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.
Mayor 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 instrument | Buffalo City Charter |
Inaugural holder | Ebenezer Johnson |
Formation | 1832 |
Succession | Deputy Mayor of Buffalo |
Deputy | Deputy Mayor of Buffalo |
Salary | $178,519 (2024) |
Website | www |
No. | Name | Picture | Party | Term in office | Election | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ebenezer Johnson | Democratic-Republican | May 1832 – March 1833 | 1832 | Doctor during the War of 1812 [1] | |
2 | Major Andre Andrews | Independent | March 1833 – 1834 | 1833 | Founding member of the first Bank of Buffalo [1] | |
3 | Ebenezer Johnson | Democratic-Republican | 1834 – 1835 | 1834 | ||
4 | Hiram Pratt | Whig | 1835 – 1836 | 1835 | ||
5 | Samuel Wilkeson | Independent | 1836 – March 14, 1837 | 1836 | ||
6 | Josiah Trowbridge | Whig | March 14, 1837 – December 21, 1837 | 1837 | ||
7 | Pierre A. Barker | Independent | December 21, 1837 – March 13, 1838 | – | ||
8 | Ebenezer Walden | Whig | March 13, 1838 – 1839 | 1838 | ||
9 | Hiram Pratt | Whig | 1839 – 1840 | 1839 | ||
10 | Sheldon Thompson | Whig | 1840 – March 2, 1841 | 1840 | ||
11 | Isaac R. Harrington | Whig | March 2, 1841 – March 8, 1842 | 1841 | ||
12 | George William Clinton | Independent | March 8, 1842 – 1843 | 1842 | Served as the 7th United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York | |
13 | Joseph G. Masten | Democratic | 1843 – 1844 | 1843 | ||
14 | William Ketchum | Whig | 1844 – 1845 | 1844 | ||
15 | Joseph G. Masten | Democratic | 1845 – 1846 | 1845 | ||
16 | Solomon G. Haven | Whig | 1846 – 1847 | 1846 | ||
17 | Elbridge G. Spaulding | Whig | 1847 – 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 | Whig | 1848 – 1849 | – | ||
19 | Hiram Barton | Whig | 1849 – 1850 | 1849 | ||
20 | Henry K. Smith | Democratic | 1850 – March 4, 1851 | 1850 | ||
21 | James Wadsworth | Democratic | March 4, 1851 – March 9, 1852 | 1851 | ||
22 | Hiram Barton | Whig | March 9, 1852 – 1853 | 1852 | ||
23 | Eli Cook | Democratic | 1853 – 1855 | March 1853 | ||
24 | Frederick P. Stevens | Democratic | 1856 – 1857 | 1855 | ||
25 | Timothy T. Lockwood | Democratic | 1858 – January 2, 1860 | 1857 | ||
26 | Franklin A. Alberger | Republican | January 2, 1860 – January 6, 1862 | 1859 | ||
27 | William G. Fargo | Democratic | January 6, 1862 – 1866 | 1861 | Co-founded the modern day financial firms of American Express and Wells Fargo [2] | |
28 | Chandler J. Wells | Republican | 1866 – 1867 | 1865 | ||
29 | William F. Rogers | Democratic | 1868 – 1869 | 1867 | ||
30 | Alexander Brush | Republican | 1870 – 1873 | 1869 | ||
31 | Lewis P. Dayton | Democratic | 1874 – 1875 | 1873 | ||
32 | Philip Becker | Republican | 1876 – January 7, 1878 | 1875 | ||
33 | Solomon Scheu | Democratic | January 7, 1878 – January 1880 | 1877 | ||
34 | Alexander Brush | Republican | January 1880 – January 2, 1882 | 1879 | ||
35 | Grover Cleveland | Democratic | January 2, 1882 – November 20, 1882 | 1881 | Elected 22nd & 24th President of the United States. The only American President to be mayor of a major city. | |
36 | Marcus M. Drake | Republican | November 20, 1882 – December 29, 1882 | – | ||
37 | Harmon S. Cutting | Democratic | December 29, 1882 – January 16, 1883 | – | ||
38 | John B. Manning | Democratic | January 16, 1883 – January 6, 1884 | 1883 (special) | ||
39 | Jonathan Scoville | Democratic | January 6, 1884 – 1885 | 1883 | ||
40 | Philip Becker | Republican | 1886 – 1890 | 1885 | ||
41 | Charles F. Bishop | Democratic | 1890 – 1894 | 1889 | ||
42 | Edgar B. Jewett | Republican | 1895 – 1897 | 1894 | ||
43 | Conrad Diehl | Democratic | 1898 – 1901 | 1897 | ||
44 | Erastus C. Knight | Republican | 1902 – 1905 | 1900 | ||
45 | James N. Adam | Democratic | 1906 – 1909 | 1905 | ||
46 | Louis P. Fuhrmann | Democratic | 1910 – 1917 | 1909 | ||
47 | George S. Buck | Republican | 1918 – 1921 | 1917 | ||
48 | Frank X. Schwab | Republican | 1922 – 1929 | 1921 | ||
49 | Charles E. Roesch | Republican | 1930 – 1933 | 1929 | ||
50 | George J. Zimmermann | Democratic | 1934 – 1937 | 1933 | ||
51 | Thomas L. Holling | Democratic | 1938 – 1941 | 1937 | ||
52 | Joseph J. Kelly | Democratic | 1942 – 1945 | 1941 | ||
53 | Bernard J. Dowd | Republican | 1946 – 1949 | 1945 | ||
54 | Joseph Mruk | Republican | January 1, 1950 – December 31, 1953 | 1949 | ||
55 | Steven Pankow | Democratic | January 1, 1954 – December 31, 1957 | 1953 | ||
56 | Frank A. Sedita | Democratic | January 1, 1958 – December 31, 1961 | 1957 | ||
57 | Chester A. Kowal | Republican | January 1, 1962 – December 31, 1965 | 1961 | ||
58 | Frank A. Sedita | Democratic | January 1, 1966 – March 5, 1973 | 1965 | ||
59 | Stanley M. Makowski | Democratic | March 5, 1973 – December 31, 1977 | – | ||
60 | James D. Griffin | Democratic | January 1, 1978 – December 31, 1993 | 1977 | ||
61 | Anthony Masiello | Democratic | January 1, 1994 – December 31, 2005 | 1993 | ||
62 | Byron Brown | Democratic | January 1, 2006 – October 15, 2024 | 2005 | ||
63 | Christopher Scanlon | Democratic | October 15, 2024 – |
Party | Mayors |
---|---|
Democratic | 30 |
Democratic-Republican | 2 |
Republican | 15 |
Whig | 12 |
No Party | 4 |
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]
Elections in New York State |
---|
(winners are in bold)
Date | Candidates | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 8, 1881 | Grover Cleveland | Milton Beebe | |||
15,120 | 11,528 | ||||
January 9, 1883 | John B. Manning | Robert R. Hefford | |||
11,036 | 7,321 | ||||
November 6, 1973 | Stanley M. Makowski | Stewart M. Levy | John A. Westra | Patrick W. Giagnacova | Ira Liebowitz |
77,569 | 24,423 | 2,640 | 1,147 | 597 | |
November 2, 1993 | Anthony Masiello | Richard A. Grimm | Eugene Fahey | ||
36,092 | 9,277 | 7,566 | |||
November 8, 2005 | Byron Brown | Kevin Helfer | Judith Einach | Charles Flynn | |
46,613 | 19,853 | 3,525 | 3,082 | ||
November 3, 2009 | Byron Brown | Michael P. Kearns | |||
17,728 | 158 | ||||
November 5, 2013 | Byron Brown | Sergio Rodriguez | |||
26,120 | 10,733 | ||||
November 7, 2017 | Byron Brown | Mark J F Schroeder | Anita Howard | Terrence Robinson | Taniqua Simmons |
29,688 | 11,446 | 1,357 | 1,276 | 102 | |
November 2, 2021 | Byron Brown | India Walton | Ben Carlisle | Jaz Miles | William O'Dell |
38,338 | 25,773 | 219 | 23 | 8 | |
Buffalo is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River on the Canada–United States border. With a population of 278,349 according to the 2020 census, Buffalo is the second-most populous city in New York state after New York City, and the 81st-most populous city in the U.S. Buffalo and the city of Niagara Falls together make up the two-county Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, which had an estimated population of 1.2 million in 2020, making it the 49th-largest metro area in the U.S.
William George Fargo was an American businessman and politician.
The mayor of Philadelphia is the chief executive of the government of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as stipulated by the Charter of the City of Philadelphia. The current mayor of Philadelphia is Cherelle Parker, who is the first woman to hold the position.
Byron William Brown II is an American politician who is the former mayor of Buffalo, New York. He is Buffalo's 62nd mayor and has served since January 2006. He is the city's first African-American mayor and longest-serving mayor of Buffalo. He previously served Western New York as a member of the New York State Senate and Buffalo Common Council. He is the first African-American politician elected to the New York State Senate to represent a district outside New York City and the first member of any minority race to represent a majority-white New York State Senate district. He announced in a September press conference that he will resign as mayor of Buffalo sometime in October. Effective October 15, 2024, Christopher Scanlon will take over, serving as acting mayor until the next mayoral election in 2025.
Joseph J. Kelly was an Irish-American attorney and politician serving as mayor of Buffalo, New York. He held the office from 1942 to 1945.
The Buffalo Common Council is the legislative branch of the city of Buffalo, New York government. It is a representative assembly, with one elected member from each of nine districts: Niagara, Delaware, Masten, Ellicott, Lovejoy, Fillmore, North, University, and South. In the past, the Common Council also had as many as five at-large members and a Council President who were elected citywide. Each council seat is elected for a four-year term, with elections occurring during off-years, between mid-term elections and presidential elections.
William Findlay Rogers was an American politician who served one term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York from 1883 to 1885.
Solomon George Haven was a U.S. Representative from New York and Mayor of the City of Buffalo, New York, serving in 1846–1847.
Orlando Allen (1803–1874) was a member of the New York State Assembly and the 18th mayor of the City of Buffalo, New York. Allen began his political career as city treasurer, followed by two separate terms as Second Ward Alderman. He served an extended single term as mayor after being appointed in January 1848. He was elected to a full term in March of that year, and served until the term expired in 1849, when he declined to run for a second term. He was a member of the State Assembly in 1850 and 1851. He later served on the Buffalo Board of Supervisors, representing the Second Ward in 1856–1857, before winning one final term in the State Assembly in 1860. He ran for most of his offices as a Whig, however, after the collapse of that party, he served his final term in the Assembly as a Republican.
Ebenezer Johnson (1786–1849) was an American businessman and politician. He served as the first mayor of Buffalo, New York from May 1832 – March 1833 and 1834–1835.
Hiram Pratt was an American politician and mayor of Buffalo, New York, serving 1835–1836 and 1839–1840.
James Wadsworth was Mayor of the City of Buffalo, New York, serving 1851–1852.
Eli Cook (1814–1865) was Mayor of the City of Buffalo, New York, serving in 1853 and from 1854 to 1855. He was born in Palatine Bridge, New York on January 23, 1814. He took up law in 1830, passed the bar exam, and in 1837 he practiced in Tennessee and Mississippi with rebel General Simon B. Buckner. In 1838, he moved to Buffalo where he became one of the leading criminal lawyers. He married around 1838, but his wife died soon after; he re-married in 1843, to Sarah L. He was appointed city attorney in 1845, and again in 1851.
Alexander Brush was a Scottish Mayor of the City of Buffalo, New York, serving 1870–1873 and 1880–1881.
Lewis P. Dayton was Mayor of the City of Buffalo, New York, serving from 1874 to 1875.
Harmon Sydney Cutting was Mayor of the City of Buffalo, New York, serving from December 1882 to January 1883, in the aftermath after the resignation of Grover Cleveland.
Conrad Diehl (1843–1918) was Mayor of the City of Buffalo, New York, serving from 1898 to 1901. He was born in Buffalo on July 17, 1843. He graduated from the University of Buffalo with a medical degree in 1866. On May 5, 1869, he married Caroline Trautmann in New York City; she died in 1888 and he remarried in 1892 to Lois Masten, head nurse at Buffalo General Hospital. From 1870 to 1878, he was surgeon and major of the 65th Regiment, of the New York National Guard. From 1874 on, he was either attending or consulting physician at Buffalo General Hospital.
Louis P. Fuhrmann (1868–1931) was Mayor of the City of Buffalo, New York, serving 1910–1917. He was born in Buffalo, New York on November 7, 1868. He grew up on the city's east side, graduated from Central High School, and began working in the meat packing industry. In 1892, he started his own meat-packing business at 1010 Clinton Street. He married Alice S. Meald on July 13, 1900.
George Sturgess Buck (1875–1931) was Mayor of the City of Buffalo, New York, serving 1918–1922. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, on February 10, 1875, and moved to Buffalo the following year. He graduated from Buffalo's Central High School in 1892, and received a B. A. from Yale University in 1896. He graduated from the Buffalo Law School in 1898, and was admitted to the bar the same year. He married Ellen Louise Hussey on October 6, 1903.
The 2021 Buffalo mayoral election was held on November 2, 2021. Democratic Mayor Byron Brown won his fifth term in office as a write-in candidate. Brown's victory marked the first time since 1985 that Buffalo did not elect the Democratic nominee for mayor.
Elbridge G. Spaulding mayor of buffalo term.