29-03-2025
How 'Mayor Mary,' one of America's longest-serving mayors, is already set for another term
There will be no elections for Madison the City in this cycle, despite the mayor and all of the board of alderman being up for re-election.
Incumbent Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler, Republican, is running unopposed for what will be her 12th consecutive term.
Hawkins Butler is the second longest-serving female mayor in the nation and began her first term as Madison Mayor in 1981.
"We will not be holding any elections, this Tuesday or later in the year. There is no need. Everyone is running unopposed," Hawkins Butler told the Clarion Ledger. "Our city attorney is going through proper procedures to make sure we are doing everything correctly."
Chelsea Brannon, the city attorney for Madison said the city does not need to have elections this year.
"We have very specific statues that we fall under," Brannon said.
There are two different processes that come into effect, she said. With a primary, the party executive committee reviews the process, and if there are multiple candidates, then there must be a primary election, according to Mississippi Code 23-15-309.
"In our instance, we only had one party nominee in each individual race that was scheduled to be held this year," Brannon said. "So, the party executive committee deemed those people qualified and dispensed with the primary."
There is a separate statute (Mississippi Code 23-15-361) that deals with the general election that follows the same process. If there is just one candidate in each office, the municipal election commission meets, reviews qualifications and makes sure all of the candidates are current on campaign finance regulations.
"If everyone qualifies, they can make the same findings and dispense with the general election, deeming those individuals elected," Brannon said. "If even just one election were to have a contested race, everyone would have to be on the ballot, but that is not the case."
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Therefore, the City of Madison will have the same elected officials it has had the last four years.
In 2024, Hawkins Butler was diagnosed with breast cancer, a diagnosis, she told the Clarion Ledger in November 2024, that will not stop her from running for another term.
Known as Mayor Mary, she is credited with turning a small city with little or no identity into what it is today, one of the most desirable cities in which to live in the state. Back in the 1980s, the city's budget was only a few hundred thousand dollars. It's now more than $30 million.
City Clerk Nathan Hanson confirmed that all incumbent Board of Aldermen will also run unopposed and will be confirmed for another term. They are all Republicans:
Sandra Strain, Alderman at Large
Tawanna Tatum, Alderman, Ward 1
Pat Peeler, Alderman, Ward 2
Janie Jarvis, Alderman, Ward 3
Paul Trankersley, Alderman, Ward 4
Mike Hudgins, Alderman, Ward 5
Guy Bowering, Alderman, Ward 6
Ross Reily is a writer for the Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at rreily@ or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Hawkins Butler set for Madison re-election April 1, no votes needed
