The election was officially nonpartisan, with a primary being held on August 3, 2021.
Incumbent David Alvey and Tyrone Garner took the top two spots in the primary election and were on ballot in the general election.
[2] Garner defeated Alvey, becoming the first African-American mayor of Kansas City.
The following people filed for candidacy and were on the ballot for the primary election.
[3][4] Tyrone Garner and David Alvey received enough votes to move on to the general election in November.