Editors note: At the time this article was published, independent candidate Eric Lipson had not announced his campaign. Following the primary election on Aug. 2, Lipson announced his campaign to run against democratic incumbent Christopher Taylor in the November election.
Christopher Taylor is the projected Democratic candidate for mayor of Ann Arbor in the Aug. 2 primary election, defeating his opponent, Anne Bannister. With all precincts in Ann Arbor counted, Taylor received 61% of the vote and Bannister received 38%, according to the initial results.
If elected in the Nov. 8 general election, Taylor will serve a fourth term as the mayor of Ann Arbor, having first been elected in 2014. There were no Republican candidates on the ballot.
Taylor was first elected in 2014 and elected again in 2016, when term limits were extended from two to four years. Before taking office as mayor in 2014, Taylor served three terms on City Council representing Ward 3. Taylor is also a local corporate and commercial attorney practicing at Ann Arbor-based law firm Hooper Hathaway.
Taylor’s platform focused heavily on Ann Arbor’s housing crisis, emphasizing his support for affordable housing developments and the continuation of implementing an unarmed response team for the city. His tenure as mayor is recognized for backing high-density housing and the A2Zero promise to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Last month, MLive reported over $122,000 raised between both candidates in the democratic mayoral race, with Taylor raising over $88,000 and reporting over $49,000 in expenses. Towards the end of July, both candidates published literature critiquing their opponent. In her campaign materials, Bannister criticized Taylor, noting his “empty promises and potholes.”
Daily News Editor Shannon Stocking can be reached at sstockin@umich.edu.