Partisanship in United States municipal elections (2024)

See also: Mayoral election in Anchorage, Alaska (2024)

Suzanne LaFrance won the nonpartisan general runoff election for mayor of Anchorage, Alaska, on May 14, 2024. LaFrance defeated incumbent David Bronson, 53.5% to 46.5%.

Bronson and LaFrance advanced to the runoff from the nonpartisan general election on April 2. LaFrance received 36.3% of the vote and Bronson received 35.0%. The two advanced to a runoff because neither received more than 45% of the vote.

LaFrance was a former member of the Anchorage Assembly and chaired the Assembly during the first two years of Bronson's term.^[3] LaFrance said she was running to "bring people together and get our future back on track." LaFrance said her business experience and time on the assembly gave her the necessary knowledge and skillset to turn Anchorage around.^[4] LaFrance said she would be a more effective mayor than Bronson: "My pitch is that we can get the basics right, and we can build a better future for everyone in our community."^[5]

First elected in 2021, Bronson ran on his first-term record. Bronson said he opposed the Anchorage Assembly's efforts to increase tax and spending rates and worked to reopen the city following the COVID-19 pandemic.^[6] Bronson said he had the "relentless commitment, vision, and a whole lot of heart" needed for the office.^[7] Bronson said he would act as a more effective check on the Assembly than LaFrance: "My administration is standing between single party governance in the city...and the balance that we need within our government."^[8]

Although the election was nonpartisan, Bronson was a registered Republican and LaFrance was a registered nonpartisan. The Alaska Republican Party endorsed Bronson and the Alaska Democratic Party endorsed LaFrance.^[9][10]

As of April 2024, 63 mayors in the 100 largest cities by population were affiliated with the Democratic Party, 25 were affiliated with the Republican Party, one was affiliated with the Libertarian Party, four were independents, five identified as nonpartisan or unaffiliated, and two had unknown partisan affiliations.

Anchorage has term limits for the position of mayor. Those limits are: Two consecutive three-year terms, may run again after a three year break.

See also: Mayoral election in Baltimore, Maryland, 2024 (May 14 Democratic primary)

Incumbent Brandon Scott (D) won the Democratic primary for mayor of Baltimore, Maryland, on May 14, 2024. Scott received 51.1% of the vote. Sheila Dixon (D) finished in second place with 41.1%. Wayne Baker (D), Wendy Bozel (D), Texas Brown (D), Kevin P. Harris (D), Wendell Hill-Freeman (D), Yolanda Pulley (D), Joseph Scott (D), Keith Scott (D), Thiru Vignarajah (D), Bob Wallace (D) and Yasaun Young (D) also ran in the primary. Scott, Dixon, and Wallace led in fundraising and local media attention.

Local political observers said crime was a central issue for both the Scott and Dixon campaigns.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Dixon was likely to focus her campaign on a similar section of the electorate as in 2020, which it described as "Black voters, many of whom named crime as their top concern."^[11] Dixon said her policies as mayor "led to 30-year record lows in crime and homicides."^[12] Scott's challenge was "more complicated that [sic] lowering the homicide rate. The battle is also over the public perception of crime among city residents, some of whom find little solace in the city’s diminished homicide count," according to the Baltimore Sun.^[11]

Scott was first elected in 2020 and was running on his record: "We have been able to decrease crime by doing it the right way."^[11] Scott said he offered "a choice to make about whether we will continue on the sustainable path forward, or if we will go back to the broken ways and failed leadership of the past."^[13]

Dixon was a former mayor and city council member who resigned in 2010 as part of a plea deal following a corruption investigation.^[14] Dixon said she was running because Scott was mismanaging the city: "I look at city government today, and I don't recognize it anymore. I see firsthand that it's letting people down daily."^[15] In 2020, Scott defeated Dixon 29.6%–27.5% in the Democratic primary.

Wallace was, at the time of the election, a businessman and author of books on wealth creation and entrepreneurship.^[16] Wallace said he was running because "today's Baltimore presents challenges for our Black sons and daughters."^[17] Wallace said he would create the position of city manager/chief ethics officer, pursue partnerships with businesses to attract $1 billion of investment, and overhaul the city's schools.^[18] In 2020, Wallace ran for mayor as an independent. Scott defeated him 70.5%–20.2%.

The last Republican mayor of Baltimore was Theodore McKeldin (R) in 1967.^[19]

See also: Mayoral election in Las Vegas, Nevada (2024)

Thirteen candidates ran in the nonpartisan primary for Las Vegas mayor on June 11, 2024. Shelley Berkley and Victoria Seaman were the top two vote-getters, and they advanced to a general election scheduled for November 5, 2024, because no candidate received a majority of the vote.

Throughout the race, Berkley, Seaman, and Cedric Crear led in polling, media coverage, and fundraising.^[20][21][22]

Incumbent Carolyn Goodman, who was first elected in 2011, was term-limited. Goodman's husband, Oscar, served as Las Vegas mayor from 1999 to 2011.^[23] Goodman was one of eight mayors in the 100 largest cities by population registered as nonpartisan or independent.

The mayor sits on the Las Vegas City Council and is the only member elected at large. The mayor presides over council meetings and official city ceremonies. KTNV Channel 13 Senior Reporter Steve Sebelius said, "The importance [is in] this bully pulpit role of the mayor."^[24]

Berkeley represented Nevada's 1st Congressional District as a Democrat from 1999 to 2013. Before that, she practiced law and served in the Nevada Assembly from 1982 to 1984.^[25] Berkeley said, "[Las Vegas] is the fastest growing community in the United States, and it certainly was when I was in Congress representing Las Vegas. So many of the issues that I concentrated on when I was in Congress are still important issues today."^[26] Berkeley said her campaign was focused on affordable housing, homelessness, and small businesses.^[26]

At the time of the election, Crear had represented Ward 5 on the Las Vegas City Council since 2018. Before that, he served as a Las Vegas Planning Commissioner and was a member of the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents.^[27] Crear said, "The number one issue in our city is public safety. We have to continue to keep our community safe. I work with three area commands now — Bolden Area Command, Downtown Area Command, Northwest Area Command — and we have to ensure our residents have a sound quality of life, that our neighborhoods are safe, and people feel comfortable going out of their homes and participating in our community."^[28] Crear said he was also running on homelessness and workforce development.^[29]

At the time of the election, Seaman had represented Ward 2 on the Las Vegas City Council since 2019. From 2014 to 2016, Seaman served as a Republican in the Nevada Assembly, representing District 34. Seaman said, "I have a keen ability to recognize and face head-on complicated issues that impact our residents. It is for this reason and my commitment for this city that I live in — and the support of my family — that I’m announcing my campaign for mayor of Las Vegas.”^[30] Seaman's top issues included public safety, infrastructure, and supporting local businesses.^[31]

Kola Akingbade, Tera Anderson, Lynn Baird, Dan Chapman, Irina Hansen, Kara Jenkins, Eric Medlin, Donna Miller, Michael Pacino, Deb Peck, and William Walls also ran in the election. Baird and Jenkins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Click here to read their responses.

The city of Las Vegas does not include the Strip, which is in an unincorporated part of Clark County.^[32] Clark County and Las Vegas share a police department and other municipal services.^[32]

Thirty-four of the 100 largest cities are holding mayoral elections in 2024.^[33] Heading into the year, 18 of those cities had a Democratic mayor, meaning 29% of the 63 Democratic-led cities are holding mayoral elections. Eleven cities holding elections had a Republican mayor at the start of the year, meaning 42% of the 26 Republican-led cities are holding elections. The remaining eight top-100 cities holding elections in 2024 started the year with independent or nonpartisan mayors.

Las Vegas has term limits for the position of mayor. Those limits are: four-year term, 12 year lifetime limit.