2021 Dayton mayoral election

The 2021 Dayton mayoral election took place on November 8, 2021. Incumbent Mayor Nan Whaley declined to seek re-election to a third term, instead opting to unsuccessfully run for Governor in 2022.^[1] Three candidates ran to succeed her: City Commissioner Jeff Mims, retired firefighter Rennes Bowers, and former Mayor Gary Leitzell.

In the primary election, Mims placed first by a wide margin, winning 58 percent of the vote to Bowers's 26 percent and Leitzell's 16 percent.^[2] Mims and Bowers advanced to the general election, where Mims won in a landslide, receiving 67 percent of the vote.^[3]