How to Run for Mayor: Step-by-Step Guide for 2025

Thinking about running for mayor, but not sure how to get started? You’re not alone. Whether you’re frustrated by rising rents, stalled infrastructure projects, or a lack of transparency in city hall, running for a public office like mayor can give you a powerful platform to fix what’s broken and lead your city forward.

This guide will walk you through how to run for mayor, from qualifications and ballot access to strategy, messaging, and grassroots outreach, so you can build a campaign that reflects your vision and serves your community.

What Does a Mayor Do?

The role of mayor varies from city to city, but at its core, the mayor serves as the chief executive of your local government. Mayors help shape local policies, oversee services, manage budgets, and represent their cities in regional or statewide conversations.

Depending on your city’s structure, the mayor may work alongside or above a city manager, who handles daily operations. 

In strong-mayor (or mayor-council) systems, like New York City, the mayor has direct executive power and the city council has lesser authority. In weak-mayor (or council-manager) systems, like Phoenix, the mayor often acts like a team captain or policy advocate, while the city manager functions as the city’s CEO, handling staff supervision, operations, and implementation. Most major cities in the United States use a mayor-council system, while most mid-size and small cities rely on council-manager systems.

Some common responsibilities of the mayor include:

• Overseeing public safety and emergency planning

• Collaborating with the city council to pass legislation

• Managing or influencing the city budget

• Promoting economic development

• Engaging with community members and local organizations

• Representing the city at public events and in the media

Mayors are also often on the frontlines of change, driving initiatives around housing, transportation, education, sustainability, and more.

Why Run for Mayor?

Mayors have a unique ability to influence daily life in real, tangible ways. As mayor, you can turn ideas into action, solve local problems with tailored solutions, and build trust directly with the people you serve.

Some reasons you might choose to run for mayor:

• You want to make your city safer, more affordable, or more inclusive.

• You’re tired of special interests setting the agenda.

• You’ve seen policies ignore neighborhoods like yours.

• You’re ready to lead on housing, climate, or equity.

• You want to show what people-powered politics can look like.

Running for mayor can also be a first step toward higher political ambitions. Many impactful leaders got their start in city government. For instance, John Fetterman began his political career as the mayor of Braddock, PA and now serves as a U.S. Senator, and Marilyn Strickland was the mayor of Tacoma, WA before becoming the first African-American and Korean-American woman elected to congress. 

LEARN MORE: Running in a small town? Check out our guide to running for mayor in a small town to get tailored insights. 

How to Run for Mayor in 8 Steps

Running for mayor takes planning, energy, and strategy, but it’s more accessible than most people think. 

Here’s how to run for mayor, step by step:

Step #1: Check the Eligibility Requirements

Every city sets its own qualifications to run for mayor. Most commonly, you’ll need to:

• Be at least 18 years old (some cities require you to be 21 or 25)

• Be a U.S. citizen

• Have lived in the city for a certain period (often 6 months to 1 year)

• Be a registered voter in your city

Some cities also prohibit current city employees from running. To confirm your eligibility, check your local election office website or use GoodParty.org’s election lookup tool.

Step #2: Understand the Ballot Access Process

Getting on the ballot typically requires:

• Filing a declaration of candidacy

• Naming a campaign treasurer and setting up a designated campaign bank account

• Submitting a financial disclosure form

• Gathering petition signatures from local voters

Signature requirements vary widely. For example, candidates for mayor of Chicago must submit at least 12,500 signatures from registered voters, but candidates in Los Angeles only need 1,000 signatures with no filing fee or 500 signatures with a $500 filing fee.

Give yourself time to gather more signatures than required. Unfortunately, some will inevitably be disqualified. But remember to use this phase as a launchpad to meet voters and build momentum for your campaign. 

Step #3: Build Your Campaign Timeline

Once you know your city’s filing deadlines and election date, build backwards:

• Plan when to launch your campaign

• Schedule field organizing, community outreach, and GOTV pushes

• Plot fundraising phases

• Map out digital content and media outreach

• Reserve dates for debates or public forums

Some cities hold mayoral elections in odd-numbered years or on off-cycle dates, so make sure you double-check deadlines and dates. 

Step #4: Assemble Your Campaign Team

Your team can start small and scale as you go. For example, you might begin with a few committed volunteers and grow from there.

Roles to consider:

• Campaign manager

• Treasurer or compliance lead

• Field director or volunteer coordinator

• Communications or social media lead

In big cities, you may need to hire some professional staff, but in smaller or mid-sized cities, you can win with a small team and smart strategy.

LEARN MORE: GoodParty.org offers free and low-cost campaign tools to help you keep your team lean while staying organized.

Step #5: Define Your Message and Platform

Your campaign messaging should answer three core questions:

• Why are you running?

• What problems will you solve as mayor?

• How will your leadership be different?

Start by listening to your community. What’s not working? What do people need? What issues are being ignored?

Then, craft your core message and policy priorities. Consider picking a campaign color, slogan, and visual identity to help your campaign stand out and be memorable.

LEARN MORE: Learn how to craft a compelling campaign message.

Step #6: Create a Fundraising Plan

Mayoral campaigns can range from $5,000 in small cities to millions in major metros. In the 2025 NYC Democratic mayoral primary race, candidates raised over $12 million, plus an additional $32 million in public matching funds. And both fundraising and spending are continuing to increase as the mayoral election in November 2025 approaches. 

Start with a basic budget:

• Filing fees

• Website and branding

• Yard signs and printed materials

• Canvassing and volunteer tools

• Events or advertising

Then figure out how much you can raise through small-dollar donations and what events or community partnerships you can form to support your fundraising efforts. Additionally, look for areas you can cut costs, like leveraging free tools or using SMS outreach to contact more people for less money. 

LEARN MORE: Build your budget with our guide to political fundraising.

Step #7: Build Your Digital Presence

An online presence is essential for modern mayoral races. Start with:

• A simple, clear campaign website with your story, platform, donation link, and volunteer form.

• Social media accounts where voters can learn about events, ask questions, and share your message.

• An email list to stay connected with supporters.

• SMS/MMS texting for reminders and outreach.

Whether you're running in a dense city or a sprawling suburb, voters expect to find you online. A strong digital strategy helps you amplify your message, recruit volunteers, raise funds, and stay top-of-mind with voters across every age group.

LEARN MORE: See how to make social media work for your campaign.

Step #8: Engage Voters and Get Out the Vote

This is where the real work and real connection happens. Voter outreach should be authentic, consistent, and rooted in your community.

Some outreach tactics you should employ include:

• Door-to-door canvassing

• Texting and phone banking

• Town halls and meet-and-greets

• Listening tours

• Social media and email

• Direct mail or flyers

As election day nears, focus on Get Out the Vote (GOTV). Remind supporters when, where, and how to vote, especially if your city has early voting, mail-in ballots, or ID requirements.

You Can Win Your Mayoral Campaign

Running for mayor is a serious commitment, but also a powerful opportunity. You don’t need party insiders, big money, or a polished political resume. You need a plan, a purpose, and a community that’s ready for change.

With the right tools, message, and momentum, you can build a campaign that earns votes and builds trust.

GoodParty.org is here to help you run for mayor with integrity and independence. Our campaign tools are built for candidates who care more about people than party politics. We have free voter outreach tools, SMS and P2P texting, and messaging and branding resources. You can also access strategic guidance from campaign experts, all designed to help you run an effective and human-powered Independent campaign.

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