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Monday marked the one-year anniversary of Mayor Cole Stanley’s election to Amarillo’s top job. And with the next election for mayor on the horizon in about a year, it’s time to take a look at whether history can give us any clues as to whether an incumbent mayor seeking re-election would have a good shot at keeping their job in Amarillo.
According to Amarillo election results, 28 individuals — including Stanley — have been elected as the city’s mayor. Of the 27 individuals who have been eligible to seek re-election, 19 incumbents have sought re-election to more than one term in office. And of those 19 incumbents, only five have ever lost re-election.
Of the five mayors who lost re-election in Amarillo, one was seeking a fourth term in office, two were seeking third terms in office, and two were seeking their second terms in office. The last mayor to lose re-election in Amarillo was Glen Parkey, who lost re-election to Keith Adams in 1989.
With all of this in mind, history is on the side of a mayor who seeks re-election, but it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that an incumbent mayor could lose re-election in Amarillo. Whatever happens, 2025 is sure to add another chapter to the interesting history books of Amarillo’s past elections.
Reviewing Elections in Which Incumbent Mayors Lost
1923 Amarillo Mayoral Election
Note: Mayor Lon Marrs was seeking re-election to a fourth term in office.
Eugene S. Blasdel — 41%
Jefferson Capehart — 32%
Lon D. Marrs (incumbent) — 27%
Henry Kidd — 0%
1967 Amarillo Mayoral Election
Note: Mayor Francis “F.V.” Wallace was seeking re-election to a third term in office.
J. Ernest Stroud — 52%
F.V. Wallace (incumbent) — 31%
Dean Hill — 14%
Harold Green — 3%
1971 Amarillo Mayoral Election
Note: Mayor J. Ernest Stroud was seeking re-election to a third term in office.
L. Ray Vahue — 61%
J. Ernest Stroud (incumbent) — 27%
Edward W. Fletcher — 12%
1977 Amarillo Mayoral Election
Note: Mayor John Drummond was seeking re-election to a second term in office.
Jerry Hodge — 61%
John Drummond (incumbent) — 35%
Mark Jones — 2%
Jim Paris — 2%
1989 Amarillo Mayoral Election
Note: Mayor Glen Parkey was seeking re-election to a second term in office.
Keith Adams — 58%
Glen Parkey (incumbent) — 39%
Bobby Cash — 3%
George King — 1%