List of mayors of Baltimore

The Mayor of Baltimore is the head of the executive branch of the government of the City of Baltimore, Maryland. The Mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills / ordinances / resolutions passed by the unicameral (one chamber) Baltimore City Council. In addition, the Mayor oversees all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and shares with the Governor of Maryland, responsibilities for the public school system within the city limits. As of May 2, 2019, the Office of Mayor of the City of Baltimore has changed hands 61 times with 51 different individuals in assuming office in the 220 years of city government, 1797-2017.

Mayor of the
City of Baltimore
Incumbent
Jack Young
since May 2, 2019
ResidencePrivate residence
Term lengthFour years
Inaugural holderJames Calhoun
1794
Formation1797
WebsiteOffice of the Mayor
Elections in Maryland
Government

The Office of the Mayor is located in the historic / architectural landmark with signature dome of the Baltimore City Hall (built 1867-1875), at 100 Holliday Street (between East Fayette and East Lexington Streets) facing City Hall / War Memorial Plaza and the War Memorial building, in downtown Baltimore. Recent incumbent Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (and former President and earlier youngest member of the Baltimore City Council), decided not to run for reelection. Maryland State Senator Catherine Pugh beat out previous Mayor Shelia Dixon, (who had been removed from office in 2010 for corruption after being convicted of theft of donated holiday gift cards) in the Democratic Party municipal primary election. She then defeated Republican Alan Walden and Green Party candidate Joshua Harris to become the 50th Mayor of Baltimore. She was sworn in on December 6, 2016. Pugh resigned on May 2, 2019, amid a scandal surrounding misuse of her political position to sell copies of her children's book series, making then-Baltimore City Council President Jack Young step up to the position.

History

James Calhoun was first elected in 1794 under the old Baltimore Town government with a group of town commissioners, and continued as the new first mayor under the new City Charter in 1796–97, when the City was incorporated as the "City of Baltimore" (occasionally entitled officially as the "Mayor and City Council of Baltimore") under the authority of the General Assembly of Maryland which had originally authorized the port in 1706 and the creation in 1729 and laying out of a town in early 1730. Calhoun continued to serve for another seven years until 1804.

Serving as the "county seat" since finagling a scheme to move the courthouse, replacing old Joppa in 1767 of surrounding Baltimore County which had been "erected" (authorized) in 1659 as the fifth county designated in the Province and first county in northern Maryland. The City was separated from the adjacent County by the provisions of the adoption of the new second Maryland Constitution of 1851 and became an independent city with the same status as the other 22 (later 23) counties of Maryland. Then the county seat for Baltimore County was moved after an election/referendum to Towsontown (later Towson, Maryland), a few miles north of Baltimore with the building there of its first Courthouse structure three years later with surrounding square of landscaped grassy lawns between Allegheny, Pennsylvania and Chesapeake Streets in 1854.

Six individuals are credited with multiple, non-consecutive returns to the office after completing an initial term, and are counted as separate mayoralties. These are: Edward Johnson (twice), John Montgomery, Ferdinand C. Latrobe (elected four times), Howard W. Jackson, William F. Broening, and Theodore R. McKeldin.

Originally elected for a term of only two years under the original first City Charter of 1796/1797, now traditionally, the current edition of the Baltimore City Charter limits a mayoral term to four years since the revisions of 1920 (who can be reelected without term limits). However, the 2015 municipal /mayoral primary / general elections was postponed to 2016 in order to better align with national elections.

List
# Mayor Term start Term end Terms   Party Notes
1 James Calhoun 1797 1804 4 None
2 Thorowgood Smith 1804 1808 2 None
3 Edward Johnson 1808 1816 4 Democratic-Republican
4 George Stiles 1816 1819 1 ​1⁄2 Democratic-Republican Resigned during second term, died shortly after.
(3) Edward Johnson 1819 1820 Partial Democratic-Republican Elected by the 1818 electors to finish out Mayor Stiles' term.
5 John Montgomery 1820 1822 1 Democratic-Republican
(3) Edward Johnson 1822 1824 1 Democratic-Republican
(5) John Montgomery 1824 1826 1 Democratic-Republican
6 Jacob Small 1826 1831 2 ​1⁄2 Democratic-Republican Resigned from office.
7 William Steuart 1831 1832 Partial Democratic-Republican Elected by the 1830 electors to finish out Mayor Small's term.
8 Jesse Hunt 1832 1835 1 ​1⁄2 Whig Resigned from office.
9 Samuel Smith 1835 1838 1 ​1⁄2 Democratic First elected in a special election to finish out Mayor Hunt's term, elected to a full term in 1836.
10 Sheppard C. Leakin 1838 1840 1 Whig
11 Samuel Brady 1840 1842 Partial Whig Resigned from office.
12 Solomon Hillen Jr. 1842 1843 Partial Democratic First elected in a special election to finish out Mayor Brady's term, elected to a full term in 1842. Resigned from office.
13 James O. Law 1843 1844 Partial Democratic Elected in a special election to finish out Mayor Hillen's term.
14 Jacob G. Davies 1844 1848 2 Whig
15 Elijah Stansbury, Jr. 1848 1850 1 Democratic
16 John H.T. Jerome 1850 1852 1 Democratic
17 John S. Hollins 1852 1854 1 Whig
18 Samuel Hinks 1854 1856 1 American
19 Thomas Swann 1856 1860 2 American
20 George W. Brown 1860 1861 Partial Constitutional Union Arrested and removed from office by the Union Army for Confederate sympathies.
21 John C. Blackburn 1861 1862 Partial None President of the First Branch of the City Council and served as Mayor Ex Officio from Mayor Brown's arrest until the new First Branch organized and elected a President in January 1862.
22 John L. Chapman 1862 1867 3 ​1⁄2 Republican President of the First Branch of the City Council and served as Mayor Ex Officio from January to November 1862. Elected to three terms. His final term was reduced from two years to one year per the new Maryland Constitution.
23 Robert T. Banks 1867 1871 1 Democratic The Maryland Constitution of 1867 extended the term of office from two to four years. The term was reduced back to two years in 1870.
24 Joshua Van Sant 1871 1875 2 Democratic
25 Ferdinand C. Latrobe 1875 1877 1 Democratic
26 George P. Kane 1877 1878 Partial Democratic Died in office.
(25) Ferdinand C. Latrobe 1878 1881 1 ​1⁄2 Democratic First elected in a special election to finish out Mayor Kane's term, elected to a full term in 1879.
27 William P. Whyte 1881 1883 1 Democratic
(25) Ferdinand C. Latrobe 1883 1885 1 Democratic
28 James Hodges 1885 1887 1 Republican
(25) Ferdinand C. Latrobe 1887 1889 1 Democratic
29 Robert C. Davidson 1889 1891 1 Democratic
(25) Ferdinand C. Latrobe 1891 1895 2 Democratic
30 Alcaeus Hooper 1895 1897 1 Republican
31 William T. Malster 1897 1899 1 Republican
32 Thomas G. Hayes 1899 1903 1 Democratic
33 Robert McLane 1903 1904 Partial Democratic Died in office.
34 E. Clay Timanus 1904 1907 Partial Republican President of the Second Branch. Succeeded to the mayoralty following Mayor McLane's death.
35 J. Barry Mahool 1907 1911 1 Democratic Lost reelection.
36 James H. Preston 1911 1919 2 Democratic Lost reelection.
37 William F. Broening 1919 1923 1 Republican Lost reelection.
38 Howard W. Jackson 1923 1927 1 Democratic Did not run for reelection.
(37) William F. Broening 1927 1931 1 Republican Did not run for reelection.
(38) Howard W. Jackson 1931 1943 3 Democratic Lost reelection in 1943.
39 Theodore McKeldin 1943 1947 1 Republican Did not run for reelection.
40 Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. 1947 1959 3 Democratic Lost reelection in 1959.
41 J. Harold Grady 1959 1962 Partial Democratic Resigned following appointment as a Judge to the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City (Circuit Court).
42 Philip H. Goodman 1962 1963 Partial Democratic City Council President. Succeeded to the mayoralty following Grady's resignation. Lost reelection to a full term.
(39) Theodore McKeldin 1963 1967 1 Republican Did not run for reelection.
43 Thomas D'Alesandro III 1967 1971 1 Democratic Did not run for reelection.
44 William D. Schaefer 1971 1987 4 Democratic Baltimore's longest-serving mayor. Resigned following his election as governor.
45 Clarence H. Burns 1987 1987 Partial Democratic City Council President. First African-American mayor of Baltimore. Succeeded to the mayoralty following Schaefer's resignation. Lost reelection to a full term.
46 Kurt Schmoke 1987 1999 3 Democratic First African-American elected Mayor of Baltimore. Did not run for reelection in 1999.
47 Martin O'Malley 1999 2007 2 Democratic Resigned following his election as governor.
48 Sheila Dixon 2007 2010 Partial Democratic City Council President. First female Mayor of Baltimore and first female elected Mayor of Baltimore. Succeeded to the mayoralty following O'Malley's resignation. Elected to a full term in 2007. Resigned from office in January 2010.
49 Stephanie Rawlings-Blake 2010 2016 1 ​1⁄2 Democratic City Council President. Succeeded to the mayoralty following Dixon's resignation. Elected to a full term in 2011. Did not run for reelection in 2016.
50 Catherine Pugh 2016 2019 Partial Democratic Resigned from office May 2, 2019. [1]
51 Jack Young 2019 Incumbent Partial Democratic City Council President. Succeeded to the mayoralty following Pugh's resignation.

References
  1. https://www.wbal.com/article/385832/40/mayor-pugh-resigns-amid-cloud-of-scandal-investigations-into-business-dealings
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