2005 United States elections
- This article is about the November 8, 2005 elections in the United States. For general information on Election Days in the U.S., please see Election Day (United States).
The United States general elections of 2005, held on Tuesday, November 8, were off-year elections in which no members of the Congress or state legislators were standing for election. There were, however, two gubernatorial races, numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races in several major cities, and a variety of local offices on the ballot.
Gubernatorial races
Only two states featured off-year gubernatorial races in 2005.
Democratic U.S. Senator Jon Corzine defeated Republican businessman Doug Forrester, taking the open seat held by an acting governor since Democrat Jim McGreevey resigned.
Democrat Tim Kaine defeated Republican Jerry Kilgore in the race to succeed fellow Democrat Mark Warner, giving the party a much-needed victory in a usually Republican state.
Mayoral races
Many additional cities across the United States held mayoral elections; this list is representative, not inclusive. Nationally, the vast majority of mayors were reelected, often by wide margins, and there were few partisan upsets.
Democrat Ed Pawlowski defeated former mayor William Heydt, despite being targeted by fellow democrat and incumbent mayor, Roy C. Afflerbach.
Democrat Shirley Franklin, the city's first female mayor, easily defeated both challengers to win reelection.
Incumbent Thomas Menino easily defeated challenger Maura Hennigen.
Mark Mallory defeated David Pepper to become Cincinatti's first African-American mayor.
Challenger Frank Jackson defeated incumbent Jane Campbell.
Incumbent Kwame Kilpatrick won a come-from-behind victory over challenger Freman Hendrix.
Mayor Bill White was easily reelected.
R.T. Rybak easily defeated challenger Peter McLaughlin.
In New York City, incumbent mayor Mike Bloomberg defeated Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer.
Democrat Bob O'Connor easily defeated Republican Joe Weinroth.
Republican Jerry Sanders easily defeated Democrat Donna Frye take the reigns of a city with a $1.3 billion budget shortfall and recent endemic corruption.
Incumbent Greg Nickels was easily reelected.
Democrat Chris Coleman defeated incumbent Randy Kelly.
Citizen initiatives
As with mayoral races, every referendum item nationwide is not included
California
California had eight questions on the ballot for the voters to consider. The election was seen as a referendum on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (who is up for reelection in 2006), as he sponsored and actively campaigned for four propositions on the ballot, Propositions 74 - 77. For more information, see California special election, 2005.
Maine
In Maine, voters decided a number of issues. Question 1 considered whether to enact a People's Veto over the legislature's law extending equal rights to cover sexual orientation (see gay rights). The question failed, and the law was upheld for the first time by Mainers. The state was also considering whether to pass a constitutional amendment designed to lower property taxes for fishermen by taxing property based on current use, rather than potential resale value. The measure passed overwhelmingly.
New Jersey
After recent scandals which led to the resignation of its governor, New Jersey considered whether to create the post of Lieutenant Governor; the measure passed.
Ohio
Ohio was considering whether to move the electoral redistricting process from the authority of the legislature to a non-partisan panel. Ohio also considered (in separate measures) whether to reduce individual financial contributions to political candidates, move election oversight to a bipartisan panel and away from the Secretary of State, and whether to allow allow all voters to vote early by mail. All four measures failed. These measures were placed on the ballot as a response to the controversies of the 2004 Presidential election in Ohio.
Texas
In Texas, voters overwhelmingly supported a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, making it the 19th state to enact such a ban. This result was largely expected.
Pennsylvania judicial election
Perceiving the Supreme Court's decisions as supporting corruption and secrecy in Harrisburg, voters refused to grant State Supreme Court Justice Russell Nigro a retention vote. Nigro lost very narrowly, becoming the first justice in Pennsylvania history to lose a retention vote. Fellow Justice Sandra Schultz Newman was retained. The vote was closely connected with backlash against the Harrisburg establishment and the 2005 legislative pay raise which increased judges' and legislators' salaries.