List of mayors of Birmingham, Alabama

This is a list of mayors, or persons holding the equivalent office, of Birmingham, Alabama.

Elections in Alabama
Federal government U.S. President 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 Dem Rep 2012 Rep 2016 Dem 2020 Dem Rep U.S. Senate 1819 1822 1822 (sp) 1826 (sp) 1828 1831 1834 1837 1837 (sp) 1840 1841 (sp) 1842 1847 1848 (sp) 1849 (sp) 1853 1853 (sp) 1855 1858 1868 1870 1872 1872 (sp) 1876 1876 (sp) 1878 1878 (sp) 1880 (sp) 1882 1884 1888 1890 1894 1896 1897 1900 1903 1907 1907 (sp) 1908 1911 1914 1914 (sp) 1918 1920 1920 (sp) 1924 1926 1930 1932 1936 1938 1938 (sp) 1942 1944 1946 (sp) 1948 1950 1954 1956 1960 1962 1966 1968 1972 1974 1978 1978 (sp) 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2017 (sp) 2020 2022 U.S. House 1819 1821 1823 1825 1827 1829 1831 1833 1835 1837 1839 1841 1843 1845 1847 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1869 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1883 sp. 8th 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1894 sp. 3rd 1896 1898 1900 1900 sp. 8th 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1914 sp. 8th 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1928 sp. 5th 1930 1933 sp. 8th 1934 1935 sp. 1st 1936 1938 1940 1940 sp. 7th 1942 1944 1944 sp. 3rd 1946 1947 sp. 8th 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1964 1966 1968 1972 1972 sp. 3rd 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1989 sp. 3rd 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2013 sp. 1st 2014 2016 2018 2020 Special elections
Government of Alabama Gubernatorial elections 1819 1821 1823 1825 1827 1829 1831 1833 1835 1837 1839 1841 1843 1845 1847 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1906 1910 1914 1918 1922 1926 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 State elections 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2018 Alabama House of Representatives 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Alabama State Senate 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Ballot measures 2006 Amendment 774
Birmingham Mayoral elections 2017
Mobile Mayoral 2001 2005 2009 2013
Montgomery Mayoral elections 2007 2009 (special) 2011 2015 2019
Government

The office of mayor was established with the incorporation of Birmingham in 1871. Robert Henley was appointed by Governor, Robert B. Lindsay to a two-year term. Until 1910, the Mayor presided over an ever-expanding Board of Aldermen who generally campaigned on the same ticket. Progressive reformers lobbied for a change in the form of government that year, resulting in the creation of a five-member Board of Commissioners (later reduced to three members). The President of the Commission, though not formally holding the title, was widely acknowledged as "Mayor" under that system.[1]

In 1963, as part of another progressive effort, this time to unseat Public Safety Commissioner Bull Connor, the form of government was again changed by referendum. Reorganized under Alabama's Mayor Council Act of 1955, the city government consisted of a mayor and nine at-large City Council representatives. Changing demographics in the city's electorate led to the election of Birmingham's first African-American mayor, Richard Arrington Jr., in 1979.[2][3]

In 1989 a change was made to elect council members by district, with 4-year terms coming at the midpoint of the mayoral term (allowing sitting council members to campaign for the mayoral office without having to resign their seats).[4]