As ballots counted, results show numerous incumbent mayors headed toward defeat

Results coming in from the municipal elections show a number of incumbent mayors are headed toward defeat or find themselves in highly competitive races.

In Elad, a predominantly ultra-Orthodox city, Mayor Israel Porush is slated to lose to Yehuda Botbol of Shas, who has 55.9% received of votes to the former’s 44.1% with close to 85% of the vote counted. Porush is a member of Agudath Israel, an Ashkenazi Hasidic faction, while Botbol serves in Shas, which represents ultra-Orthodox Sephardic Jews.

The two parties also squared off in Bnei Brak, where Health Minister Uriel Buso of Shas lost to former mayor Hanoch Zeibert of Agudath Israel.

In the Tel Aviv suburb of Holon, nearly three-quarters of ballots have been tallied and Mayor Motti Sasson — who has been in the post since 1993 — is trailing two other candidates and has only 17.6% of votes.

Beit Shean Mayor Jacky Levy, elected to the post in 2018, congratulates social activist Noam Juma after losing to the challenger.

Other incumbents slated to lose include the mayors of Rehovot, Safed and Arad.

Current results indicate numerous incumbent mayors are also on track to keep their positions, among them the heads of Rishon Lezion, Petah Tikva, Givatayim, Ashdod and Lod.