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Democratic mayors capture
11 November 2012: On the same day as US President Barack Obama won a second term in office, mayoral elections were held in some 300 major US cities, with the Democrats scoring some notable successes. In San Diego, California, Bob Filner became the city’s first Democratic mayor in 20 years. In an extremely tight race, Filner defeated Republican Carl DeMaio, who, if successful, would have become the first openly gay Republican mayor of a major US city. Other Democratic wins were in Baton Rouge, LA; Honululu, HI and Portland, OR. Mesa, Arizona, re-elected its Republican mayor, while the Republican mayor of Virginia Beach will serve for another four years. |
|
• City
• State • Population |
New or, in red,
re-elected mayor |
Comments
|
| • Alexandria • Virginia • Popl: 140,000 |
William Euille | Democrat, in office since 2003 |
| • Ann Arbor • Michigan • Popl: 114,000 |
John Hieftje | Democrat, in office since 2000 |
| • Antioch • California • Popl: 102,000 |
Wade Harper | Until the election vice mayor of Antioch |
| • Baton Rouge • Louisiana • Popl: 229,000 |
Melvin Holden | Democrat, in office since 2005 |
| • Bayamón • Puerto Rico • Popl: 214,000 |
Ramón Luis Rivera Cruz | New Progressive Party, in office since 2001 |
| • Berkeley • California • Popl: 112,000 |
Tom Bates | Democrat, in office since 2002 |
| • Carolina • Puerto Rico • Popl: 158,000 |
José Carlos Aponte Dalmau | Popular Democratic Party, in office since 2007 |
| • Chandler • Arizona • Popl: 236,000 |
Jay Tibshraeny | Republican, Mayor from 1994 to 2002 and again since January 2011 |
| • Coral Springs • Florida • Popl: 121,000 |
Vincent M. Boccard | Commissioner in the city since 2006 |
| • Elizabeth • New Jersey • Popl: 125,000 |
J Christian Bollwage | |
| • Elk Grove • California • Popl: 153,000 |
Gary Davis | Councillor Gary Davis became Elk Grove's first directly elected mayor after a landslide win |
| • Fremont • California • Popl: 214,000 |
Bill Harrison | Councillor Bill Harrison won the city's top political seat with more than 35 per cent of the vote |
| • Garden Grove • California • Popl: 170,000 |
Bruce Broadwater | Bruce Broadwater, who served 10 years as Garden Grove's mayor, will return to that post after an eight-year hiatus. |
| • Glendale • Arizona • Popl: 226,000 |
Jerry Weiers | Outgoing Republican state lawmaker Jerry Weiers will lead Glendale as the city's first new mayor in two decades. |
| • High Point • North Carolina • Popl: 104,000 |
Bernita Sims | Bernita Sims will be the city's first black mayor |
| • Hollywood • Florida • Popl: 141,000 |
Peter J.M. Bober | Republican, in office since 2009 |
| • Honolulu • Hawaii • Popl: 337,000 |
Kirk Caldwell | Democrat, Acting mayor since 2010 |
| • Irvine • California • Popl: 212,000 |
Steven Choi | Republican, first Asia American elected onto the city council |
| • Mesa • Arizona • Popl: 439,000 |
Scott Smith | Republican, Mayor since 2008 |
| • Oceanside • California • Popl: 167,000, |
Jim Wood | Mayor since 2002 |
| • Odessa • Texas • Popl: 100,000 |
David Turner | As mayor, David Turner will serve a four-year term with the possibility of a second term |
| • Orange • California • Popl: 136,000 |
Teresa Smith | Teresa Smith, who has long served the city in and out of the Council Chambers, captured 58 per cent of vote. |
| • Oxnard • California • Popl: 198,000 |
Tim Flynn | Since 1993, Tim has taught German and Social Science. He served on the Oxnard City Council from 2004-2008. In 2008, he ran and lost a bid to be mayor in Oxnard. |
| • Palm Bay • Florida • Popl: 103,000 |
William Capote | A Cuban-American, originally from New Jersey, resident of Palm Bay for more than 17 years. |
| • Pomon • California • Popl: 149,000 |
Elliott Rothman | |
| • Ponce • Puerto Rico • Popl: 133,000 |
María Meléndez Altieri | New Progresive Party, in office since 2009 |
| • Portland • Oregon • Popl: 584,000 |
Charlie Hales | Portland city Commissioner from 1992 to 2002 |
| • Richmond • Virginia • Popl: 204,000 |
Dwight Jones | Democrat, in office since 2009 |
| • Riverside • California • Popl: 304,000 |
Rusty Bailey | |
| • Salem • Oregon • Popl: 155,000 |
Anna M Peterson | In office since January 2011 |
| • Salinas • California • Popl: 150,000 |
Joe Gunter | Joe Gunter, a longtime Salinas police officer will replace outgoing mayor Dennis Donohue, who did not seek re-election. |
| • San Diego • California • Popl: 1,307,000 |
Bob Filner | Republican city councillor Carl DeMaio conceded defeat in a tight contest that would have made him the first openly gay Republican mayor of a major US city. His opponent, veteran congressman Bob Filner, became first Democratic mayor in 20 years. |
| • San Juan • Puerto Rico • Popl: 382,000 |
Carmen Yulin Cruz | Affiliated to the Popular Democratic Party, the new mayor seeks greater independence from the US |
| • Santa Ana • California • Popl: 324,000 |
Miguel A. Pulido | Democrat, in office since 1994 |
| • Simi Valley • California • Popl: 124,000 |
Bob Huber | In office since November 2010 |
| • Stockton • California • Popl: 291,000 |
Anthony Silva | Challenger Anthony Silva has won the race for Stockton mayor over incumbent Ann Johnston, signaling that residents could be hungry for change in a city beset by a record number of murders and bankruptcy. |
| • Thousand Oaks • California • Popl: 127,000 |
Jacqui V. Irwin | |
| • Virginia Beach • Virginia • Popl: 438,000 |
William Sessoms | Republican, in office since 2009. Vice Mayor from 1992 to 2002 |
Notable Democratic victories
• Mayor Kip Holden was elected to a third term in Baton Rouge, LA.
• Mayor Bill Euille was re-elected for another term in Alexandria, VA.
• Mayor Dwight Jones was re-elected for another term in Richmond, VA.
• Mayor John Hieftje was re-elected Mayor in Ann Arbor, MI.
• Former Congressman Bob Filner won his bid for Mayor in San Diego, CA.
• Billy Kenoi was elected Mayor of Hilo, HI
• Kirk Caldwell was elected Mayor of Honolulu, HI
• Dennis Williams was elected as a successor to Mayor Baker in Wilmington, DE.
• Charlie Hales was elected as a successor to Mayor Sam Adams in Portland, OR.
Notable defeat for the Tea Party
The conservative mayor of Troy, Michigan, who made national headlines for her anti-gay comments, was voted out of office after a successful movement to have a recall vote was put on the ballot. Janice Daniels, a self-professed member of the Tea Party, was removed from office. Fifty-two per cent of voters supported the recall, which was launched in December because of her homophobic statements.
In June 2011, Daniels took to Facebook and wrote: "I think I am going to throw away my I Love New York carrying bag now that queers can get married there." Six months after the controversial comment and after she became the mayor of Troy, the media spotlight was put on Daniels for her homophobic statement but instead of apologising she doubled up on defending her remarks. "It’s my personal belief that marriage is between one man and one woman," she said. "I love people, but I want to acknowledge my First Amendment right to speak freely. I know that as mayor, I represent all of the people in this city.
"Not long after, Daniels was fired from her day job as a realtor for Century 21. A spokeswoman for the company said they could not hire anyone "who would be capable of such insensitivity to the gay and lesbian community." Daniels, however, continued in her second job as mayor of the Eastern Michigan city, which has a population of nearly 81,000 and is located 22 miles north of Detroit.
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