This is a list of notable performances of third party and independent candidates in United States mayoral elections.
It is rare for candidates, other than those of the six parties which have succeeded as major parties (Federalist Party, Democratic-Republican Party, National Republican Party, Democratic Party, Whig Party, Republican Party), to take large shares of the vote in elections.
Listed below are mayoral elections in which a third party or independent candidate won or were reasonably close to receiving 5.0% of the vote (greater than 4.95%). Winners are shown in bold. All elections are organized by state. These lists do not however include non-partisan elections, where the political affiliations of the candidates are not shown on the ballot, leaving no real major or minor party candidates.
Arizona + Notable third party mayoral performances in ArizonaYearCityPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace1979TucsonIndependentJohn Vargas18,7842nd1991TucsonLibertarianGay Lynn Goetzke8,1723rd1995TucsonLibertarianEd Kahn6,7383rd1999TucsonLibertarianEd Kahn4,8343rd2007TucsonGreenDave Croteau17,9622nd2019TucsonIndependentEd Ackerley33,6732nd2020MesaNo party preferenceVerl Farnsworth30,4522nd2023TucsonIndependentEd Ackerley5,2893rd
California + Notable third party mayoral performances in CaliforniaYearCityPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace1889San DiegoCitizens' Non-PartisanDouglas Gunn1,817Elected1893San DiegoIndependentWilliam H. Carlson1,219ElectedPeople'sJohn Castle2104th1895San DiegoIndependentWilliam H. Carlson1,090Re-electedPeople'sDaniel Stone1,0152nd1897San DiegoIndependentWilliam H. Carlson623Lost re-election3rdPeople'sAbram C. Mouser3284thIndependentHenry Sweeney2515th1901San DiegoSocialistFrank Simpson1573rd1901San FranciscoUnion LaborEugene Schmitz21,776Elected1902Los AngelesUnion LaborGeorge McGahan3,2113rd1903San DiegoSocialistFrank Simpson2193rd1903San FranciscoUnion LaborEugene Schmitz26,016Re-elected1905San DiegoIndependentJohn L. Sehon2,018ElectedSocialistW. J. Kirkwood4383rd1905San FranciscoUnion LaborEugene Schmitz40,191Re-elected1906Los AngelesNonpartisanLee Gates8,4652ndPublic OwnershipStanley Wilson8,4654th1909San FranciscoUnion LaborP. H. McCarthy29,455Elected1925Los AngelesIndependentMiles S. Gregory9,5403rd1973Los AngelesIndependentThomas Reddin83,9304th2003San FranciscoGreenMatt Gonzalez40,714 (first round)119,329 (second round) (first round) (second round)2nd
Connecticut
+ Notable third party mayoral performances in ConnecticutYearCityPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace1929BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy1,9683rd1931BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy15,2942nd1933BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy22,445Elected1935BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy24,267Re-elected1937BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy26,538Re-elected1939BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy23,113Re-elected1941BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy22,225Re-elected1943BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy18,033Re-elected1945BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy23,202Re-elected1947BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy20,007Re-elected1949BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy28,849Re-elected1951BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy25,781Re-elected1953BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy24,443Re-elected1955BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy24,253Re-elected1957BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy24,219Lost re-election2nd1959BridgeportSocialistJasper McLevy14,4792nd1961BridgeportSocialistWilliam S. Visokay10,8073rd1963BridgeportSocialistWilliam S. Visokay5,3343rd1971BridgeportSocialistAlbert Perrocco4,9593rd1973BridgeportSocialistAlbert Perrocco2,1753rd1975BridgeportSocialistAlbert Perrocco3,2003rd1981HartfordIndependentRobert F. Ludgin6,8672nd1995HartfordIndependentElizabeth Horton Sheff1,7882nd1997BridgeportReformRobert K. Pavlick9763rdHartfordIndependentKenneth A. Mink9992nd2001HartfordIndependentRobert F. Ludgin1,8632nd2003HartfordLibertarianRichard Lion5643rd2007HartfordIndependentI. Charles Matthews4,5562ndIndependentMinnie Gonzalez9963rdNew HavenGreenRalph Ferrucci1,4283rd2009New HavenGreenRalph Ferrucci1,7202ndIndependentAngela Whatley6703rd2011New HavenIndependentJeffrey Kerekes6,9012nd2013New HavenIndependentJustin Elicker9,4252nd2015BridgeportIndependentMary Jane Foster6,0292ndNew HavenIndependentRonald Smith1,0702nd2017StamfordIndependentJohn J. Zito Jr.1,2603rd2021StamfordIndependentBobby Valentine14,0602nd2023BridgeportIndependent PartyJohn Gomes5,5502ndIndependentLamond Daniels1,8363rd2024BridgeportIndependent PartyJohn Gomes4,1312nd
Delaware + Notable third party mayoral performances in DelawareYearCityPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace2000WilmingtonIndependent Party of DelawareSandra Poppiti4,4762nd2016WilmingtonIndependent Party of DelawareSteven Washington1,9053rd
District of Columbia + Notable third party mayoral performances in the District of ColumbiaYearCityPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace2022WashingtonIndependentRodney "Red" Grant28,4672nd
Indiana +Notable third party mayoral performances in IndianaYearCityPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace1963IndianapolisIndependentSamuel Unger10,7093rd1983GarySocialist WorkersMarie Head1,2382nd1995GaryIndependentMarion Williams5,4822ndIndianapolisLibertarianSteve Dillion7,1753rd2011GaryIndependentLaVetta Sparks-Wade9952ndSouth BendLibertarianPatrick M. Farrell1,0083rd2015GaryIndependentEddie Tarver1,5812nd2019Terre HauteIndependentPat Goodwin4,9622ndEvansvilleIndependentSteve Ary2,1192nd2023EvansvilleLibertarianMichael Daugherty2,0323rd
Illinois + Notable third party mayoral performances in IllinoisYearCityPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace1879ChicagoSocialist LaborErnst Schmidt11,8293rd1887ChicagoLaborRobert S. Nelson23,4902nd1891ChicagoReformHempstead Washburne46,957ElectedIndependent DemocratCarter Harrison Sr.42,9313rdCitizensElmer Washburn24,0274th1897ChicagoIndependent RepublicanJohn Maynard Harlan69,7302nd1899ChicagoMunicipal OwnershipJohn Peter Altgeld47,1693rd1905ChicagoSocialistJohn Collins23,0343rd1911ChicagoSocialistWilliam E. Rodriguez24,8253rd1919ChicagoIndependentMaclay Hoyne110,8513rdLaborJohn Fitzpatrick55,9904th1923ChicagoSocialistWilliam A. Cunnea41,1863rd1927ChicagoPeople's Ownership Smash Crime RingsJohn Dill Robertson51,3473rd1935ChicagoThirdNewton Jenkins87,7263rd1987ChicagoSolidarityEdward Vrdolyak468,4932nd1989ChicagoHarold WashingtonTimothy C. Evans428,1052nd1991ChicagoHarold WashingtonR. Eugene Pincham160,3022nd1995ChicagoIndependentRoland Burris217,3152nd
Iowa + Notable third party mayoral performances in IowaYearCityPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace2021Cedar RapidsIndependentBrad Hart7,308Lost re-election3rd
Louisiana + Notable third party mayoral performances in LouisianaYearCityPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace2021New OrleansNo party preferenceLeilani Heno6,6053rd2022ShreveportIndependentMario Chavez9,4583rd
Maryland + Notable third party mayoral performances in MarylandYearCityPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace2005AnnapolisIndependentGilbert Renaut2,764 2nd2016BaltimoreWrite-inSheila Dixon49,7162ndGreenJoshua Harris22,2044th2020BaltimoreIndependentBob Wallace47,2752nd
Massachusetts +Notable third party mayoral performances in MassachusettsYearCityPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace1846BostonNative AmericanJerome V. C. Smith7353rd1848BostonFree SoilBradford Sumner929 3rdNative AmericanJerome V. C. Smith417 4th1849BostonFree SoilBradford Sumner3493rd1851BostonNative AmericanJerome V. C. Smith2,7362nd1852BostonNative AmericanJerome V. C. Smith5,021Elected1855BostonNative AmericanNathaniel B. Shurtleff5,3902nd1903BostonSocialistGeorge W. Galvin5,2053rd1905BostonPopulistHenry S. Dewey11,6083rd
Mississippi + Notable third party mayoral performances in MississippiYearCityPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace2021JacksonIndependentLes Tannehill2,536 2ndIndependentCharlotte Reeves1,6973rd2025JacksonIndependentRodney DePreist6,7362nd
New Jersey +Notable third party mayoral performances in New JerseyYearCityPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace1999WoodbridgeIndependentJohn Vrtaric1,0123rd2005Atlantic CityIndependentJoseph Polillo1,1622nd2008Atlantic CityIndependentJoseph Polillo2,4482nd2009Atlantic CityIndependentJoseph Polillo7063rdIndependentDennis M. Mason2894th
New York