Independent Tim Kelly Re-Elected Mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee
Kelly faced one challenger for re-election to a second term.
The nonpartisan election occurred today to elect the Mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Only two candidates filed for this election. As a result, the winner was determined today without the need for a runoff.
Incumbent Mayor Tim Kelly, an Independent, has served as the Mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee since April 2021. He was eligible to run for a second term in office, which he did.
In the general election, incumbent Mayor Tim Kelly has been re-elected with 86.3% (17,356) against Chris Long with 13.7% (2,750). 20,106 votes have been counted.
Before being elected mayor, Kelly ran his family’s auto dealerships in Chattanooga. He has also had stints on the Boards of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, the Community Foundation, Benwood, and the River City Company. In 2009, he co-founded the Chattanooga FC, which participates in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).
Long is the owner of Alpha Group, an architectural and engineering firm based in Tennessee and Georgia. He unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of Chattanooga in 2017 and 2021. While candidates don’t have to identify with a political party, Long has campaigned as a Republican.
The Mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee serves for a four-year term with a limit of two consecutive terms they may serve. The Mayor also presides over a 9-member City Council.
According to 2023 estimates, Chattanooga is the 139th most populous city in the United States and the fourth most populous city in Tennessee - following Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville.