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| Elections in Texas |
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El Paso, Texas, held a first round of general elections on May 6, 2017, to elect the mayor and city council. The run-off election was June 10, 2017. Incumbent Mayor Oscar Leeser was eligible for another term, but announced in July 2016 he would not seek another term. Leeser had a cancer-related surgery in 2016, but stated that his decision was not because of his health. Instead, it was because he "ran to do things I thought were really important for our community and I did that."[1][2]
The election was non-partisan; therefore there was no primary election. However, if no candidate won a majority there will be a run-off election.[3]
The mayor and council members elected in 2017 will serve through December 2020. The term is shortened because of a charter amendment to move city elections from May in odd-numbered years to November in even-numbered years.[4]
Dee Margo took first place in the mayoral race but did not win a majority of votes, so he and David Saucedo competed in a runoff election.[5] Margo defeated Saucedo in the run-off election.[6] 8.57% of registered voters voted in the run-off election, one of the lowest turnouts in the city's history.[7]
Districts 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 had elections in 2017. District 2 incumbent, Jim Tolbert, and District 7 incumbent, Lilia Limon, were eligible for re-election, but were defeated by Alexansandra Annello and Henry Rivera, respectively. Emma Acosta, District 3 incumbent, and Carl Robinson, District 4 incumbent, were term limited and could not run again; they were succeeded by Cassandra Hernandez and Sam Morgan, respectively. District 8 representative Cortney Niland, whose term was supposed to end in December 2018, resigned in April 2017. The city scheduled a June special election and July runoff election to fill the remainder of her term. The runoff election was won by Cissy Lizarraga.[8][9][10]
- ^ "Mayor Leeser will not seek reelection". KVIA. July 28, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ Crowder, David (August 1, 2016). "If Leeser's not running, who should?". El Paso Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ "Partisan vs. Nonpartisan Elections". National League of Cities. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ "City Charter changes possible". El Paso Times. January 13, 2013. Archived from the original on July 2, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- ^ "Margo and Saucedo head to runoff for mayoral seat".
- ^ "Dee Margo elected mayor of El Paso - KVIA". www.kvia.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2017.
- ^ "What 8.57% Means". June 12, 2017.
- ^ Crowder, David (April 10, 2017). "City to hold June election for Niland seat". El Paso Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ "El Paso County Elections". County of El Paso. June 23, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
- ^ "Lizarraga takes City Council District 8 runoff by more than 300 votes".