Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
United States municipal elections, 2025
2026 →
← 2024
|
| 2025 municipal elections |
|---|
 |
| Federal and state elections |
| Congressional special elections State executive elections |
| Local elections |
| Mayoral elections School board elections |
Ballotpedia is covering municipal elections in 31 counties and 75 cities, including 38 mayoral elections, in 2025. As of 2025, Ballotpedia's coverage scope for local elections includes elections on the ballot in the 100 largest U.S. cities by population, as well as elections for mayors, city council members, and district attorneys in each state capital.
At the start of January 2025, the mayors of 65 of the country's 100 largest cities were affiliated with the Democratic Party. Republicans held 25 mayoral offices, Libertarians held one office, independents held two, and four mayors were nonpartisan. Three mayors' partisan affiliations were unknown.
As of August 2025, Ballotpedia has identified 14 mayoral battleground in 2025. Click here to learn more. To read about mayoral elections that Ballotpedia designated as battlegrounds in 2024, click here.
Ballotpedia tracks the partisan affiliation of the mayors of the 100 largest cities and each state capital, including mayors of cities holding nonpartisan mayoral elections. Click here to see this coverage in 2025.
As of August 2025, elections in two top-100 cities resulted in a change in party control , for a net gain of one Democratic mayor, a net gain of one nonpartisan mayor, and a net loss of two Republican mayors.
- Omaha, Nebraska: Democrat John Ewing Jr. defeated incumbent Republican Jean Stothert on May 13.
- Garland, Texas: Nonpartisan Dylan Hedrick was elected to succeed Republican Scott LeMay in the general runoff election on June 7.
In addition to our regular municipal election coverage, Ballotpedia is also expanding our local election coverage in 26 states in 2025. Click here to learn more.
Our coverage scope for local elections continues to grow, and you can use Ballotpedia's sample ballot tool to see what local elections we are covering in your area.
To view a different election year, click one of the links below.
- BattlegroundsInformation on battleground electionsRead more
- Mayoral partisanshipInformation on the partisan balance of mayors across the countryRead more
- On the ballotA list of elections and candidates on the ballotRead more
- List of mayorsA list of mayors of the 100 largest citiesRead more
- Historical election dataHistorical data on municipal elections since 2014Read more
Contents
- 1 2025 municipal battleground elections
- 2 Mayoral partisanship
- 3 On the ballot
- 3.1 Alabama
- 3.2 Alaska
- 3.3 Arizona
- 3.4 Arkansas
- 3.5 California
- 3.6 Colorado
- 3.7 Delaware
- 3.8 Florida
- 3.9 Georgia
- 3.10 Hawaii
- 3.11 Idaho
- 3.12 Illinois
- 3.13 Indiana
- 3.14 Iowa
- 3.15 Kansas
- 3.16 Kentucky
- 3.17 Louisiana
- 3.18 Maine
- 3.19 Maryland
- 3.20 Massachusetts
- 3.21 Michigan
- 3.22 Minnesota
- 3.23 Mississippi
- 3.24 Missouri
- 3.25 Montana
- 3.26 Nebraska
- 3.27 Nevada
- 3.28 New Hampshire
- 3.29 New Jersey
- 3.30 New Mexico
- 3.31 New York
- 3.32 North Carolina
- 3.33 Ohio
- 3.34 Oklahoma
- 3.35 Oregon
- 3.36 Pennsylvania
- 3.37 Rhode Island
- 3.38 South Carolina
- 3.39 South Dakota
- 3.40 Texas
- 3.41 Utah
- 3.42 Vermont
- 3.43 Virginia
- 3.44 Washington
- 3.45 Washington, D.C.
- 3.46 Wisconsin
- 3.47 Wyoming
- 3.48 February 11
- 3.49 February 18
- 3.50 March 4
- 3.51 March 18
- 3.52 March 25
- 3.53 March 29
- 3.54 April 1
- 3.55 April 8
- 3.56 April 15
- 3.57 April 22
- 3.58 April 29
- 3.59 May 3
- 3.60 May 6
- 3.61 May 13
- 3.62 May 20
- 3.63 June 3
- 3.64 June 7
- 3.65 June 10
- 3.66 June 17
- 3.67 June 24
- 3.68 July 1
- 3.69 July 15
- 3.70 August 5
- 3.71 August 10
- 3.72 August 12
- 3.73 August 26
- 3.74 September 9
- 3.75 September 16
- 3.76 October 7
- 3.77 October 11
- 3.78 October 28
- 3.79 November 4
- 3.80 November 11
- 3.81 November 15
- 3.82 November 18
- 3.83 December 2
- 3.84 December 9
- 4 List of mayors of the 100 largest cities
- 5 Historical election data
- 6 Election coverage by office
- 7 More local election analysis
- 8 See also
- 9 Footnotes
2025 municipal battleground elections
Ballotpedia designates races expected to have a meaningful effect on the balance of power in governments or to be particularly competitive or compelling as battlegrounds.
Mayoral battlegrounds
Click the buttons below to read about that city's mayoral election.
Zohran Mamdani (D) defeated ten other candidates in the Democratic primary for Mayor of New York City on June 24, 2025. Mamdani received 56% of the vote in round 3 of ranked-choice voting to Andrew Cuomo's (D) 44%.[1]
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams (D) was first elected in 2021. He initially ran in the primaries for re-election, but he withdrew on April 3 to run as an independent.[2]
The section below lists noteworthy candidates. To read more about how Ballotpedia defines noteworthy candidates, click here.
- Adrienne Adams is the speaker of the City Council. She ran on her record as speaker and supported a guaranteed income program for homeless families.[3][4]
- Andrew Cuomo was governor of New York from 2011 until 2021. He campaigned on making the city more affordable and on fighting antisemitism.[5][6]
- Brad Lander is the city comptroller. He campaigned on ending homelessness and reducing retail theft.[7][8]
- Zohran Mamdani is a state assemblymember for District 36. He campaigned for a rent freeze on housing and for making city buses free.[9][10]
- Zellnor Myrie is a state senator for District 20. He campaigned to address the cost of housing and to implement his plan to hire up to 3,000 new police officers.[11][12]
- Jessica Ramos is a state senator for District 13. She campaigned to create an affordable citywide childcare program and to declare homelessness a public health emergency.[13][14] On June 6, Ramos announced her endorsement of Andrew Cuomo, but said she was still a candidate for mayor.[15]
- Scott Stringer was the city's comptroller from 2014 to 2022 and an unsuccessful candidate for mayor in 2021. He campaigned against government corruption and for making childcare more affordable.[16][17]
For more information on the candidates and their platforms, click here.
The New York Times's Nicholas Fandos and Lisa Lerer wrote before the election, "The clash consuming New York City is one that has become almost routine in Democratic politics. On one side stands a moderate pragmatist who first took public office three decades ago. On the other is a democratic socialist half his age who has leaped past more seasoned rivals and captured the imagination of the left."[18]
Candidate endorsements became a factor, and City & State NY's Sahalie Donaldson, Annie McDonough, and Holly Pretsky wrote that as the race progressed, "Alliances [began] to solidify."[19] Former mayor Michael Bloomberg (D) endorsed Cuomo, and Columbia University professor Ester Fuchs said, "Bloomberg is the most critical and important endorsement for Cuomo in the primary. It’s a seal of approval for moderate voters who care about effectively governing the city."[20] Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) endorsed Mamdani, and City University of New York professor John Mollenkopf said the endorsement could "make some difference. And in this tight race, some difference is valuable."[21]
This was the third election in the city that used ranked-choice voting. The system allowed voters to rank up to five candidates, and if their first candidate was eliminated, their vote would be transferred to a different candidate. Voters could have picked only one candidate or ranked fewer than five. This system applied only to the primary election.[22]
The New Republic's Grace Seger wrote before the election, "In these final weeks, the mayoral hopefuls are working to tailor their campaigns to train voters on what they need to do when they enter their voting booths."[23] On June 13, Brad Lander and Zohran Mamdani endorsed each other.[24] On June 16, Mamdani and Michael Blake (D) endorsed each other's campaigns.[25] New York Daily News' Chris Sommerfeldt wrote that candidates endorsing each other had become increasingly common and said "a candidate who trails after the first round of vote tabulations could eventually prevail if they are ranked on ballots featuring other candidates as the number one choice."[26]
Selma Bartholomew (D), Michael Blake (D), Paperboy Prince (D), and Whitney Tilson (D) also ran.Barbara Lee defeated Loren Taylor and seven other candidates in the April 15 nonpartisan, special general election for mayor of Oakland.[27]
Incumbent Kevin Jenkins did not run for re-election. The Oakland City Council selected Jenkins to serve as interim mayor after voters recalled former Mayor Sheng Thao 60.6%-39.4% on November 5, 2024.[28] Click here to learn more about the recall. This was the first time in the city's history that a mayor was successfully recalled.[29]
Lee, Taylor, and Renia Webb led in media attention and endorsements.[30]
Lee served in the U.S. House from 1998 to 2025 and placed fourth out of seven candidates in the 2024 U.S. Senate primary. Lee highlighted her record in Congress and as a state legislator, saying she "focused on local issues in terms of bringing home billions of dollars to make sure that my community benefits from my work on the national and state level." Lee also said she would focus on unifying the city around an agenda that prioritized public safety, housing, government accountability, and economic development and jobs.[31]
Taylor was a member of the Oakland City Council from 2019 to 2023 and ran for mayor in 2022. In that race, Thao defeated Taylor 50.3%-49.7% after nine rounds of ranked-choice voting. Taylor ran on his record as a former city council member and his experience working as an engineer and consultant. He said, "We need new energy, fresh perspective, and a deliberate focus on making hard but necessary choices to get us through this current period. ... My vision for Oakland is that we are the safe, clean city that we know we can be, that we are full of opportunities, and we are founded on a solid foundation of fiscal solvency."[31]
Webb was an elementary school teacher and worked as Thao's chief of staff when Thao was on Oakland's City Council.[30] Webb also worked as a communications manager at Urban Lynx Consulting and a construction community liaison for the Oakland Unified School District.[32] Webb's campaign website said, "My mission is to bridge the gaps, amplify underrepresented voices, and create a city where everyone can thrive."[33] Webb also highlighted public safety, saying she saw how the issue affected her students: "When I hear stories of them telling me that their car got stolen the night before and their teddy bear was in it, and they couldn't sleep last night. You see the impacts that crime has on our city."[31]
Lee, Taylor, and Webb all participated in a forum on February 18, 2025.[30] At the forum, the candidates discussed public safety, homelessness, economic conditions, and government accountability.[31] Click here to watch the forum. The League of Women Voters of Oakland also held a forum on March 15, 2025, including all nine candidates. During the forum, the candidates spoke about the city's budget, public safety, homelessness, and the city's form of government. Click here to learn more.
Before the election, Lee and Taylor led in campaign spending, with Lee spending more than $371,000 and Taylor spending more than $394,000.[34] In the 2022 election, Thao and Taylor — the top two vote-getters — spent more than $450,000 and $593,000 respectively.[35]
President Cristina Grappo, Peter Liu, Mindy Pechenuk, Suz Robinson, Eric Simpson, and Elizabeth Swaney also ran.
Liu and Robinson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Click here to read the responses.
This election happened at the same time as Measure A, a local ballot measure which asked voters to decide whether the city should enact a 0.5% sales and use tax for 10 years to provide general government funding. According to CBS News, "City leaders estimate the tax hike would generate approximately $30 million annually for Oakland's general fund, helping to close a projected $140 million budget deficit for the next fiscal year."[36] Click here to learn more about the local ballot measure.
Oakland used ranked-choice voting (RCV) for this election, which asked voters to rank candidates by preference on their ballots. Click here to learn more about that process. The filing deadline for this election was January 17, 2025.Corey O'Connor (D) defeated incumbent Edward Gainey (D) in the Democratic primary for mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on May 20, 2025.[37] A Democrat had held the mayor's office since 1934.
Before the election, PennLive's J.D. Prose wrote, "With Pittsburgh remaining a solidly blue enclave in purple Allegheny County, the party’s primary race winner will be considered the de facto next mayor although there are two GOP mayoral candidates."[38]
Gainey was first elected in 2021. He focused on his record in office and his campaign website said, "Homicides are down, the state of our infrastructure has improved, affordable housing options are growing, and basic services are faster — I’m proud of my record as Mayor, and excited about what we can still achieve, together."[39] Gainey also campaigned to make housing more affordable, saying, "I want to build a city where everybody has an opportunity to live. To me, housing is a right. Housing is a right that everybody should have."[40] U.S. Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) and the United Steelworkers endorsed Gainey.[41][42]
O'Connor was the controller of Allegheny County. He campaigned to build more housing and develop businesses and said, "We must create new affordable and workforce housing opportunities, and eliminate obstacles to housing construction. We must provide space for new businesses and entrepreneurs to choose Pittsburgh."[43] He also campaigned on public safety and said he wanted to fund centers to "provide crisis support, homelessness resources, and emergency aid, giving first responders more tools to help residents quickly and effectively."[44] The Allegheny County Democratic Committee and Pennsylvania's Laborers' Council endorsed O'Connor.[45] The Democratic Committee previously endorsed Gainey over incumbent Bill Peduto (D) in 2021.[46]
WESA's Chris Potter discussed the national implications of the race and wrote, "What happens outside of Pittsburgh no longer stays outside of Pittsburgh."[47] Gainey criticized O'Connor for receiving $130,000 in donations from donors who previously supported Republican candidates.[48] Gainey said, "There's one place I didn't expect to have to fend the MAGA assault, and that was the mayoral primary race." He added, "Trump's MAGA megadonors, his consultants and corporate interests, are trying to buy the mayor's office."[49] O'Connor said he received donations from "people who want to donate because they see how much Pittsburgh is struggling." He also criticized Gainey for supporting Pittsburgh’s bid to host the Republican National Convention in Pittsburgh, saying, "So, I ask, who's progressive? Somebody who wants to stop Donald Trump or somebody who was willing to welcome Donald Trump and the Trump Republicans to Pittsburgh for their national convention?"[50]
Pittsburgh was one of the 47 top 100 U.S. cities to use a strong mayor system of governance, meaning the mayor drafts budgets, sets policies, and can veto bills by the city council. To read more about the power mayors have in the top 100 cities in the country, click here.Gina Ortiz Jones defeated Rolando Pablos 54.3% to 45.7% in the June 7, 2025, runoff election for mayor of San Antonio, Texas.
Ortiz Jones and Pablos advanced to the runoff from the nonpartisan general election on May 3. Ortiz Jones received 27.2% of the vote and Pablos received 16.6%. The two advanced to a runoff because neither received at least 50% of the vote.
Incumbent Ron Nirenberg, elected in June 2017, was term-limited. Though the office was nonpartisan, Nirenberg joined the Democratic Party in 2024 and was previously an independent.[51] This was the city's first mayoral election in 16 years without an incumbent on the ballot.[52]
The San Antonio Report's Andrea Drusch wrote, "The race to become San Antonio’s next mayor is headed toward a partisan showdown between one candidate loved by national Democratic Party leaders [Ortiz Jones] and another [Pablos] who has close ties to the Republicans who control every lever of power in Texas state government. ... Texas’ big city mayors have steadily become less progressive as traditional liberal incumbents termed out, and all eyes will be on San Antonio as Jones and Pablos face off in what is supposed to be a nonpartisan race."[53] The runoff election did not feature any city council candidates. Drusch wrote, "Historically, San Antonio has shown preference for candidates with council experience. The city has elected just one mayor without it in 70 years — Phil Hardberger — making the dominance of City Hall outsiders in this race highly unusual."[53]
Notable endorsements for Ortiz Jones included: former mayors Phil Hardberger and Julian Castro; congressmen Greg Casar (D) and Joaquin Castro (D); councilmembers Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Phyllis Viagran, and Teri Castillo; and the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations. The San Antonio Police Officers’ Association, former U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R), and Gov. Greg Abbott (R)-affiliated PAC, The Texas Economic Fund, endorsed Pablos.[54][55]
Ortiz Jones served as undersecretary of the Air Force (2021-2024) in the Biden administration. She said she would focus on working families and young people, and would "work to bring down costs where we can, make smart investments in our future, and respect taxpayers by increasing transparency around how tax dollars are spent."[56] Pablos served as Texas secretary of state from 2017 to 2018. He said his priorities were public safety, better-paying jobs, small businesses, government accountability, and basic city services such as affordable utilities, walkable neighborhoods, and enhanced drainage systems and garbage collection.[57]
Heading into the May 3 election, the San Antonio Report's Leigh Munsil said the new mayor and city council would need to navigate "multiple city-shaping economic development efforts like a downtown stadium for the Missions baseball team and a possible relocation of the Spurs to Hemisfair ... [as well as] challenges of housing affordability, public safety and infrastructure, to name a few."[58]
San Antonio, which was the seventh most populous city in the country as of May 2025, has a council-manager system, meaning the mayor represents one of 11 votes on the city council. The mayor and city council appoint a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.[51][59][60]
This page covers the June 7, 2025, runoff. Click here for more on the general election.Cara Spencer defeated incumbent Tishaura Jones in the general election for mayor of St. Louis on April 8, 2025.[61] This contest was a rematch of the 2021 election, in which Jones defeated Spencer 52% to 48%. Both candidates were affiliated with the Democratic Party.[62]
In the four-person primary, which utilized approval voting, Spencer received 68% of the vote, and Jones received 33%. St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Austin Huguelt and Joe Holleman wrote that Spencer's performance was a "reversal from four years ago, when Jones beat Spencer by [four] percentage points."[63] St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann, Jason Rosenbaum, Will Bauer, and Lacretia Wimbley wrote, "While the outcome of the primary was the same as in 2021, the underlying numbers look quite different."[64]
Jones was first elected in 2021. She campaigned on her record and said, "We’ll be able to show people exactly where we have improved some of the things that they are most concerned about, and also let them know how we’re going to improve things in our second term."[65] Jones said that she used pandemic funds to improve the city: "Homicides were at an all-time high and services weren’t being delivered. Fast forward to now and we’ve received pandemic relief funds and the first thing we did was to ask the community ‘what would you like to see’ with those funds. And we’ve invested in people, infrastructure and upgraded the government experience."[66]
Spencer was a member of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, representing Ward 8. Spencer campaigned on reducing government corruption and said, "Governments are failing our communities, and the city of St. Louis is failing our communities. And if I’m elected mayor, what I’ll do to rebuild trust is root out corruption in every single city department…zero tolerance for corruption."[66] She also campaigned on public safety. Her website said, "Public safety is Cara’s top priority... A safer St. Louis starts with action and Cara’s committed to ensuring every resident’s right to live in safety."[67]
On March 8, the Democratic Party of St. Louis endorsed Spencer. The party's Central Committee Chair Sean Fauss (D) said the endorsement showed Spencer "was able to win from where I'm at in the south ward all the way into the farthest north ward, and the votes of committee people in between."[68]
Eighteen percent of eligible voters turned out for the primary.[69] Jones said her numbers in the general election would improve with increased turnout and that her strategy was to "make sure that people are aware that there is another election... and increas[e] turnout all over the city."[70] Board of Aldermen president Megan Ellyia Green noted the possible effect that the supporters of the third and fourth-place primary finishers, Michael Butler and Andrew Jones Jr., could have on this race. She pointed to the potential influence of Butler's supporters for Jones and said she thought "a lot of the Butler vote will consolidate to the mayor."[71]Incumbent Bruce Harrell and Katie Wilson are running in the November 4 general election for mayor of Seattle.
Harrell was first elected in 2021, when he defeated M. Lorena González 58.6%-41.2%. The last incumbent Seattle mayor to win re-election was Greg Nickels in 2005.[72]
Before he was elected mayor, Harrell was a lawyer and a member of the Seattle City Council from 2008 to 2020. Harrell is running on his record. His campaign website said he would prioritize "a transportation system focused on safety, sidewalks, road infrastructure, bus and light rail," and support policies challenging the Trump Administration.[73] Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson (D), Attorney General Nick Brown (D), and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D) endorsed Harrell.[74] As of August 28, Harrell raised $713,000 and spent $439,000.
Wilson is the co-founder and executive director of the Seattle-based Transit Riders Union.[75] Wilson's campaign website said she would "open 4,000 new units of emergency housing and shelter in four years" and support policies challenging the Trump Administration.[76][77] The King County Democrats, the Transit Riders Union, and the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 3000 (UCFW 3000). endorsed Wilson.[78][79] As of August 28, Wilson raised $640,000 and spent $444,000.
Both candidates also listed public safety and housing as priorities on their campaign websites.
Seattle voters also approved three ballot measures in February 2025, including Proposition 1A, a citizen initiative that established a new tax to fund the city's new social housing developer. Proposition 1A appeared on the ballot along with Proposition 1B, which the Seattle City Council and the mayor referred to the ballot as an alternative measure. Proposition 1B would have used existing payroll expense tax revenues from the next five annual budgets to fund the social housing developer. Voters approved Proposition 1A and defeated Proposition 1B 63.1%-36.9%. Wilson said she supported Proposition 1A, while Harrell supported Proposition 1B.[72]
The filing deadline for this election was May 9, 2025. As of 2025, Seattle does not have term limits for the position of mayor. Mayors serve a four-year term.Solomon Kinloch and Mary Sheffield advanced in the nonpartisan primary for mayor of Detroit on August 5, 2025.
Bridge Detroit's Malachi Barrett wrote, "For the first time since he won the role 12 years ago, Mike Duggan will not be on the ballot for Detroit mayor. His term expires at the end of 2025, opening up a competitive contest to succeed him."[80] Though the position is nonpartisan, Duggan is an independent, formerly affiliated with the Democratic Party.[81] Detroit's last Republican mayor left office in 1962.[82]
James Craig was the former chief of Detroit's police department and ran for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Michigan in 2022 and U.S. Senate in 2024.[83] He campaigned on public safety, and said that residents "want police and they want more police, but that certainly doesn't mean that we need to exhaust the budget just for public safety. There has to be a balance."[84] Craig also said he wanted a third party to audit the city's finances, and said that if elected, he would "[b]ring in a firm that will not only report out on the health, but come back with recommendations."[85]
Fred Durhal, at the time of the primary, was a member of the Detroit City Council, a former Democratic state representative, and a community liaison to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.[86] He campaigned on his experience and said he was the only candidate in the race who had a "vast experience of being able to foster relationships and deliver here for the city of Detroit."[87] Durhal also said that he wanted to reform property taxes, and said he would "modernize [property] assessments by transitioning toward income-based assessments for commercial and residential rental properties, ensuring taxes are aligned with actual earning potential."[88]
Saunteel Jenkins was a nonprofit executive and was president of the Detroit City Council from 2013 to 2014.[89][90] She campaigned on affordability, and her website said she would "make lowering property taxes and housing affordability a top priority. We’ll work with our partners to create more affordable housing options for renters and owners."[91] Jenkins also campaigned to expand public transit, and said, "We should have a combination of traditional buses and shuttles that go shorter routes. You need transportation hubs around the city, not just Rosa Parks Transit Center, that can fulfill the needs of people throughout the city."[92] Jenkins was affiliated with the Democratic Party.[93]
Solomon Kinloch, at the time of the primary, was the pastor of the Triumph Church.[94] He campaigned on his lack of political experience, and focused on his experience as a pastor. He said, "It doesn’t matter how experienced you are if your experiences don’t change the experiences of the people in this city." He added, "When government didn’t show up and do their part, Solomon Kinloch and Triumph Church stood up."[95] Kinloch also campaigned on building new grocery stores in the city. He said, "I plan on building 10 strategically locator[sic] grocery stores and ending the food desert in Detroit forever."[96] Kinloch was affiliated with the Democratic Party.[93]
Mary Sheffield, at the time of the primary, was the president of the Detroit City Council.[97] She campaigned on developing less well-off neighborhoods, and her website said that further development had "to occur in neighborhoods, and resources must be made available to residents where they live, work, play and pray. Detroit cannot continue to be a tale of two cities."[98] Sheffield also campaigned on using community policing, and said she was "very big on community violence intervention programs, and possibly creating an office of gun violence prevention in Detroit. Creating more ways to address the underlying social issues that breed crime in our community."[99] Sheffield was affiliated with the Democratic Party.[93]
Deadline Detroit's Allan Lengel wrote, "It's always tough to say just how influential political endorsements are. That being said, they're still coveted and considered a prize worth working for." Most of the leading candidates received endorsements from organizations with local and national reach:
- Four mayors of other Michigan cities, including those from Grand Rapids and Lansing, endorsed Durhal.[100]
- The Detroit News' editorial board endorsed Jenkins, and the Michigan Chronicle's editorial board co-endorsed Jenkins and Sheffield.[101][102]
- The United Auto Workers, the Black Slate, and the 13th Congressional District Democrats endorsed Kinloch.[103][104][105]
- The Service Employees International Union Michigan and the Detroit Free Press's editorial board endorsed Sheffield. The Michigan Chronicle's editorial board co-endorsed Sheffield and Jenkins.[100][106][102]
Ballotpedia did not identify any public formal endorsements for Craig.
Jonathan Barlow, Joel Haashiim, Todd Perkins, and Danetta Simpson also ran.Eleven candidates are running in the nonpartisan election for mayor of the city of Miami, Florida, on November 4, 2025. If it is necessary, a runoff will be held on November 18, 2025. The filing deadline for this election is September 20, 2025. Incumbent Francis Suarez is term-limited. Four candidates lead in media attention, fundraising, and polling: Emilio Gonzalez, Eileen Higgins, Ken Russell, and Xavier Suarez.
On June 26, 2025, the Miami City Commission voted to postpone this election until 2026 in order to move city elections to even years.[107] On July 21, 2025, Circuit Court Judge Valerie R. Manno Schurr ruled that the ordinance conflicted with the Miami-Dade County charter because changing the city's election date would require a voter referendum. The ruling means that the election will take place on November 4.[108][109]
Gonzalez is a Florida Treasury Investment Council member and a former Miami city manager.[110] He is campaigning on reducing taxes and says, "We can eliminate property taxes for homestead property owners while protecting vital services like public safety and infrastructure."[111] He is also campaigning on reducing city work regulations, saying he would "build a workforce to overhaul permitting and licensing—sparking opportunity and empowering residents and entrepreneurs, not just the well-connected."[112] Gonzalez is affiliated with the Republican Party.[113]
Higgins was a commissioner for District 5 on the Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners.[114] She is campaigning on affordability, and her website says she would support "cutting through red tape and ending corruption so that our city’s government can get to work creating a prosperous and affordable future for all residents."[115] Higgins is also campaigning on improving the city's resilience to environmental disasters. Her website says she will "protect Biscayne Bay, invest in flood mitigations, and secure a resilient future for our city."[115] Higgins is affiliated with the Democratic Party.[113]
Russell is a former commissioner for the city of Miami.[114] Russell is campaigning on affordable housing and said, "The government has to step in and create the right atmosphere and incentives for the world of development to provide the product that we want."[114] Russell is also campaigning on expanding the city commission from five seats to seven, saying it would "really help increase accountability and local representation."[114] Russell is affiliated with the Democratic Party.[113]
Suarez served as mayor of Miami from 1985 to 1993 and from 1997 to 1998, and is the father of incumbent Francis Suarez.[116] He is campaigning on his experience in government and as a private citizen, writing in an opinion piece that he would bring "perspective, steadiness and an even deeper sense of purpose. I can still think, handle public speaking and take decisive action."[116] Suarez is also campaigning on public transportation and writes that he is "pushing to extend free public transit countywide."[116] Suarez is affiliated with the Republican Party.[113]
The changing of election dates has become an issue in the race. Gonzalez sued the city over the ordinance and said, "If we want to move our election, we should ask the voters."[117] Higgins proposed a new referendum to move election years, saying she supports "shortening the next Mayor’s term and putting the question on the 2026 ballot to modernize our democracy without undermining it."[118] Russell opposed the move, calling it a "slippery slope of bad government — where you have good intentions, but you start bending the rules to get there," and supported letting voters weigh in on the issue.[119][120] Suarez supported both moving elections to even years and Gonzalez's lawsuit. Suarez said that he was "directly involved in the selection of counsel and contributed significantly to the strategic approach."[121]
Another candidate, commissioner and former mayor Joe Carollo, may enter the race. Carollo and Suarez were mayoral candidates in 1997. Suarez was declared the winner until a Florida appeals court overturned his win on March 11, 1998, due to ballot fraud.[122][123]
Laura Anderson, Christian Cevallos, Alyssa Crocker, Ijamyn Gray, Michael A. Hepburn, Maxwell Martinez, and June Savage are also running.
As of 2025, Miami has term limits for the position of mayor. Mayors can serve two consecutive four-year terms and can run again after a four year break.Incumbent Michelle Wu and Josh Kraft defeated two other candidates in the nonpartisan primary election for mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, on September 9, 2025. The general election is scheduled for November 4, 2025.
Wu was first elected in 2021, when she defeated Annissa Essaibi George 64%-35.6%. The last incumbent mayor to lose a re-election bid was James Michael Curley in 1949. [124][125]
Wu and Kraft led in media attention and campaign fundraising.[126] Robert Cappucci and Domingos DaRosa also ran. While mayoral elections in Boston are nonpartisan, Wu, Kraft, and Cappucci all wrote that they were Democrats on their Organization Statements filed with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance.[127][128][129] DaRosa did not write a partisan affiliation.[130]
Wu was previously a member of the Boston City Council. She also worked for former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.[131] Wu ran on her record. Her campaign website said, "Since taking office, she has invested more in making housing affordable than any other administration in Boston’s history. In her first full year as mayor, gun violence fell to the lowest level on record—and has continued to fall every year since. She promised a summer job to every BPS student who wanted one—and delivered, and has expanded Universal Pre-K to serve more children and families than ever before."[132] U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D), U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D), and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D) endorsed Wu.[133]
Kraft was the head of Kraft Family Philanthropies, former CEO of the Boys & Girls Club in Boston, former president of the New England Patriots Foundation, and the son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.[134][135] Kraft's campaign website said, "I love this city, but I have serious concerns about its future and many issues need attention. Lack of access to housing that regular people can afford, which is forcing many people to leave the city. Boston Public Schools that are failing our kids and families. Poorly planned bike and bus lanes that are changing our neighborhood streets and creating gridlock all across the city. The humanitarian crisis and public safety concerns at Mass and Cass need to be addressed."[136] The International Longshoremen’s Association endorsed Kraft.[137]
On May 15, a coalition of the city's Democratic Ward Committees hosted a candidate forum. Wu, Kraft, and DaRosa all participated.[138][139] During the forum, candidates spoke about housing, public transportation, public safety, the city's fiscal health, and the mayor's role in responding to the policies of the Trump Administration. Click here to watch the forum.
While Wu and Kraft both said they opposed the Trump Administration's immigration policies, they differed on several other issues, including housing, transportation, and the renovation of Boston's White Stadium.
Wu said her administration created more than 11,000 housing units, including 5,400 affordable units, with another 4,000 affordable units in progress, and implemented new affordability requirements.[138] Kraft said he would reverse the Wu administration requirements, which he said were blocking the construction of 26,000 housing units, increase the number of Boston residents who qualify for income-restricted housing units, and create an opt-in rent control plan that would include property tax breaks for participating landlords.[140][125]
Wu said she would prioritize reducing dependence on cars. Wu highlighted her record on public transportation, including working with the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority to eliminate slow zones, as well as increasing ridership with fare-free bus lines, installing speed humps, and using technology to reduce congestion.[132] Kraft said he wouldn't prioritize reducing dependence on cars and instead would focus on fixing roads and sidewalks, as well as temporarily pause bike lane construction to conduct an audit on the efficiency of proposed bike lanes.[141]
Another topic that the candidates differed on was the renovation of Boston's White Stadium. Wu had led the city's effort to renovate the stadium, saying calling it an investment "into Black and Brown communities, into our students, and into the Boston Public Schools." Wu also promoted an agreement between the city and Boston Legacy FC, a new professional women's soccer team, to share use of the stadium.[142] Kraft criticized the stadium renovation as too expensive, said he would cancel the contract with the soccer team, and create a new plan for the stadium "at a fraction of the cost."[142]
The filing deadline for this election was May 20, 2025.On September 9, 2025, Andy Shirtliff and Emily Dean advanced from the nonpartisan primary for mayor of Helena, Montana. Shirtliff received 48.33% of the vote and Dean received 36.53%.[143] The general election is on November 4, 2025.
Sonda Gaub, Braxton Hudson, and Chris Riccardo also ran in the nonpartisan primary. This election was the first since 2001 in Helena to require a primary for mayor.[144] According to KTVH, state law "requires local governments to hold primaries if at least five candidates are running for any single position."[144] The top two finishers advanced to the general election on November 4, 2025.
Incumbent Wilmot Collins did not run for re-election. Although the position of mayor was officially nonpartisan, Collins was a Democrat.[145][144]
The Helena Area Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters of the Helena Area co-hosted a "Speed Date Your Candidates" event on August 7, 2025. Dean, Hudson, Riccardo, and Shirtliff attended the event. Each spoke at a podium for three minutes before sitting at separate tables where voters asked each candidate questions in speed dating format. Three attendees told KTVH that voters questioned the candidates about parking, homelessness, water issues, affordable housing, transportation, innovation, and strategies to retain Helena's residents.[146]
KTVH asked every candidate whether they supported Helena Public Schools’ proposed $283 million bonds, which appeared on the same ballot as the mayoral race. The bonds would support the renovation and rebuilding of select schools in Helena.[147] Dean, Hudson, Riccardo, and Shirtliff supported the bond, while Gaub did not.[148]
Dean was the director of engagement for the Montana School Boards Association. She was elected to the Helena City Commission in 2019 and re-elected in 2023. She served as mayor pro tem as of August 2025. Dean said, "As Mayor, my focus will be on modernizing our infrastructure, supporting responsible policies to increase affordable housing, and ensuring quality city services that meet the needs of all residents."[149] Collins and Helena City Commissioner Sean Logan endorsed Dean.[150]
Gaub was a former teacher and vice chair of the Helena Citizens’ Council. She said, "I’m running for mayor because I want [to] live in a 5-star city. I believe that government’s prime job is to provide superior Services — Transparent civics — Action driven solutions — excellent Representation — and disciplined Stewardship."[151][148] Gaub said she was "focused on fostering trust in local government, strengthening public safety, supporting small businesses, and restoring respect for Helena's voters."[152]
Hudson was a receptionist at Associated Dermatology. He said, "As we grow, we will need to invest in our public systems to adapt with changes we are already seeing. We need to increase affordable housing, repair our sidewalks, address traffic and parking concerns, and look into expanding our Capital Transit busses into a more robust system. As your mayor, I will make sure these key issues and others are addressed by the city."[153][154]
Riccardo was the co-founder of Omerta Arts. He said, "I’m not running because I have all the answers. I’m running because I believe in us – in our capacity to solve problems creatively, to bridge differences with understanding, and to paint a vision of Helena where every person feels valued and heard. This campaign isn’t about me. It’s about the single mother working two jobs who deserves safe, affordable housing. It’s about the veteran who needs accessible services. It’s about the entrepreneur with a vision for downtown, the teacher shaping young minds, the retiree who has given so much to this community and deserves our care in return."[155][156]
Shirtliff was the executive director of the Montana Building Industry Association. He was appointed to the Helena City Commission in 2022. Shirtliff said as commissioner he "has led collaborative efforts with downtown business owners, tenants and workers to find parking solutions; joined businesses and event planners in working toward a streamlined city permitting process; and worked with city officials to keep events on the Walking Mall."[157] He said as mayor "he will focus on improving city services and communication, champion housing solutions and encourage entrepreneurship."[158]
Helena has a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council, which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body, appoints a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the city council's policy and legislative initiatives.[159]
Other municipal battlegrounds
Click the buttons below to read about that city's municipal elections.
Ralph Rosado defeated Jose Regalado in a nonpartisan special election for District 4 of the Miami City Commission on June 3, 2025. Former incumbent Manolo Reyes died on April 11.[160] Rosado will complete the remainder of Reyes' term, which will expire in 2027.[161]
Regalado was the assistant building director for the city of Miami, a former policy advisor to Reyes, and the son of former mayor Tomás Regalado.[162] Regalado said he was running to continue Reyes' legacy "offering steady leadership rooted in action, accountability, and a lifelong commitment to District 4."[163] Regalado also focused on his record working for Reyes, and his website said: "As Chief Policy Adviser to the late Commissioner Manolo Reyes... he worked closely with residents to solve real issues, from safer streets to better services for seniors."[163]
Rosado was an urban planner who worked for North Bay Village, Florida. He was a candidate for this seat in 2017, receiving 36% of the vote to Reyes' 57%.[164] Rosado campaigned on his experience working for the city of North Bay Village, and said, "It would be the honor of a lifetime to serve with [other city commissioners] and represent a community that I love so much. I’m ready to hit the ground running."[165] He also campaigned on taxes, and said he wants to "keep taxes low to help residents continue to afford the homes they live in."[166]
Endorsements played a role in this race. Reyes' widow, Selva Reyes, endorsed Regalado. Regalado said of the endorsement: "She said, ‘You’re the only person who can fill his shoes.' It felt like the right thing to do."[162] Reyes also recorded a radio endorsement for Regalado.[167] The Young Republicans of Miami also backed his candidacy.[168]
The AFSCME Local 1907, which represented municipal workers, and the Miami Fraternal Order of Police both backed Rosado.[169][170] Rosado also received support from a PAC run by Commissioner Joe Carollo, who had reportedly considered running for mayor.[171][172]
The Proven Leadership political committee, which previously worked for Regalado's father, released ads that criticized Rosado as being too close to Carollo, who the ads said misused power and cost the city money in a federal lawsuit.[173][174] Rosado said he did not solicit an endorsement from Carollo.[172] Rosado said Regalado was relying on his family's connections to the district and said, "We will continue to build momentum through truth, transparency, and a record of real public service, not through the use of a family’s last name."[175]
As of May 2, Regalado raised $67,470 and spent $13,763, and Rosado raised $26,454 and spent $4,600.[176]Incumbent Lawrence Krasner (D) defeated Patrick F. Dugan (D) in the Democratic primary for district attorney of Philadelphia on May 20, 2025.[177][178]
Before the election, WHYY Radio's Carmen Russell-Sluchansky wrote, "The contest pits two competing philosophies against each other: Krasner’s commitment to continuing to overhaul a historically punitive system and Dugan’s pledge to restore a sense of safety."[179] No Republican candidate filed to run in the general election.
The district attorney of Philadelphia is responsible for charging and prosecuting accused criminals. The office decides what offenses someone will be charged with and can also determine sentencing via plea deals.[180]
Krasner was first elected in 2017. Krasner campaigned on his record, and his website said, "During his first two terms, Larry has focused on the most serious crimes in Philadelphia while working to address the root causes of violence. The results: Murders are down more than 25% from his first year in office even as he has cut sentences in half."[181] He campaigned against President Donald Trump's (R) administration. At his campaign launch, Krasner said, "We are going to make sure that [Trump’s] little plan to take over America fails. This election is a whole lot bigger than Philadelphia."[182]
Dugan was a former judge on the Philadelphia Municipal Court. Dugan's campaign website said he would "[p]ersonally engage with communities, law enforcement, and victims to ensure justice is served, expand resources for diversionary programs, job training, and education, [and] always prioritize the safety and well-being of Philadelphia’s residents."[183] Dugan supported a plan to change the structure of the district attorney's office, and his website said he "will restructure the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office into six divisions, each focused on a specific region of the city. Every division will be led by a senior prosecutor responsible for justice in their area."[183]
Before the election City & State Pennsylvania's Harrison Cann wrote, "Each candidate will attempt to paint a different picture of the city, with Krasner likely to boast about declining homicide and violent crime rates, while Dugan could hone in on public sentiment that the city doesn’t feel safe."[184] Dugan was critical of Krasner's handling of retail crime, and said, "Wawas are closing. They're closing in Center City. We can have all the politically correct reasons for why it's happening and all that. But the reality of it is it's because they (Krasner's office) couldn't control the retail theft."[185] Krasner said the city saw a reduction in homicides during his tenure: "We had the largest percent reduction in homicides in Philadelphia’s history. ... We led the nation among big cities in terms of the improvements in public safety last year, and not for the first time. We have been on this track now. We’re in our fifth year of being on this track of homicides, going down and down and down."[186]
Philadelphia Republican Party chair Vince Fenerty said Dugan was "a fine gentleman and an excellent judge [who] would be honest, fair, and open-minded."[187] Additionally, reporters speculated on whether national Republican figures would get involved in opposition to Krasner. The Downballot's Jeff Nir and David Singer wrote that Elon Musk "pledged to dump in money to beat progressive prosecutors nationwide, and he's been happy to feed speculation that Krasner could be one of his super PAC's top targets. The two clashed just before the 2024 election when Krasner unsuccessfully sued to stop Musk from giving away $1 million a day to voters who signed a petition."[188]
In addition to the district attorney, Philadelphia voters also voted for other municipal offices in 2025. To learn more about those elections, click here.Anthony Tordillos defeated Gabby Chavez-Lopez in the June 24, 2025, special runoff election for San Jose City Council District 3.
The voter turnout in this election was 17.7%. In the regular election for the district held in 2022, the voter turnout was 54.6%.[189][190]
Before Tordillos was elected, moderates had a one-seat advantage, which included the temporary District 3 appointee, Carl Salas, who Tordillos replaced.[191] San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who was a moderate, endorsed Tordillos in the runoff after initially endorsing Matthew Quevedo in the general election.[192] However, at the time of this writing, this didn't necessarily mean that moderates maintained their one-seat advantage with Tordillos' win because as KQED's Guy Marzorati wrote, "Tordillos is seen as more progressive than [Salas], but his status as a political newcomer with a broad coalition of support makes it difficult to predict how he might shift the City Council’s political alignment."[193]
Chavez-Lopez and Tordillos advanced to the runoff from the nonpartisan special general election on April 8, 2025. Chavez-Lopez received 30.0% of the vote and Tordillos received 22.2%. The two advanced to a runoff because neither received more than 50% of the vote. Tordillos advanced over third place-finisher, Quevedo, by six votes.
Gabby Chavez-Lopez (Nonpartisan) and Anthony Tordillos (Nonpartisan) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.
A special election for District 3 was called after incumbent Omar Torres resigned in November 2024. Torres resigned after the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office charged him with three counts of child molestation.[194]
Politico's Dustin Gardiner and Blake Jones wrote that the election would "determine if progressives or moderates hold a majority on the City Council. Moderates have a one-seat advantage, and if progressives win the council runoff, it would complicate the mayor’s agenda (likely forcing him to take more policy measures to the ballot)."[195][196]
Mahan endorsed Tordillos. According to Politico, progressive groups and labor unions, such as South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council, endorsed Chavez-Lopez.[195][197]
In a May 22, 2025, candidate forum hosted by the San Jose Chamber of Commerce and the San Jose Downtown Association, Chavez-Lopez and Tordillos said they would both vote against Mahan's proposal to arrest homeless people refusing shelter. Chavez-Lopez said she would vote against Mahan's pay for performance model for city employees, while Tordillos said he would support it.[198]
Chavez-Lopez was the executive director of Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley. Tordillos chaired the San Jose Planning Commission and was a software engineer for YouTube. An editorial in The Mercury News said, "Tordillos and Chavez-Lopez largely agree on San Jose’s issues. They both believe homelessness remains too rampant; housing, too expensive; building, too bureaucratic; downtown, too blighted; and the feeling of safety, too distant."[199] They differed on how to solve those issues. According to San Jose Spotlight, Chavez-Lopez said, "District 3 deserves a representative who knows the neighborhoods, understands the challenges firsthand and has a track record of delivering real results. I’m going to continue to meet voters where they are, listen to their concerns, and offer the proven leadership they’re looking for."[200] Tordillos said, "Mayor Mahan and I don’t agree on every issue. But coming from the world of tech, we share a belief that data should drive policy discussions, and elected officials should be evaluated by the results they deliver on housing, homelessness and crime."[200]
San Jose was the 10th most populous city in the country as of May 2025 and had a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council — which includes the mayor and is the city's primary legislative body — appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.[201]
Mayoral partisanship
Twenty-seven of the 100 largest cities are holding mayoral elections in 2025. At the start of 2025, the mayors of 65 of the country's 100 largest cities were affiliated with the Democratic Party. Republicans held 25 mayoral offices, Libertarians held one office, independents held two, and four mayors were nonpartisan. Three mayors' partisan affiliations were unknown.
As of September 2025, party control of the mayoral office had changed in the following top-100 cities:
- Omaha, Nebraska: Democrat John Ewing Jr. was elected to succeed Republican Jean Stothert on May 13. Ewing Jr. assumed office on June 9.[202]
- Garland, Texas: Nonpartisan Dylan Hedrick was elected to succeed Republican Scott LeMay in the general runoff election on June 7. Hedrick assumed office on June 17.[203]
