List of mayors of Buffalo, New York

Last updated

The following is a list of people who have served as mayors of the city of Buffalo in the U.S. state of New York.

Contents

Mayor of the City of Buffalo
Seal of Buffalo, New York.svg
Seal of the City of Buffalo
Flag of Buffalo, New York.svg
Flag of the City of Buffalo
since October 15, 2024
Government of Buffalo
Style The Honorable
(formal)
Mr. Mayor
(informal)
Seat Buffalo City Hall
Term length Four years; renewable
Constituting instrumentBuffalo City Charter
Inaugural holder Ebenezer Johnson
Formation1832
SuccessionDeputy Mayor of Buffalo
DeputyDeputy Mayor of Buffalo
Salary$178,519 (2024)
Website www.city-buffalo.com/Home/Leadership/Mayor

List of mayors

No.NamePicturePartyTerm in officeElectionNotes
1 Ebenezer Johnson 1832johnson.jpeg Democratic-RepublicanMay 1832

March 1833
1832 Doctor during the War of 1812 [1]
2 Major Andre Andrews 1833andrewss.jpg IndependentMarch 1833

1834
1833 Founding member of the first Bank of Buffalo [1]
3 Ebenezer Johnson 1832johnson.jpeg Democratic-Republican1834

1835
1834
4 Hiram Pratt 1835pratts.jpg Whig1835

1836
1835
5 Samuel Wilkeson Samuel Wilkeson.png Independent1836

March 14, 1837
1836
6 Josiah Trowbridge Buffalo medical journal (1901) (14598115658).jpg WhigMarch 14, 1837

December 21, 1837
1837
7 Pierre A. Barker IndependentDecember 21, 1837

March 13, 1838
8 Ebenezer Walden 1838waldens.jpg WhigMarch 13, 1838

1839
1838
9 Hiram Pratt 1835pratts.jpg Whig1839

1840
1839
10 Sheldon Thompson 1840thompsons.jpg Whig1840

March 2, 1841
1840
11 Isaac R. Harrington 1841harringtons.jpg WhigMarch 2, 1841

March 8, 1842
1841
12 George William Clinton 1842clintons.jpg IndependentMarch 8, 1842

1843
1842 Served as the 7th United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York
13 Joseph G. Masten MayorMasten.jpg Democratic1843

1844
1843
14 William Ketchum Whig1844

1845
1844
15 Joseph G. Masten MayorMasten.jpg Democratic1845

1846
1845
16 Solomon G. Haven 1846havens.jpg Whig1846

1847
1846
17 Elbridge G. Spaulding Elbridge G. Spaulding - Brady-Handy.jpg Whig1847

1848
1847 Served as New York State Treasurer from 1854–1855 and was twice elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
18 Orlando Allen Whig1848

1849

1848

19 Hiram Barton 1849bartons.jpg Whig1849

1850
1849
20 Henry K. Smith Henry Kendall Smith, mayor of Buffalo.jpg Democratic1850

March 4, 1851
1850
21 James Wadsworth DemocraticMarch 4, 1851

March 9, 1852
1851
22 Hiram Barton 1849bartons.jpg WhigMarch 9, 1852

1853
1852
23 Eli Cook Democratic1853

1855
March 1853

November 1853

24 Frederick P. Stevens Democratic1856

1857
1855
25 Timothy T. Lockwood 1858lockwoods.jpg Democratic1858

January 2, 1860
1857
26 Franklin A. Alberger 1860albergers.jpg RepublicanJanuary 2, 1860

January 6, 1862
1859
27 William G. Fargo 1862fargos.jpg DemocraticJanuary 6, 1862

1866
1861

1863

Co-founded the modern day financial firms of American Express and Wells Fargo [2]
28 Chandler J. Wells 1866wellss.jpg Republican1866

1867
1865
29 William F. Rogers MajGenRogers.jpg Democratic1868

1869
1867
30 Alexander Brush 1870brush.jpg Republican1870

1873
1869

1872 (special)

31 Lewis P. Dayton 1874daytons.jpg Democratic1874

1875
1873
32 Philip Becker 1876beckers.jpg Republican1876

January 7, 1878
1875
33 Solomon Scheu 1878scheus.jpg DemocraticJanuary 7, 1878

January 1880
1877
34 Alexander Brush 1870brush.jpg RepublicanJanuary 1880

January 2, 1882
1879
35 Grover Cleveland President Grover Cleveland Restored.jpg DemocraticJanuary 2, 1882

November 20, 1882
1881 Later, elected 22nd & 24th President of the United States. The only American President to be mayor of a major city.
36 Marcus M. Drake Capt.MarcusM.Drake.jpg RepublicanNovember 20, 1882

December 29, 1882
37 Harmon S. Cutting DemocraticDecember 29, 1882

January 16, 1883
38 John B. Manning 1883mannings.jpg DemocraticJanuary 16, 1883

January 6, 1884
1883 (special)
39 Jonathan Scoville 1884scovilles.jpg DemocraticJanuary 6, 1884

1885
1883
40 Philip Becker 1876beckers.jpg Republican1886

1890
1885

1887

41 Charles F. Bishop 1890bishops.jpg Democratic1890

1894
1889

1891

42 Edgar B. Jewett 1895jewetts.jpg Republican1895

1897
1894
43 Conrad Diehl 1898diehls1.jpg Democratic1898

1901
1897
44 Erastus C. Knight 1902knights.jpg Republican1902

1905
1900
45 James N. Adam 1906adams.jpg Democratic1906

1909
1905
46 Louis P. Fuhrmann 1910fuhrmanns.jpg Democratic1910

1917
1909

1913

47 George S. Buck George Sturgess Buck (1875-1931), 1918.jpg Republican1918

1921
1917
48 Frank X. Schwab Frank X Schwab - 1922directory.jpg Republican1922

1929
1921

1925

49 Charles E. Roesch Charles E Roesch - 1932 BPDReport.jpg Republican1930

1933
1929
50 George J. Zimmermann Democratic1934

1937
1933
51 Thomas L. Holling Democratic1938

1941
1937
52 Joseph J. Kelly Joseph J Kelly - Buffalo War Council.jpg Democratic1942

1945
1941
53 Bernard J. Dowd Republican1946

1949
1945
54 Joseph Mruk Joseph Mruk.jpg RepublicanJanuary 1, 1950

December 31, 1953
1949
55 Steven Pankow DemocraticJanuary 1, 1954

December 31, 1957
1953
56 Frank A. Sedita Frank A Sedita - 1965 BPDReport.jpg DemocraticJanuary 1, 1958

December 31, 1961
1957
57 Chester A. Kowal Chester Kowal - 1962 BPDReport.jpg RepublicanJanuary 1, 1962

December 31, 1965
1961
58 Frank A. Sedita Frank A Sedita - 1965 BPDReport.jpg DemocraticJanuary 1, 1966

March 5, 1973
1965

1969

59 Stanley M. Makowski Stanley M Makowski - 1973 BPDReport.jpg DemocraticMarch 5, 1973

December 31, 1977

1973

60 James D. Griffin James D. Griffin at Groundbreaking of Pilot Field (now Sahlen Field), July 1986 (cropped).jpg DemocraticJanuary 1, 1978

December 31, 1993
1977

1981


1985


1989

61 Anthony Masiello Tony Masiello (cropped).jpg DemocraticJanuary 1, 1994

December 31, 2005
1993

1997


2001

62 Byron Brown Mayor Byron W. Brown Buffalo NY (cropped).jpg DemocraticJanuary 1, 2006

October 15, 2024
2005

2009


2013


2017


2021

63 Christopher Scanlon DemocraticOctober 15, 2024

Number of mayors by party affiliation

PartyMayors
Democratic 30
Democratic-Republican 2
Republican 15
Whig 12
No Party4

History

In 1853, the charter of the city was amended to include the town of Black Rock and the city proper was divided into thirteen wards. In addition, the term of city offices, including mayor changed from a one-year term to a two-year term and was elected directly by the people. [3]

Mayoral elections

(winners are in bold)

DateCandidates 
November 8, 1881 Grover Cleveland Milton Beebe
 15,12011,528
January 9, 1883 John B. Manning Robert R. Hefford
 11,0367,321
November 6, 1973 Stanley M. Makowski Stewart M. LevyJohn A. WestraPatrick W. GiagnacovaIra Liebowitz
 77,56924,4232,6401,147597
November 2, 1993 Anthony Masiello Richard A. Grimm Eugene Fahey
 36,0929,2777,566
November 8, 2005 Byron Brown Kevin HelferJudith EinachCharles Flynn
 46,61319,8533,5253,082
November 3, 2009 Byron Brown Michael P. Kearns
 17,728158
November 5, 2013 Byron Brown Sergio Rodriguez
 26,12010,733
November 7, 2017 Byron Brown Mark J F Schroeder Anita HowardTerrence RobinsonTaniqua Simmons
 29,68811,4461,3571,276102
November 2, 2021 Byron Brown India Walton Ben CarlisleJaz MilesWilliam O'Dell
 38,33825,773219238

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Dr. Ebenezer Johnson". Through The Mayor's Eyes, The Only Complete History of the Mayor's of Buffalo, New York, Compiled by Michael Rizzo. The Buffalonian is produced by The Peoples History Union. 2009-05-27. Archived from the original on 2011-09-26. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  2. Grossman, Peter Z. (1987). American Express: The Unofficial History of the People Who Built the Great Financial Empire. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN   1-58798-283-8.
  3. Fargo, Francis F. (1876). Memorial of the City and County Hall Opening Ceremonies. Buffalo, N.Y.: Courier Company, printers. p.  142 . Retrieved 16 August 2016. Elbridge G. Spaulding mayor of buffalo term.