2024 Wilmington mayoral election
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The 2024 Wilmington mayoral election was held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, to elect the mayor of Wilmington, Delaware. Following Incumbent mayor Mike Purzycki's decision to not seek re-election, then-Governor John Carney and former Delaware treasurer and Wilmington treasurer Velda Jones-Potter ran for the Democratic nomination. On September 10, 2024, Carney defeated in the primary Jones-Potter by 743 votes. Carney ran unopposed in the general election, with his victory he became the first sitting governor ever to be elected a mayor.
Background
[edit]In 2020, following a competitive primary incumbent Democratic Mike Purzycki won the democratic nomination.[1] He was uncontested in the general election winning re-election to a second term.[2]
Candidates
[edit]- John Carney, incumbent Governor (2017–2025) and former U.S. Representative from Delaware's at-large congressional district (2011–2017)[3]
- Velda Jones-Potter, former Wilmington City Treasurer (2017–2021), former Delaware State Treasurer (2009–2011), and unsuccessful mayoral candidate in 2020[3]
Democratic primary
[edit]Purzycki had considered running for another term. However on October 3, 2023, Purzycki revealed that he would not be seeking a third term citing his age and a desire to spend time with his family. Incumbent Governor of Delaware John Carney, who was unable to seek re-election due to term limits, decided to enter the race.[3][4] Velda Jones-Potter, former treasure of Wilmington and Delaware as a whole, also decided to enter the race. Jones-Potter had previously challenged Purzycki for the nomination in 2020.[4]
On August 9, Carney and Jones-Potter participated in a public forum debate. Issues included education, quality of life, and job creation.[5]
Results
[edit]The primary was held on September 10, 2024.[6] Carney received 5,308 winning over 53 percent of the vote. He defeated Jones-Potter by 743 votes.[7]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Carney | 5,308 | 53.76% | |
| Democratic | Velda Jones-Potter | 4,565 | 46.24% | |
| Total votes | 9,873 | 100.00% | ||
General election
[edit]Due to the Democratic party's dominance over both the state and Wilmington, the Republican Party did not run a candidate.[8] The News Journal's Anitra Johnson noted that, with the exception of City Council seats, most candidates in Wilmington ran unopposed.[9]
The election was held on November 5, 2024, since no other candidates ran in the general election, Carney won the election unopposed. With his victory he became the first sitting governor to be elected to a mayor seat.[10]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Carney | 24,191 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 24,191 | 100.00% | ||
Aftermath
[edit]On November 27, Carney announced he would be reappointing the incumbent chiefs of the fire and police departments.[12] Carney resigned from his position as Governor on January 7, 2025 to be sworn as mayor.[13][14] Delaware Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long was sworn in as Governor to finish to final two weeks of Carney's term.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ Eichmann, Mark; Read, Zoë (September 15, 2020). "Wilmington Mayor Purzycki wins second term; Julianne Murray will face Gov. Carney". WHYY-TV. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
- ^ "Delaware Election Results". The New York Times. November 3, 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
- ^ a b c Fries, Amanda; Newman, Meredith (October 4, 2023). "Carney expresses interest in Wilmington mayor after Purzycki announces he won't run in 2024". The News Journal. Archived from the original on October 5, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Barrish, Cris (October 4, 2023). "Delaware Gov. Carney says he's 'seriously considering' running for mayor of Wilmington". WHYY-TV. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
- ^ Mueller, Sarah (August 9, 2024). "Outgoing Delaware governor competes in Wilmington mayoral election forum". WHYY-TV. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
- ^ "Delaware's governor filing to run for mayor of the City of Wilmington". WPVI-TV. April 29, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
- ^ a b "2024 Primary Election Report". Delaware Department of Elections. Archived from the original on December 11, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ Barrish, Cris (November 8, 2024). "Delaware GOP, shut out again in statewide races, grapples for ways to regain relevance". WHYY-TV. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
- ^ Johnson, Anitra. "Delaware Election 2024: Results of the Wilmington City Council races". The News Journal. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
- ^ Hassan, Adeel Hassan (October 31, 2024). "Why a Governor Is Stepping Down, and Running for Mayor". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
- ^ "2024 General Election Report". Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ Fries, Amanda. "Wilmington Mayor-elect John Carney reappoints police, fire chiefs to leadership roles". The News Journal. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
- ^ a b Montes, Olivia (January 7, 2025). "Bethany Hall-Long sworn in as Delaware's 75th governor after John Carney resigns". The News Journal. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
- ^ "John Carney Sworn in as the 58th Mayor of the City of Wilmington". WilmingtonDE.gov. January 8, 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2025.