Elections are held in Jerusalem to elect the city's mayor. Currently, such elections are regularly scheduled to elect mayors to five-year terms.
Prior to a 1975 national law change, mayors were chosen by the city council (which was elected in a closed list proportional representation system).[1]
Since 1975 law change, mayors have been directly elected in a two round system.[1] Under this system, if no candidate receives at least 40% of the vote in the first round, a runoff election is held between the top-two finishers.[1] The first municipal election to be held under the new law of direct elections for mayor was held in 1978.[2]
| Election Name: | 1978 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Jerusalem.svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Next Election: | 1983 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Next Year: | 1983 |
| Election Date: | 7 November 1978 |
| Candidate1: | Teddy Kollek |
| Popular Vote1: | 64,622 |
| Percentage1: | 62.7% |
| Candidate2: | Shmuel Elazar Shaulson |
| Popular Vote2: | 15,242 |
| Percentage2: | 14.7% |
| Candidate4: | Yehoshua Matza |
| Party4: | Likud |
| Popular Vote4: | 13,616 |
| Percentage4: | 13.3% |
| Candidate5: | Moshe Medalbom |
| Popular Vote5: | 9,638 |
| Percentage5: | 9.3% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Teddy Kollek |
| Before Party: | Israeli Labor Party |
| After Election: | Teddy Kollek |
| After Party: | Israeli Labor Party |
The 1978 Jerusalem mayoral election was held 8 November 1978, and saw the reelection of Teddy Kollek to a fourth consecutive term.
While a member of the Israeli Labor Party, Kollek formally ran as an independent.
| 1978 Jerusalem mayoral elections results[3] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
| Teddy Kollek (incumbent) | 64,622 | 62.7 | ||
| Shmuel Elazar Shaulson | 15,242 | 14.7 | ||
| Likud[4] | 13,616 | 13.3 | ||
| Moshe Medalbom | 9,638 | 9.3 | ||
| Total | 103,118 | 100 | ||
| Election Name: | 1983 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Jerusalem.svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1978 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Previous Year: | 1978 |
| Next Election: | 1989 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Next Year: | 1989 |
| Election Date: | 25 October 1983 |
| Candidate1: | Teddy Kollek |
| Party1: | One Jerusalem |
| Popular Vote1: | 79,535 |
| Percentage1: | 63.86% |
| Candidate2: | Shlomo Toussia-Cohen |
| Party2: | Likud |
| Popular Vote2: | 23,912 |
| Percentage2: | 19.20% |
| Candidate3: | Meir Porush |
| Party3: | Agudat Yisrael |
| Popular Vote3: | 17,737 |
| Percentage3: | 14.24% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Teddy Kollek |
| Before Party: | Israeli Labor Party |
| After Election: | Teddy Kollek |
| After Party: | Israeli Labor Party |
The 1983 Jerusalem mayoral election was held 25 October 1983, and saw the reelection of Teddy Kollek to a fifth consecutive term.
The election took place among increasing tension between religious and nonreligious Jews in the city. Kollek spoke strongly against what he alleged were intolerant Orthodox factions that were seeking to enforce their lifestyle beliefs upon all Jerusalem. Kollek was assaulted by militantly religious youth ten days prior to the election. Turnout among Arab voters was over 25%. It is believed that many of the Arabs who opted to vote were municipal employees.
Despite efforts of some in the Palestine Liberation Organization to encourage a boycott among the city's East Jerusalem Arab electorate, this electorate came out in greater numbers than they had in previous mayoral elections. The Arab voters who participated strongly supported Kollek, contributing to his strong performance.[5]
Ahead of the election, Kollek was heavily favored for reelection, as a result of his personal popularity.[5] However, the coinciding election for Council of Jerusalem was competitive, and it was seen as uncertain whether the "One Jerusalem" party list which Kollek fielded, would retain the majority it held.[5] Orthodox and right wing political parties, in opposition of the mayor, were vying to flip control of the council.[5] The "One Jerusalem" slate, ultimately, narrowly retained its majority on the council, winning 17 of 31 seats.[5]
Since Kollek exceeded the 40% threshold required to avert a runoff election, no runoff was held.[5]
| 1983 Jerusalem mayoral elections results[6] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
| Teddy Kollek (incumbent) | One Jerusalem | 79,535 | 63.86 | |
| Shlomo Toussia-Cohen | 23,912 | 19.20 | ||
| 17,737 | 14.24 | |||
| Gershon Salomon | 3,356 | 2.70 | ||
| Total | 124,540 | 100 | ||
| Election Name: | 1989 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Jerusalem.svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1983 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Previous Year: | 1983 |
| Next Election: | 1993 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Next Year: | 1993 |
| Election Date: | 28 February 1989 |
| Candidate1: | Teddy Kollek |
| Party1: | One Jerusalem |
| Popular Vote1: | 73,006 |
| Percentage1: | 58.8% |
| Candidate2: | Nissim Ze'ev |
| Party2: | Shas |
| Popular Vote2: | 20,490 |
| Percentage2: | 16.5% |
| Image4: | File:ShmuelPresburger.jpg |
| Candidate4: | Shmuel Pressburger |
| Party4: | Likud |
| Popular Vote4: | 16,369 |
| Percentage4: | 13.2% |
| Candidate5: | Meir Porush |
| Party5: | Agudat Yisrael |
| Popular Vote5: | 13,646 |
| Percentage5: | 11.0% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Teddy Kollek |
| Before Party: | Israeli Labor Party |
| After Election: | Teddy Kollek |
| After Party: | Israeli Labor Party |
The 1989 Jerusalem mayoral election was held 28 February 1989, and saw the reelection of Teddy Kollek to a sixth consecutive term.
Kollek ran as the candidate of his own One Jerusalem Party, which was affiliated with the national Israeli Labor Party.
While he won an overwhelming victory in the mayoral election, his party list lost its majority on the Council of Jerusalem.[7] This Council of Jerusalem result was partially attributable to Arab residents of the city voting in lesser numbers than in the recent preceding elections, with more Arabs than usual boycotting the municipal elections.[7] Arab turnout was as small as under 4%. Another contributing factor was backlash from the left wing, who felt that Kollek had given too many compromises to the Haredi.[7] Another contributing factor was a strong turnout of religious Jews, especially with Orthodox Jews, with the election especially seeing an abnormally high turnout of Haredi voters.[8] [9] Kollek had had a majority of the Council be directly aligned with him for the entirety of his mayoralty up to the 1989 election.[9] [8]
| 1989 Jerusalem mayoral elections results[10] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
| Teddy Kollek (incumbent) | One Jerusalem | 73,006 | 58.8 | |
| Shas[11] | 20,490 | 16.5 | ||
| Shmuel Pressburger | 16,369 | 13.2 | ||
| Meir Porush | Agudat Yisrael[12] | 13,646 | 11.0 | |
| Mike Kramer | 748 | 0.5 | ||
| Total | 124,259 | 100 | ||
| Election Name: | 1993 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Jerusalem.svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1989 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Previous Year: | 1989 |
| Next Election: | 1998 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Next Year: | 1998 |
| Election Date: | 2 November 1993 |
| Candidate1: | Ehud Olmert |
| Party1: | Likud |
| Popular Vote1: | 90,992 |
| Percentage1: | 59.38% |
| Candidate2: | Teddy Kollek |
| Party2: | Israeli Labor Party |
| Popular Vote2: | 53,954 |
| Percentage2: | 35.21% |
| Candidate3: | Nissim Ze'ev |
| Party3: | Shas |
| Popular Vote3: | 8,300 |
| Percentage3: | 5.41% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Teddy Kollek |
| Before Party: | Israeli Labor Party |
| After Election: | Ehud Olmert |
| After Party: | Likud |
The 1993 Jerusalem mayoral election was held 2 November 1993, and saw Likud nominee Ehud Olmert unseat Labor incumbent Teddy Kollek.[1] This ended Kollek's 28-year mayoralty.[1] This also marked the first time in roughly four decades that Jerusalem would have a mayor who was not a member of either the Israeli Labor Party or its predecessor organizations.[1] This was seen as a handing a "blow" to the nation's governing Labor Party.[13]
| 1993 Jerusalem mayoral elections results[14] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
| Ehud Olmert | 90,992 | 59.38 | ||
| Teddy Kollek (incumbent) | 53,954 | 35.21 | ||
| 8,300 | 5.41 | |||
| Total | 153,246 | 100 | ||
| Election Name: | 1998 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Jerusalem.svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1993 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Previous Year: | 1993 |
| Next Election: | 2003 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Next Year: | 2003 |
| Election Date: | 10 November 1998 |
| Candidate1: | Ehud Olmert |
| Party1: | Likud |
| Popular Vote1: | 97,171 |
| Percentage1: | 61.00% |
| Candidate2: | Shimon Shetreet |
| Party2: | One Israel |
| Popular Vote2: | 36,567 |
| Percentage2: | 22.95% |
| Candidate3: | Ornan Yekutieli |
| Popular Vote3: | 13,540 |
| Percentage3: | 8.50% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Ehud Olmert |
| Before Party: | Likud |
| After Election: | Ehud Olmert |
| After Party: | Likud |
| Colour2: | 30ABEC |
The 1998 Jerusalem mayoral election was held on 10 November 1998, and saw the reelection of Likud incumbent Ehud Olmert.[1]
Olmert had been predicted to win a convincing reelection.[15]
| 1998 Jerusalem mayoral elections results[16] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
| Ehud Olmert (incumbent) | 97,171 | 61.00 | ||
| 36,567 | 22.95 | |||
| Arnan Yekutali | 13,540 | 8.50 | ||
| 6,605 | 4.15 | |||
| Elisha Peleg | 4,198 | 2.64 | ||
| Noam Badr | 1,208 | 0.76 | ||
| ??? | 16 | 0.01 | ||
| Total | 159,305 | 100 | ||
| Election Name: | 2003 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Jerusalem.svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1998 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Previous Year: | 1998 |
| Next Election: | 2008 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Next Year: | 2008 |
| Candidate1: | Uri Lupolianski |
| Party1: | United Torah Judaism |
| Popular Vote1: | 90,090 |
| Percentage1: | 51.39% |
| Candidate2: | Nir Barkat |
| Party2: | Jerusalem Will Succeed |
| Popular Vote2: | 74,550 |
| Percentage2: | 42.49% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Ehud Olmert |
| Before Party: | Likud |
| After Election: | Uri Lupolianski |
| After Party: | United Torah Judaism |
The 2003 Jerusalem mayoral election saw the election of United Torah Judaism nominee Uri Lupolianski.[1] Lupolianksi became the first Haredi to serve as mayor of Jerusalem.[17]
| Election Name: | 2008 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Jerusalem.svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2003 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Previous Year: | 2003 |
| Next Election: | 2013 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Next Year: | 2013 |
| Election Date: | 11 November 2008 |
| Candidate1: | Nir Barkat |
| Party1: | Jerusalem Will Succeed |
| Popular Vote1: | 116,947 |
| Percentage1: | 54.64% |
| Candidate2: | Meir Porush |
| Party2: | United Torah Judaism |
| Popular Vote2: | 94,456 |
| Percentage2: | 44.13% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Uri Lupolianski |
| Before Party: | United Torah Judaism |
| After Election: | Nir Barkat |
| After Party: | Independent politician |
The 2008 Jerusalem mayoral election was held on 11 November 2008, and saw the election of Nir Barkat.[1]
Barkat and Porush were the election's front-runners.[19]
Barkat was seen as receiving the support of the city's secular majority, which had been regarded as declining in its share of the electorate.[17]
Porush, a Haredi, was seen as attempting to appeal to a broad swath of the electorate, including both the religious and nonreligious.[19] He centered his candidacy on the issues of education, employment, and housing.[19]
| 2008 Jerusalem mayoral elections results[20] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
| Nir Barkat | Jerusalem Will Succeed | 116,947 | 54.64 | |
| 94,456 | 44.13 | |||
| 7,988 | 3.73 | |||
| Dan Biron | 1,119 | 0.52 | ||
| Turnout | 214,049 | 43.81 | ||
See also: 2013 Jerusalem mayoral election.
| Election Name: | 2013 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Jerusalem.svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2008 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Previous Year: | 2008 |
| Next Election: | 2018 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Next Year: | 2018 |
| Election Date: | 3 October 2013 |
| Candidate1: | Nir Barkat |
| Party1: | Jerusalem Will Succeed |
| Popular Vote1: | 111,108 |
| Percentage1: | 51.91% |
| Candidate2: | Moshe Lion |
| Party2: | Likud Yisrael Beiteinu |
| Popular Vote2: | 95,411 |
| Percentage2: | 44.57% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Nir Barkat |
| Before Party: | Independent politician |
| After Election: | Nir Barkat |
| After Party: | Independent politician |
The 2013 Jerusalem mayoral election was held on 2 October 2013, and saw the reelection of Nir Barkat.[1]
| 2013 Jerusalem mayoral elections results[21] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
| Nir Barkat (incumbent) | Jerusalem Will Succeed | 111,108 | 51.91% | |
| 95,411 | 44.57% | |||
| Chaim Epstein | 7,530 | 3.52% | ||
| Total | 214,049 | 100 | ||
See also: 2018 Jerusalem mayoral election.
| Election Name: | 2018 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Jerusalem.svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2013 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Previous Year: | 2013 |
| Next Election: | 2024 Jerusalem mayoral election |
| Next Year: | 2024 |
| Election Date: | 30 October 2018 (first round) 13 November 2018 (runoff) |
| 1Blank: | First-round vote |
| 2Blank: | First-round percentage |
| 3Blank: | Second-round vote |
| 4Blank: | Second-round percentage |
| Candidate1: | Moshe Lion |
| Party1: | Our Jerusalem |
| 1Data1: | 81,426 |
| 2Data1: | 32.76% |
| 3Data1: | 112,744 |
| 4Data1: | 50.85% |
| Candidate2: | Ofer Berkovitch |
| Party2: | Awakening |
| 1Data2: | 73,079 |
| 2Data2: | 29.40% |
| 3Data2: | 108,979 |
| 4Data2: | 49.15% |
| Candidate4: | Ze'ev Elkin |
| Party4: | Jerusalem Will Succeed |
| 1Data4: | 49,681 |
| 2Data4: | 19.99% |
| Candidate5: | Yossi Deutch |
| Party5: | Agudat Yisrael |
| 1Data5: | 42,289 |
| 2Data5: | 17.01% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Nir Barkat |
| Before Party: | Independent politician |
| After Election: | Moshe Lion |
| After Party: | Independent politician |
The 2018 Jerusalem mayoral election was held on 30 October and 13 November 2018 to elect the mayor of Jerusalem.
With no candidate in the first round meeting the vote threshold of 40% needed to avoid a runoff election, a runoff was held on 13 November.[22] The election was won by Moshe Lion.
Incumbent mayor Nir Barkat did not seek reelection.[23]
| Candidate | Party name | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Jerusalem | , Yerushalayim Shelanu | 81,426 | 32.76% | ||
| Awakening | , Hit'orerut | 73,079 | 29.40% | ||
| Jerusalem Will Succeed | , Yerushalayim Tatzli'ah | 49,681 | 19.99% | ||
| 42,289 | 17.01% | ||||
| Avi Salman | I'm Jerusalem | , Ani Yerushalayim | 2,110 | 0.85% | |
| Source: Ministry of the Interior[29] | |||||
| Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moshe Lion | 112,744 | 50.85% | ||
| 108,979 | 49.15% | |||
| Source: Ministry of the Interior[30] – provisional data | ||||