2009 Detroit mayoral election

The Detroit mayoral election of 2009 took place on November 3, 2009. It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor Dave Bing.

2009 Detroit mayoral election

← 2009 (special) November 3, 2009 (2009-11-03) 2013 →

Candidate Dave Bing Tom Barrow Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Popular vote 70,060 50,757 Percentage 56% 41%

Mayor before election Dave Bing Elected mayor Dave Bing

The election followed a special election held earlier that year to fill the vacancy created when Kwame Kilpatrick resigned as mayor.

Results

Primary election results

In the August 4 primary, Mayor Dave Bing captured nearly 74% of the vote. He and businessman Tom Barrow advanced to the November 3 general election.^[1]

Primary election results^[2]

Candidate		Votes	%	±
Dave Bing (incumbent)		68,623	73.90
Tom Barrow		10,302	11.09
Jerroll Sanders		9,322	10.04
Duane Montgomery		1,911	2.06
Dartagnan M. Collier		1,265	1.36
Bob Allman		873	0.94
Write-In		566	0.61

General election results

Bing's lower performance in the general than in the primary has been speculated to be due to decreased support from trade unions.^[3]

Detroit Mayoral Election General, 2009 (regular)^[4]

Candidate		Votes	%	±
Dave Bing (incumbent)		70,060	56%	−18%
Tom Barrow		50,757	41%	+30%
Write-In		3,849	3%	+3%

References

1. Schmitt, Ben; Hackney, Suzette; Patton, Naomi R. (August 5, 2009). "Bing cruises; new look takes shape for Detroit City Council". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on August 8, 2009.
2. "City of Detroit Elections - Primary Election August 4, 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 24, 2012.
3. Clark, Anna (October 2, 2013). "Dave Bing's Detroit". The American Prospect. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
4. City of Detroit, Michigan General Election, November 3, 2009 Archived February 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Department of Election, accessed November 12, 2009