His first term was marked by a focus on economic development, the removal of Confederate statues in the city's downtown, and controversy over the police department monitoring Black Lives Matter activists.

Sawyer emphasized a generational change in leadership and her activism surrounding the removal of Confederate statues in 2017.

Sawyer faced criticism for an old tweet that was posted to Reddit in which she ridiculed a Memphis resident for crying over their recently euthanized dog.

[24] Throughout the campaign, Strickland led in fundraising and advertising, and he was the only candidate to air television or radio ads.

The election resulted in a decisive victory for incumbent mayor Jim Strickland, who was re-elected to a second term in office with 62.1% of the vote.