Today, official notice has been given of a vacancy in the office of the Mayor for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority area.
The vacancy occurred on Friday 19 June 2026 following the election of Andy Burnham as Member of Parliament for Makerfield constituency.
The win in the highly-anticipated by-election in Wigan, Greater Manchester continues the Labour Party’s representation of the constituency in Parliament. The former Greater Manchester Mayor won 55% of the vote, equating to 24,927 votes.
The Greater Manchester constituency was left needing a new representative after Labour MP Josh Simons stood down in May.
As the role of Mayor of Greater Manchester also holds Police and Crime Commissioner powers, as an elected MP Andy Burnham is disqualified from holding the office of Mayor.
In accordance with the law, an election to fill the vacancy must be held within 35 working days.
When will the Greater Manchester Mayoral Election be held?
The Combined Authority Returning Officer has determined that a Mayoral Election will be held on Thursday 30 July 2026.
More information about the election, including information about applying for a postal or proxy vote, and where to get help, can be found on GM Elects.
What does the Mayor of Greater Manchester do?
The Mayor of Greater Manchester is the directly elected leader of Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). The role was created as part of English devolution, which means certain powers have been transferred from national government to Greater Manchester so more decisions can be made locally.
The Mayor helps lead the city region and works with local councils, businesses and public services to improve life for people across Greater Manchester. They represent Greater Manchester at a national and international level, speaking for the city region, helping build relationships with government and attracting trade and investment.
Greater Manchester’s first mayoral election took place in 2017. GMCA was formed in 2011 by the ten councils that make up Greater Manchester: Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan.
Who could be the next Mayor of Greater Manchester?
Given how recent the vacancy came about, there have not yet been any candidates publicly named for the contest.
Candidates will however likely come from the top positions within Manchester City Council, for example Leader of the Council Cllr Bev Craig, or Statutory Deputy Leader Cllr Garry Bridges.
Leaders of the other Greater Manchester councils may also be considered.
How to register to vote
The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Tuesday 14 July. Residents not already registered at their current address are urged to make sure they are registered in time.
It takes just five minutes to register to vote online.
