Mayor. The mayor is the city's chief elected official. In a strong-mayor city the mayor runs the city government, prepares the budget and appoints department heads; in a council-manager city the mayor presides over the council and a hired manager runs operations. Which model applies depends on the city charter.
This race. Nonpartisan: candidates appear without party labels. The sitting officeholder, Shane McFarland, is on the ballot.
Tennessee › Rutherford County › Murfreesboro Mayor
DECIDED at the August 6, 2026 county general election: Shane McFarland won with 63 percent over Nathan Bennett (36.4 percent), per the Rutherford County Election Commission's official results. This office will not appear on the November 3 ballot. On the August 6, 2026 Murfreesboro municipal ballot, which runs alongside the county general, per the certified municipal sample ballot. City races are nonpartisan. RESULTS ARE IN: this race was decided on August 6, 2026. Totals from the county Election Commission are unofficial until the county canvass, due no later than Monday, August 24 (Tenn. Code 2-8-101); Tennessee has no automatic recount.
Nonpartisan Incumbent
Per the campaign site.
McFarland is a Murfreesboro business owner who served two terms on the Murfreesboro City Council before being elected Mayor in 2014, per his campaign site. He previously served on the city's Parks and Recreation, Cultural Arts, and Planning commissions, per his campaign site.
Nonpartisan
Repeat challenger who also ran against McFarland in 2022, when election coverage identified him as a Blackman High School math teacher.
Who is running for Murfreesboro Mayor in 2026?
The Murfreesboro Mayor race was decided at the 2026 primary - Shane McFarland won the seat - and does not appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot. 2 candidates were on the primary ballot: Shane McFarland and Nathan Bennett. Candidate information follows official Rutherford County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
When is the Murfreesboro Mayor election in Tennessee?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Tennessee are on the Tennessee election hub at theballotbrief.com.
How do I see my exact Rutherford County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.
Candidate roster from official Rutherford County and state election office filings, last verified September 27, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.
Cross-check with the official Tennessee election office, or see the full Rutherford County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.
6 tracked races in Rutherford County, Tennessee. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.