texas - City council
  • Corpus Christi, Texas - Mayor, city council
  • El Paso, Texas - Mayor, city representatives, municipal court judgeships
  • Garland, Texas - City council
  • Houston, Texas - City council
  • Irving, Texas - Mayor, city council
  • Laredo, Texas - City council
  • Lubbock, Texas - Mayor, city council, municipal court judge
  • Bexar County, Texas - County commissioners, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, justice of the peace, constables, multiple judgeships
  • Collin County, Texas - County commissioners, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, constables, and district court judgeships
  • Dallas County, Texas - County commissioners, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, district court judgeships
  • Denton County, Texas - County commissioners, tax collector-assessor, sheriff, constables, multiple judgeships
  • El Paso County, Texas - County commissioners, tax assessor-collector, sheriff, county attorney, district attorney, constables, multiple judgeships
  • Fort Bend County, Texas - Sheriff, county commissioners, county attorney, tax assessor-collector, justices of the peace, constables, multiple judgeships
  • Harris County, Texas - County commissioners, sheriff, county court at law, county attorney, county clerk, county department of education, district attorney, tax assessor-collector, justice of the peace, constable, special districts, multiple judgeships
  • Lubbock County, Texas - County commissioners, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, constables, special districts, multiple judgeships
  • Nueces County, Texas - County commissioners, sheriff, county attorney, county district attorney, tax assessor-collector, justices of the peace, constables, special districts, multiple judgeships
  • Tarrant County, Texas - County commissioners, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, constables, multiple judgeships
  • Travis County, Texas - County commissioners, sheriff, county court at law, county commissioners court (special), county attorney, district attorney, tax assessor-collector, constables, multiple judgeships
  • Webb County, Texas - County commissioners, sheriff, district attorney, county attorney, tax assessor-collector, constables, special districts, multiple judgeships
  • Williamson County, Texas - County commissioners, sheriff, county attorney, county district attorney, tax assessor-collector, constables, multiple judgeships

Virginia

Washington

Washington, D.C.

Wisconsin

  • Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Mayor, common councilors, city attorney, city comptroller, city treasurer
  • Madison, Wisconsin - Alderperson (special election)
  • Dane County, Wisconsin - Board of supervisors, county clerk, treasurer, register of deeds, district attorney, circuit court judge
  • Milwaukee County, Wisconsin - County executive, county comptroller, county board supervisors, circuit court judgeships, county clerk, county treasurer, register of deeds, and district attorney

U.S. territories

Guam

Northern Mariana Islands

Puerto Rico

  • Adjuntas, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Aguada, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Aguadilla, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Aibonito, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Arecibo, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Arroyo, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Añasco, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Barceloneta, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Barranquitas, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Bayamón, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Caguas, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Camuy, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Canóvanas, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Carolina, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Cataño, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Cayey, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Ceiba, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Ciales, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Cidra, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Coamo, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Comerío, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Corozal, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Culebra, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Dorado, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Fajardo, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Florida, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Guayama, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Guayanilla, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Guaynabo, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Gurabo, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Guánica, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Hatillo, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Hormigueros, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Humacao, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Isabela, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Jayuya, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Juncos, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Lajas, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Lares, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Las Marías, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Las Piedras, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Loíza, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Luquillo, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Manatí, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Maricao, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Maunabo, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Mayagüez, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Moca, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Morovis, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Naguabo, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Naranjito, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Orocovis, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Patillas, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Peñuelas, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Ponce, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Quebradillas, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Rincón, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Río Grande, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Salinas, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • San Germán, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • San Juan, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • San Sebastián, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Toa Alta, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Toa Baja, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Utuado, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Vega Alta, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Vega Baja, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Vieques, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Villalba, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Yabucoa, Puerto Rico - Mayor
  • Yauco, Puerto Rico - Mayor


By date

February 11

February 18

Primary election

March 3

Primary election

March 17

Primary election


April 7

General election

April 28

Special election

May 2

Texas elections

Multiple municipalities in Texas were originally scheduled to hold elections on May 2, 2020. These elections were moved to November 3, 2020, amid concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. In a proclamation made on March 18, 2020, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) suspended Sections 41.0052(a) and (b) of the Texas election code. This allowed local governments to move elections scheduled on May 2, 2020, to the next uniform state election date, which fell on November 3, 2020. This suspension only applied to elections occurring in 2020.[23]

May 5

Editor's note: Elections in Chesapeake, Virginia and Norfolk, Virginia were originally scheduled on May 5, 2020. On April 24, 2020, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) announced the postponement of elections scheduled on May 5, 2020, to May 19 amid concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. This announcement came after the Virginia State Senate rejected a proposal to delay local elections until November 2020.[24]

May 12

Primary election

May 19

Primary election

General election

June 2

Primary election

June 9

Primary election

June 23

Primary election

June 30

Primary election

July 7

Primary election

July 11

Primary special election

August 4

Primary election

August 6

General election

August 8

Primary election

August 9

Primary election

August 11

Primary election

General election

August 15

General special election

August 18

Primary election

August 25

General election

August 29

Primary election

September 1

Primary election

November 3

Primary election

General election

Runoff election

December 5

General election

December 12

Runoff election

December 22

General election


List of mayors of the 100 largest cities

See also: List of current mayors of the top 100 cities in the United States

To view a list of the current mayors of the top 100 U.S. cities by population, click here.

List of mayors in the U.S. territories

Guam

Mayors

To view a list of the current mayors of Guam, click here.

Vice-mayors

To view a list of the current vice-mayors of Guam, click here.

Puerto Rico

To view a list of the current mayors of Puerto Rico, click here.

Historical election data

The 100 largest cities in the U.S. held an average of 29.0 mayoral elections and 51.2 city council elections each year between 2014 and 2019. 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 2019, 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 2019, including the number of cities to hold mayoral and city council elections in a given year:

Total municipal elections covered by Ballotpedia from 2014 to 2019
Year Cities Mayor City council Counties
2019
64
30
63
29
2018
58
26
49
78
2017
59
36
50
23
2016
46
25
45
12
2015
59
33
58
N/A
2014
43
24
42
N/A

Mayoral elections

Between 2014 and 2019, 67.2% of incumbent mayors sought re-election; of these, 17.1% 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.

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 2019
Year Total seats Uncontested Incumbents who
sought re-election 		Incumbents defeated
# % # % # %
2019
30
2
6.7%
21
70.0%
4
19.0%
2018
26
1
3.8%
18
69.2%
1
5.6%
2017
36
0
0.0%
24
66.7%
5
20.8%
2016
25
4
16.0%
15
60.0%
4
26.7%
2015
33
3
9.1%
25
75.8%
4
16.0%
2014
24
2
8.3%
14
58.3%
2
14.3%

City council elections

Between 2014 and 2019, 69.2% of city council incumbents sought re-election; of these, 12.7% 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.

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 2019
Year Total seats Uncontested Incumbents who
sought re-election 		Incumbents defeated
# % # % # %
2019
457
59
12.9%
312
68.3%
39
12.5%
2018
200
29
14.5%
137
68.5%
19
13.9%
2017
367
47
12.8%
274
74.7%
37
13.5%
2016
216
48
22.2%
156
72.2%
22
14.1%
2015
467
97
20.8%
309
66.2%
30
9.7%
2014
198
31
15.7%
130
65.7%
21
16.2%

County elections

Ballotpedia covered 183 county and special district races across 29 large counties in 2019. Of these, 85 (46.4%) races were uncontested and 140 (76.5%) incumbents sought re-election. Of the incumbents who ran for re-election, 11 (7.9%) were defeated.

By comparison, 78 large counties held elections for county and special district officials in 2018. A total of 2,168 positions were up for election, and incumbents ran in 1,807 (83.3%) of those races. One-hundred and seventy-six (176) incumbents (9.7%) lost their re-election bids, and 1,115 elections (51.4%) featured only one candidate.


Uncontested races

An average of 2.0 mayoral races and 51.8 city council races went uncontested between 2014 and 2019. 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 2018 had the fewest (29). The chart below shows the percentage of uncontested mayoral and city council races between 2014 and 2019.


Rematches in 2020 general elections

See also: Rematches in 2020 general elections

Updated February 8, 2021
An election rematch occurs when the same candidates run against each other in consecutive election cycles. Three local races in Ballotpedia's coverage scope were rematches in the 2020 general election.[25] In 2018, a Democrat, a Republican, and a nonpartisan candidate each won one race. Two races were decided by less than 10 percentage points. In 2020, the challenger won the nonpartisan district on the Lexington City Council. Republicans and Democrats held each of the other two seats. One race was decided by less than one percentage point.

Local rematches, 2020
District Candidates 2018 margin 2020 margin
Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector Democratic Party Ollie Anderson Republican Party Wendy Burgess R+7.73 R+11.07
Lexington City Council District 5 Independent Liz Sheehan Independent Bill Farmer I+7.23 I+1.14
Wayne County Commission District 15 Democratic Party Joseph Palamara Republican Party Patrick O'Connell D+20.51 D+10.65


More local election analysis

In 2020, Ballotpedia covered elections for mayor, city council, and all other city officials in the 100 largest cities by population in the United States, as well as elections for county officials whose jurisdictions overlapped with those cities.

Election analysis

Municipal elections


See also

Local Politics 2020 Election Analysis
Local Politics Image.jpg
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png

Municipal government
Local courts
School boards
Local ballot measures
Local recalls

Municipal elections, 2020
Mayoral elections, 2020
Local court elections, 2020
School board elections, 2020
Local ballot measure elections, 2020
Political recall efforts, 2020

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Esteban Bovo's 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed October 21, 2020
  2. ↑ Daniella Levine Cava's 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed October 21, 2020
  3. ↑ Ted Wheeler's 2020 campaign website, "Our Progress," accessed October 29, 2020
  4. ↑ Sarah Iannarone's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed October 29, 2020
  5. ↑ CBS Sacramento, "Election Update: Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs Concedes To Kevin Lincoln," November 17, 2020
  6. ↑ City of Stockton, "Elections," accessed February 7, 2020
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 AP News, "Stockton mayor who pushed guaranteed income isn’t reelected," November 18, 2020
  8. ↑ Michael Tubbs 2020 campaign website, "Why I'm running," accessed November 24, 2020
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Los Angeles Times, "Rising Democratic star Michael Tubbs risks reelection defeat, thanks in part to a Stockton blog," November 6, 2020
  10. ↑ Kevin Lincoln 2020 campaign website, "On the issues," accessed November 24, 2020
  11. ↑ Kevin Lincoln 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed November 24, 2020
  12. ↑ AP News, "El Paso elects former mayor, defeating incumbent in runoff," December 13, 2020
  13. ↑ The Texas Tribune, "New El Paso Mayor Takes On List of Challenges," July 21, 2013
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 The Texas Tribune, "Hit hard by the coronavirus, El Pasoans will decide a mayoral runoff where the central focus has been handling the pandemic," December 11, 2020
  15. ↑ The Texas Tribune, "El Paso Mayor Dee Margo loses reelection bid to Oscar Leeser," December 12, 2020
  16. ↑ Los Angeles Almanac, "Los Angeles County District Attorney Election Results," accessed October 19, 2020
  17. ↑ San Francisco Department of Elections, "Official Ranked-Choice Results Report November 8, 2011, Consolidated Municipal Election, District Attorney," accessed October 26, 2020
  18. ↑ San Francisco Department of Elections, "November 3, 2015 Official Election Results," accessed October 26, 2020
  19. ↑ Margaret Moore 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 26, 2020
  20. ↑ Jose Garza 2020 campaign website, "Our Broken System," accessed February 26, 2020
  21. ↑ City of Milwaukee, "Election Results Archive: April 5, 2016 and April 3, 2012," accessed April 2, 2020
  22. ↑ Project Vote Smart - Senator Coggs
  23. ↑ Office of the Texas Governor, "Governor Abbott Issues Proclamation Allowing For Postponement Of Local Elections Set For May 2nd," March 18, 2020
  24. ↑ ‘’InsideNova,’’ “Northam moves local elections to May 19,” April 24, 2020
  25. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named exact
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