6 Things to Watch in Upcoming Mayoral Primaries
These local races could be a sign of what's to come
Immediately after Donald Trump was elected last November, people started to focus on 2028. But what often gets forgotten are all the elections that happen in between presidential cycles.
Often these local and statewide elections – particularly the contested primaries – are when we start to see how political parties are evolving, how voters are responding, and who the new political players are.
Here are 6 trends, highlights, and thoughts about what we might learn from a handful of mayoral primaries coming up later this month and in June.
Big money is coming from MAGA sources to disrupt Democrat primaries
In Pittsburgh, Mayor Ed Gainey is running against Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor, who the Nation reports:
has received significant financial support from Trump allies and prominent Republicans. According to the latest review by the Gainey camp, O’Connor has raked in $160,000 from campaign contributors who have records of supporting Trump, the president’s political cronies, and Republican groups. With this in mind, Gainey says he is not merely running for reelection but running “to stop the MAGA machine that’s trying to buy the mayor’s office, just like Elon Musk bought the White House.
Because these funders know that they can’t win mayoral races with Republican candidates, they’re seeking to control Democratic candidates.
Gainey sees Pittsburgh’s mayoral primary as one of the first major tests of the power of Trump-aligned billionaires and their wealthy Republican allies to punish mayors, governors, and members of Congress who refuse to bend the knee.
The rise of the Independent party
Not only is Eric Adams running as an Independent for his re-election in New York, so is Andrew Cuomo. Given that the field of Democrats is crowded, that the Democrat brand is still tainted, and that Independents end up on the ballot without a primary, it seems likely we’ll see more Independents running for mayor. But for candidates looking for less competition, this strategy could backfire: Jackson, capital of Mississippi, already has four candidates running as Independents. Still maybe this trend will go beyond mayoral elections: Mike Duggan, former mayor of Detroit, is running for Governor as an Independent. Is this the year when third parties actually become legit?