Prior to the citywide election there are primary elections where the major parties pick their candidates. Normally the winner of the democratic primary would on

Prior to the citywide election there are primary elections where the major parties pick their candidates. Normally the winner of the democratic primary would only have the republican candidate as a serious opponent. Republican candidates have won 4 of the last 9 mayoral elections, and the most recent republican mayor won an additional election after becoming independent. This was the first election since 1985 with 3 major candidates on election day; and a fourth, the current incumbent mayor, dropped out only a few weeks earlier.