Springfield, Missouri held an election for mayor on April 6, 2021. Incumbent mayor Ken McClure was challenged by opponent Marcus Aton. McClure was re-elected mayor by a margin of 34.94 percentage points.[1] Springfield mayoral elections are nonpartisan and candidates are not affiliated with a specific party on ballots.
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Background
editMcClure first became mayor of Springfield in 2017, taking the place of incumbent mayor Bob Stevens. McClure previously served as a member of the Springfield City Council beginning in 2015 and was chief of staff to former governor Matt Blunt from 2004 to 2006 and was vice president of Missouri State University until his retirement in 2015.[2] McClure was challenged by marketer Marcus Aton who was campaigning alongside his brother Alexander, who was running for council member for General Seat A in the city council.
Campaign
editAton criticized McClure's and the city's handling of COVID-19, arguing that stay-at-home orders and capacity limitations, as well as mask mandates were hurting the city, while McClure noted that a majority of Springfield residents supported the mandates.[3] He also criticized McClure for the rise in crime the city had seen during his terms as mayor.[4] Aton himself was questioned about his eligibility for running for mayor as a letter was sent to the county clerk stating Aton and his brother had not been living in the city long enough to qualify for positions, showing tax returns from 2019 and 2020 had listed their address in nearby Rogersville. Aton denied the claims.[5]
McClure went on to a substantial win over Aton by more than a 2-1 margin, thus securing his third term as mayor.
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Ken McClure (Inc.) | 10,250 | 67.47 | |
| Independent | Marcus Aton | 5,341 | 32.53 | |
| Total votes | 15,591 | 100.00 | ||
References
edit- ^ "Ken McClure wins re-election as Springfield mayor". ky3.com. April 6, 2021. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ Kull, Katie (January 31, 2021). "Election 2021: Meet the candidates running for Springfield mayor". news-leader.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ Hardison, Kathryn (July 13, 2020). "Updated: Council passes face mask mandate". sbj.net. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ Schumacher, Kaitlyn (March 29, 2021). "Mayor and city council candidates discuss the future of Springfield". ky3.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2021.
- ^ Wert, Jason (January 24, 2021). "Mayoral and City Council Candidate Have Qualifications Challenged by Chamber Committee". ozarksindependent.com. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ Lin, Francis (April 6, 2021). "Ken McClure wins the race for Springfield mayor, council members list". ozarksfirst.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021.
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