List of mayors of New York City

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List of mayors of New York City

The Mayor of New York City is the chief executive of New York City's government, as stipulated by New York City's charter. The current mayor, the 109th in the sequence of regular mayors, is Bill de Blasio, a Democrat.

During the Dutch colonial period from 1624 to 1664, New Amsterdam was governed by the Director of New Netherland. Following the 1664 creation of the British Province of New York, newly renamed New York City was run by the British military governor, Richard Nicolls. The office of Mayor of New York was established in 1665. Holders were appointed by colonial governors, beginning with Thomas Willett. The position remained appointed until 1777.

In 1777, during the American Revolution, a Council of Appointment was formed by the State of New York. In 1821 the New York City Council – then known as the Common Council – began appointing mayors.

Since 1834, mayors have been elected by direct popular vote.^[1]

Before 1898, the city included little beyond the island of Manhattan. The 1898 consolidation created the city as it is today with five boroughs: Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.

The longest-serving mayors have been Fiorello H. La Guardia (1934–1945), Robert F. Wagner Jr. (1954–1965), Ed Koch (1978–1989), and Michael Bloomberg (2002–2013) each of whom was in office for twelve years (three successive 4-year terms). The shortest terms in office since 1834 have been those of acting mayors: Thomas Coman (five weeks from Monday, November 30, 1868, to Monday, January 4, 1869) and Samuel B. H. Vance (one month from November 30 to December 31, 1874), in addition to the purely nominal single day that William T. Collins served in 1925.

Every mayor was white until the election of David Dinkins (1990–1993), to date the city's only African American to hold the office.^[2] New York has not had a Hispanic or Latino mayor, with the possible exception of John Purroy Mitchel (1914–1917), who was of Spanish descent and whose grandfather was born in Venezuela.^[3] New York's mayors have been religiously diverse; the city has had Protestant, Jewish, and Catholic mayors.^[4] No woman has ever served as mayor of New York City.^[5]

Colonial mayors

Before 1680, mayors served one-year terms. As of 1680, they served two-year terms. Exceptions are noted thus (*). A dagger (†) indicates mayoralties cut short by death in office. [When the same man served more than one continuous term, his name is lightly shaded purely for clarity, but the tints have no other significance.]


No.^[6]	Name	Starting year of office	Ending year of office
1	Thomas Willett (1st term)	1665	1666
2	Thomas Delavall (1st term)	1666	1667
3	Thomas Willett (2nd term)	1667	1668
4	Cornelius Van Steenwyk (1st term)	1668	1671
5	Thomas Delavall (2nd term)	1671	1672
6	Matthias Nicoll	1672	1673
7	John Lawrence (1st term)	1673	1675
8	William Dervall	1675	1676
9	Nicholas De Mayer	1676	1677
10	Stephanus Van Cortlandt (1st term)	1677	1678
11	Thomas Delavall (3rd term)	1678	1679
12	Francis Rombouts	1679	1680
13	William Dyre	1680	1682
14	Cornelius Van Steenwyk (2nd term)	1682	1684
15	Gabriel Minvielle (*)	1684	1685
16	Nicholas Bayard (*)	1685	1686
17	Stephanus Van Cortlandt (2nd term)	1686	1688
18	Peter Delanoy¹	1689	1691
19	John Lawrence *(2nd term )	1691	1691
20	Abraham de Peyster	1691	1694
21	Charles Lodwik	1694	1695
22	William Merritt	1695	1698
23	Johannes de Peyster	1698	1699
24	David Provost	1699	1700
25	Isaac De Reimer	1700	1701
26	Thomas Noell	1701	1702
27	Phillip French	1702	1703
28	William Peartree	1703	1707
29	Ebenezer Wilson	1707	1710
30	Jacobus Van Cortlandt (1st term)	1710	1711
31	Caleb Heathcote	1711	1714
32	John Johnstone	1714	1719
33	Jacobus Van Cortlandt (2nd term)	1719	1720
34	Robert Walters	1720	1725
35	Johannes Jansen	1725	1726
36	Robert Lurting †	1726	1735
37	Paul Richard	1735	1739
38	John Cruger †	1739	1744
39	Stephen Bayard	1744	1747
40	Edward Holland †	1747	1757
41	John Cruger Jr.	1757	1766
42	Whitehead Hicks	1766	1776
43	David Mathews	1776	1783

Note

Peter Delanoy was the first and only directly-elected mayor of New York^[7] until 1834. Appointed mayors resumed in the wake of Leisler's Rebellion.

† died in office

Pre-consolidation mayors

After 1820, the mayor was appointed by the city's Common Council. Under the Charter of 1834, mayors were elected annually. After 1849, they served two-year terms.


	Mayor	Term start	Term end	Terms	Party
44	James Duane	January 1, 1784	1789	5	None
45	Richard Varick	1789	1801	2	Federalist
46	Edward Livingston	1801	1803	2	Democratic-Republican
47	DeWitt Clinton (1st term)	1803	1807	4	Democratic-Republican
48	Marinus Willett	1807	1808	1	Democratic-Republican^[8]
49	DeWitt Clinton (2nd term)	1808	1810	2	Democratic-Republican
50	Jacob Radcliff (1st term)	1810	1811	1	Federalist
51	DeWitt Clinton (3rd term)	1811	1815	4	Democratic-Republican
52	John Ferguson	1815	1815	¹⁄₂	Democratic-Republican
53	Jacob Radcliff (2nd term)	February 13, 1815	1818	3	Federalist
54	Cadwallader D. Colden	1818	1821	3	Federalist
55	Stephen Allen	1821	1824	3	Federalist
56	William Paulding Jr. (1st term)	1825	1826	1	Democratic-Republican
57	Philip Hone	1826	1827	1	National Republican
58	William Paulding Jr. (2nd term)	1827	1829	2	Democratic-Republican
59	Walter Bowne	1829	1832	3	Democratic
60	Gideon Lee	1833	1834	1	Democratic
61	Cornelius Lawrence	1834	1837	3	Democratic
62	Aaron Clark	1837	1839	2	Whig
63	Isaac L. Varian	1839	1841	2	Democratic
64	Robert H. Morris	1841	1844	3	Democratic
65	James Harper	1844	1845	1	American Republican
66	William F. Havemeyer (1st term)	1845	1846	1	Democratic
67	Andrew H. Mickle	1846	1847	1	Democratic
68	William V. Brady	1847	1848	1	Whig
69	William F. Havemeyer (2nd term)	1848	1849	1	Democratic
70	Caleb S. Woodhull	1849	1851	1	Whig
71	Ambrose Kingsland	1851	1853	1	Whig
72	Jacob A. Westervelt	1853	1855	1	Democratic
73	Fernando Wood (1st term)	1855	1858	2	Democratic
74	Daniel F. Tiemann	1858	1860	1	Independent Party^[9]^[10]^[11]
75	Fernando Wood (2nd term)	1860	1862	1	Democratic
76	George Opdyke	1862	1864	1	Republican
77	Charles G. Gunther	1864	1866	1	Democratic
78	John T. Hoffman¹	1866	November 30, 1868	less than 1	Democratic
Acting	Thomas Coman¹	November 30, 1868	January 4, 1869	5 weeks	Democratic
79	Abraham Oakey Hall²	January 4, 1869	December 31, 1872	1	Democratic
80	William F. Havemeyer³(3rd term) †	January 1, 1873	November 30, 1874	less than 1	Republican
Acting	Samuel B. H. Vance³	November 30, 1874	December 31, 1874	1 month	Republican
81	William H. Wickham	January 1, 1875	December 31, 1876	1	Democratic (Reform)
82	Smith Ely Jr.	1877	1878	1	Democratic
83	Edward Cooper	1879	1880	1	Democratic (Reform)
84	William R. Grace (1st term)	1881	1882	1	Democratic (Reform)
85	Franklin Edson	1883	1884	1	Democratic
86	William R. Grace (2nd term)	1885	1886	2	None
87	Abram Hewitt	1887	1888	1	Democratic
88	Hugh J. Grant	1889	1892	2	Democratic
89	Thomas F. Gilroy	1893	1894	1	Democratic
90	William L. Strong⁴	January 1, 1895	December 31, 1897	1 (3 years)	Republican

Notes

John T. Hoffman resigned after his election as Governor of New York state but before the end of his mayoral term.^[12] Thomas Coman, President of the Board of Aldermen, completed Hoffman's term as acting mayor until his elected successor, A. Oakey Hall, took office.^[13]
When Hall temporarily retired during the Tweed investigation, the Acting Mayor of New York City was John Cochrane, the President of the New York City Council.
William F. Havemeyer died during his last term of office. Samuel B. H. Vance, President of the Board of Aldermen, completed Havemeyer's term as acting mayor until his elected successor, William H. Wickham, took office.
William L. Strong served an additional year in office because New York City mayoral elections were changed to be held in odd-numbered years due to the impending consolidation of New York City.

† died in office

Post-consolidation mayors

The 1898–1901 term was for four years. The City Charter was changed to make the mayor's term a two-year one beginning in 1902, but after two such terms was changed back to resume four-year terms in 1906. George B. McClellan Jr. thus served one two-year term from 1904 to 1905, during which he was elected to a four-year term from 1906 to 1909. See New York City mayoral elections#Terms and term limits (since 1834).

The party of the mayor reflects party registration, as opposed to the party lines run under during the general election.


#^[6]	Name	Term in office	Length of service		Previous office
91	Robert A. Van Wyck¹ (1849–1918; aged 69)	January 1, 1898 – December 31, 1901	4 years	Democratic	Chief Justice of the City Court of New York^[14]
92	Seth Low² (1850–1916; aged 66)	January 1, 1902 – December 31, 1903	2 years	Republican	11th President of Columbia University (1890–1901)
93	George B. McClellan Jr. (1865–1940; aged 75)	January 1, 1904 – December 31, 1909	6 years	Democratic	U.S. Representative for New York (1895–1903)
94	William Jay Gaynor³† (1849–1913; aged 64)	January 1, 1910 – September 10, 1913	3 years, 253 days	Democratic	Judge of the New York Supreme Court (1893–1909)
Acting³	Ardolph L. Kline	September 10, 1913 – December 31, 1913	113 days	Republican	President of the Board of Aldermen
95	John P. Mitchel (1879–1918; aged 38)	January 1, 1914 – December 31, 1917	4 years	Republican	U.S. Customs Collector of the Port of New York; President of the Board of Aldermen
96	John F. Hylan^4,^[15] (1868–1936; aged 67)	January 1, 1918 – December 30, 1925	8 years	Democratic	County Judge in Brooklyn^[16]
Acting⁴	William T. Collins	December 31, 1925^[15]	1 day	Democratic	President of the Board of Aldermen^[15]
97	Jimmy Walker⁵ (1881–1946; aged 65)	January 1, 1926 – September 1, 1932	6 years, 244 days (6 years, 8 months)	Democratic	New York State Senator (1919–1925)
Acting⁵	Joseph V. McKee	September 1, 1932 – December 31, 1932	121 days (4 months)	Democratic	President of the City Council
98	John P. O'Brien (1873–1951; aged 78)	January 1, 1933 – December 31, 1933	1 year	Democratic	Surrogate of New York County^[17]
99	Fiorello H. La Guardia (1882–1947; aged 64)	January 1, 1934 – December 31, 1945	12 years	Republican^[18]	U.S. Representative for New York (1922–1933)
100	William O'Dwyer⁶ (1890–1964; aged 74)	January 1, 1946 – August 31, 1950	4 years, 243 days (4 years, 8 months)	Democratic	Brooklyn District Attorney (1939–1945)
Acting⁷	Vincent R. Impellitteri⁶ (1900–1987; aged 86)	August 31, 1950 – November 14, 1950	75 days	Democratic (as acting mayor)	President of the City Council (1945–1949)
101	Vincent R. Impellitteri⁶ (1900–1987; aged 86)	November 14, 1950 – December 31, 1953	3 years, 48 days	Experience Party (as elected mayor)	Acting Mayor
102	Robert F. Wagner Jr. (1910–1991; aged 80)	January 1, 1954 – December 31, 1965	12 years	Democratic	17th Borough President of Manhattan (1950–1953)
103	John Lindsay (1921–2000; aged 79)	January 1, 1966 – December 31, 1973	8 years	Republican	U.S. Representative for New York (1959–1965)
103	John Lindsay (1921–2000; aged 79)	January 1, 1966 – December 31, 1973	8 years	Democratic	U.S. Representative for New York (1959–1965)
104	Abraham Beame (1906–2001; aged 94)	January 1, 1974 – December 31, 1977	4 years	Democratic	38th New York City Comptroller (1970–1973)
105	Ed Koch (1924–2013; aged 88)	January 1, 1978 – December 31, 1989	12 years	Democratic	U.S. Representative for New York (1969–1977)
106	David Dinkins (born in 1927; age	January 1, 1990 – December 31, 1993	4 years	Democratic	23rd Borough President of Manhattan (1986–1989)
107	Rudy Giuliani (born in 1944; age	January 1, 1994 – December 31, 2001	8 years	Republican	United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (1983–1989)
108	Michael Bloomberg (born in 1942; age	January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2013	12 years	Republican⁸	CEO of Bloomberg L.P. (1981–2001)
108	Michael Bloomberg (born in 1942; age	January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2013	12 years	None	CEO of Bloomberg L.P. (1981–2001)
109	Bill de Blasio (born in 1961; age	January 1, 2014 – Incumbent	5 years	Democratic	3rd New York City Public Advocate (2010–2013)

Notes

Randolph Gugghenheimer I (born 1846) served as acting mayor in 1900 while Robert A. Van Wyck was away.^[19]^[20]
Seth Low previously served as Mayor of the City of Brooklyn from 1882 to 1885.
William Jay Gaynor died September 10, 1913. Ardolph L. Kline, the unelected President of the Board of Aldermen, succeeded as acting mayor upon Gaynor's death, but then sought re-election as an alderman (successfully) rather than election as mayor. Kline has thus been the only mayor since 1834 never to win a citywide election (having been appointed Vice President of the Board of Aldermen by his colleagues and then succeeding to the presidency mid-term, rather than winning it by popular election at large).
John Hylan and Police Commissioner Richard Enright resigned December 30, 1925 to ensure that they received their city pensions, which they may not have been entitled to keep had they stayed in office for one more day. William T. Collins became acting Mayor for one day, prior to the inauguration of Jimmy Walker^[15]
Jimmy Walker resigned September 1, 1932 and went to Europe, amid allegations of corruption in his administration. Joseph V. McKee, as President of the Board of Aldermen, became acting mayor in Walker's place, but was then defeated in a special election by John P. O'Brien.
William O'Dwyer resigned August 31, 1950, during a police corruption scandal, after which he was appointed Ambassador to Mexico by President Harry S. Truman.
Vincent R. Impellitteri, President of the New York City Council, became acting mayor when O'Dwyer resigned on August 31, 1950, and was then elected to the office in a special election held on November 7, 1950. He was inaugurated on November 14.
Michael R. Bloomberg was a Democrat before registering as a Republican in 2001 and running for mayor. He then registered as an Independent in 2007, and re-registered as a Democrat in 2018 after saying he would consider a run for the presidency in 2020. ^[21]

† died in office

References

[1]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comLincoln, Charles Z. (1906). The Constitutional History of New York: From the Beginning of the Colonial Period to the Year 1905, Showing the Origin, Development, and Judicial Construction of the Constitution – Volume 2. Rochester, N.Y.: The Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company. p. 6. Retrieved December 26, 2016.

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[2]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comMollenkopf, John (2014) "The Rise of Immigrant Influence in New York City Politics" in New York and Amsterdam: Immigration and the New Urban Landscape (Foner, Nancy et al. eds.) New York:New York University Press, p.210

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[3]

Citation Linkcityroom.blogs.nytimes.comRoberts, Sam (May 7, 2013) Candidate Hoping to Be First Hispanic Mayor May Be 100 Years Too Late, The New York Times

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[4]

Citation Linkwww.nytimes.comRoberts, Sam (May 10, 2005) Today's Loneliest Political Minority? It's Probably the White Protestant, The New York Times: "New York's early mayors were mostly Protestant, but in the last 100 years the city has elected few Protestant mayors." Binder, Frederick and Reimers, David (1995) All the Nations Under Heaven: An Ethnic and Racial History of New York City New York: Columbia University Press. p.243: "In 1963 Abe Beame became the first Jew to be elected mayor of New York City. In 1977 Ed Koch became the second Jewish mayor when he won election to the first of three terms." Collins, Glen (May 15, 2008) Persecuted to Powerful: Exhibiting a History of New York's Catholics, The New York Times: "William R. Grace, who was elected in 1880 as the first Catholic mayor of New York City..."

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[5]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comWeatherford, Doris (2012) Women in American Politics: History and Milestones, Vol. 1. CQ Press p.262

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[6]

Citation Linkwww.nyc.gov"The Green Book: Mayors of the City of New York" on the official NYC website. When a former mayor serves again after a break in office, a new number is assigned to his resumed service. However, the six acting mayoralties are unnumbered.

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[7]

Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgBurrows, Edwin G. & Wallace, Mike (1999), Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898, New York: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-195-11634-8 pp.99–100

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[8]

Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgCaldwell, John; Rogue, Oswaldo Rodriguez; Johnson, Dale T. (March 1, 1994). American Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vol. 1. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 256.

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[9]

Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgMooney, James E. "Tiemann, Daniel F(awcett)" in Jackson, Kenneth T., ed. (2010), The Encyclopedia of New York City (2nd ed.), New Haven: Yale University Press, pp. 1314–15, ISBN 978-0-300-11465-2

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[10]

Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgBurrows, Edwin G. & Wallace, Mike (1999), Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898, New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 850–51, ISBN 0-195-11634-8

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[11]

Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgTrager, James (2003), The New York Chronology, New York: HarperCollins, p. 113, ISBN 0-06-074062-0

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[12]

Citation Linktimesmachine.nytimes.comStaff (November 17, 1868). "Local Intelligence — Board of Aldermen — Resignation of the Mayor". The New York Times. p. 2. Retrieved December 15, 2016.

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[13]

Citation Linktimesmachine.nytimes.comStaff (January 5, 1869). "Municipal Affairs — Organization of the Common Council — The Mayor's Message — The City Budget for 1869 — Comparison of Taxation in 1868 and 1869". The New York Times. p. 2. Retrieved December 15, 2016.

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[14]

Citation Linktimesmachine.nytimes.comStaff (November 7, 1897). "Robert A. Van Wyck". The New York Times Magazine. p. 2. Retrieved December 28, 2016.

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[15]

Citation Linktimesmachine.nytimes.comStaff (December 31, 1925). "Hylan And Enright Out With Pensions; Last-Hour Shifts In Police Department; Walker Fills Important City Posts — Collins Mayor for a Day — Leach is the Active Head of the Police Force for the Last Day of 1925 — Hylan to Get $4,205 A Year — Retirement Voted by Board of Estimate, He Quits to Assure Pension — Enright to Draw $5,000 — Approval of His Retirement as Commissioner One of Hylan's Last Official Acts". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved August 19, 2016.

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[16]

Citation Linktimesmachine.nytimes.comStaff (November 7, 1917). "How Hylan Reached The Mayor's Chair — Came Here from the Farm and First Worked as a Tracklayer — To School After Marriage — Long Active in Civic Affairs in Brooklyn — Mayoralty Said to Have Been His Ambition". The New York Times. p. 5. Retrieved December 28, 2016.

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[17]

Citation Linktimesmachine.nytimes.comStaff (November 10, 1932). "O'Brien Will Stay on Bench Till Jan. 1 — Mayor-Elect Says, However, He Will Devote Spare Time to Study of City's Problems — Renews Economy Pledge — Silent on Protest Vote — McKee Among Thousands Who Send Congratulatory Messages". The New York Times. p. 5. Retrieved December 28, 2016.

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[18]

Citation Linktimesmachine.nytimes.comStaff (November 5, 1933). "List of Candidates Who Will Be on Ballots in Municipal Election Nov. 7". The New York Times. p. N2. Retrieved August 19, 2016.

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[19]

Citation Linkwww.nytimes.com"Acting Mayor Boomed Long Branch Property by Buying Drexel Cottage". The New York Times. August 20, 1900. Retrieved February 1, 2018.

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

[20]

Citation Linkwww.jewishencyclopedia.com"Randolph Gugghenheimer". Jewish Encyclopedia. Guggenheimer acted as mayor of New York city during the absence of the incumbent.

Sep 29, 2019, 9:57 PM

List of mayors of New York City

List of mayors of New York City

Colonial mayors

Pre-consolidation mayors

Post-consolidation mayors

See also

References