Results by local authority

Conservative Party

Matthew Robinson was selected by party members as the Conservative Party's candidate on 20 February 2021. Robinson, a Leeds City Councillor for Harewood ward, had been the party's candidate for the cancelled 2021 West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner election and prospective parliamentary candidate for Leeds East in 2017. He defeated Narinder Sekhon for the nomination, a barrister and parliamentary candidate for Bradford South in 2019.^[19][20][21]

It had previously been speculated that Ken Davy, businessman and the party's former candidate for Huddersfield in 2019, could potentially stand in the election.^[22] Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, peer and former co-chair of the Conservative Party, declined to stand.^[22][23]

Green Party

Andrew Cooper, the leader of the Green Party group on Kirklees Council and councillor for Newsome ward, was announced as the Green Party's mayoral candidate on 16 September 2020. Cooper was parliamentary candidate for Huddersfield in 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019.^[24][25] Hawarun Hussain, a former Bradford Councillor for Shipley ward, was also confirmed as the party's candidate for deputy mayor.^[26]

During the final public round of selection process, Cooper received 58% of party members' votes, defeating Hussain in second place with 42% of the vote.^[27] Lyn Morton, the party's parliamentary candidate in 2019 for Hemsworth, was eliminated in the earlier selection process.^[25]

Labour Party

Tracy Brabin, the former MP for Batley and Spen, a former actor and television writer, was announced as the Labour and Co-operative candidate on 11 December 2020 following a ballot of party members.^[28][29] Upon her selection, Brabin resigned as Shadow Minister for the Cultural Industries and would step down as an MP when elected.^[30][31][32] She defeated Susan Hinchcliffe, the chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the leader of Bradford Council and councillor for Windhill and Wrose ward, and Hugh Goulbourne, solicitor and the chair of the Huddersfield branch of the Co-operative Party.^[33][34][35]

Labour opened candidate nominations in October 2020, with a deadline for self-nomination on 14 October. To progress to the next interview stage, each candidate required a nomination from at least two Constituency Labour Parties or two affiliated groups by 8 November. A joint committee of the party's National Executive Committee and the Regional Executive Committee then selected a shortlist of Brabin, Goulbourne and Hinchcliffe to be voted on and selected in a ballot of party members.^[36][37][23]

Peter Judge, a former Calderdale Councillor, nominated himself but was not short-listed.^{[38][failed verification]} Paula Sherriff, the former MP for Dewsbury, had announced her intention to stand as a candidate but later withdrew in March 2020 due to receiving treatment for breast cancer.^[39][40]

Liberal Democrats

Stewart Golton, the leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Leeds City Council, was announced as the Liberal Democrat candidate on 17 December 2020. Golton is a councillor for Rothwell ward and former parliamentary candidate for Elmet and Rothwell in 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019.^[48]

Yorkshire Party

Bob Buxton, the leader of the Yorkshire Party, was announced as the party's candidate on 11 August 2020. Buxton is a Rawdon Parish Councillor and was the party's parliamentary candidate for Pudsey in 2017 and 2019.^[49][50]

Prior speculated candidates

There was prior speculation around additional individuals, who did not eventually stand:

• Michelle Dewberry, businessperson, media personality and parliamentary candidate for Hull West and Hessle in 2017 and 2019 to stand for the Reform UK party (formerly The Brexit Party)^[51]
• Bernard Hogan-Howe, peer and former head of the Metropolitan Police and Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis^[51]
• Anne Longfield, Children's Commissioner for England^[22]
• Roger Marsh, chair of the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership^[22]