List of mayors of Omaha, Nebraska

Mayor of Omaha, Nebraska
Incumbent John Ewing Jr. since June 9, 2025
Style	His Honor The Honorable
Seat	Omaha City Hall
Term length	Four years
Inaugural holder	Jesse Lowe
Formation	19th Century
Website	mayors-office.cityofomaha.org

This is a list of mayors of Omaha, Nebraska, United States.

List of mayors

No.	Image	Name [1] (birth–death)	Term [2] [3]	Party affiliation		Notes
1		Jesse Lowe (1814–1868)	March 5, 1857 – March 2, 1858		Democratic	[4]
2		Andrew Jackson Poppleton (1830–1896)	March 2, 1858 – September 14, 1858		Democratic
3		George Robert Armstrong (1819–1896) (interim mayor)	September 14, 1858 – March 10, 1859		Democratic
4		David Douglas Belden (1821–1897)	March 10, 1859 – March 6, 1860		Democratic
5		Clinton Briggs (1828–1882)	March 6, 1860 – March 5, 1861		Republican
6		George Robert Armstrong (1819–1896)	March 5, 1861 – November 5, 1862 [a]		Democratic
7		Benjamin Eli Barnet Kennedy (1827–1916) (interim mayor)	November 5, 1862 – March 15, 1864		Democratic
8		Addison R. Gilmore (1804–1866)	March 15, 1864 – March 9, 1865		Democratic	[5]
9		Lorin Miller (1800–1888)	March 9, 1865 – March 6, 1867		Democratic	[6]
10		Charles H. Brown (1834–1897)	March 6, 1867 – March 4, 1868		Democratic
11		George M. Roberts (1843–1906)	March 4, 1868 – June 7, 1869		Republican	[7]
12		Ezra Millard (1833–1886)	June 7, 1869 – April 10, 1871		Democratic
13		Smith Samuel Caldwell (1834–1884)	April 10, 1871 – April 9, 1872		Republican
14		Joseph Millard (1836–1922)	April 9, 1872 – April 7, 1873		Republican
15		William M. Brewer (?–1921)	April 7, 1873 – February 3, 1874 [b]		Democratic	[8]
Acting		James S. Gibson (1835–1906)	February 3, 1874 – April 13, 1874		Democratic	[9] [10]
16		Champion S. Chase (1820–1898)	April 13, 1874 – April 9, 1879		Republican	First elected to a one-year term in 1874 and then to a two-year term in 1875 after Omaha extended the mayoral term to two years. [11]
17		Reuben H. Wilbur (1825–1898)	April 9, 1877 – April 7, 1879		Republican	[12]
18		Champion S. Chase (1820–1898)	April 7, 1879 – April 12, 1881		Republican
19		James E. Boyd (1834–1906)	April 12, 1881 – April 12, 1883		Democratic
20		Champion S. Chase (1820–1898)	April 10, 1883 – June 30, 1884 [c]		Republican
Acting		Patrick F. Murphy (?–1885)	June 30, 1884 – April 14, 1885		Republican	[13]
21		James E. Boyd (1834–1906)	April 14, 1885 – May 10, 1887		Democratic
22		William J. Broatch (1841–1922)	May 10, 1887 – January 7, 1890		Republican
23		Richard C. Cushing (1843–1913)	January 7, 1890 – January 5, 1892		Democratic
24		George P. Bemis (1838–1916)	January 5, 1892 – January 7, 1896		Republican
25		William J. Broatch (1841–1922)	January 7, 1896 – May 12, 1897 [14]		Republican
26		Frank E. Moores † (1840–1906)	May 12, 1897– March 23, 1906 [14] [d] [e]		Republican
Acting		Harry B. Zimman (1879–1936)	March 23, 1906 – May 21, 1906		Republican
27		James Dahlman (1856–1930)	May 21, 1906 – May 13, 1918		Democratic
28		Edward Parsons Smith (1860–1930)	May 13, 1918 – May 17, 1921		Democratic
29		James Dahlman† (1856–1930)	May 17, 1921 – January 21, 1930 [f]		Democratic
Acting		John H. Hopkins (1886–1954)	January 21, 1930 – February 4, 1930		Democratic
30		Richard Lee Metcalfe (1861–1954) (interim mayor)	February 4, 1930 – May 16, 1933		Democratic
31		Roy Nathan Towl (1881–1974)	May 16, 1933 – May 26, 1936		Republican
32		Dan B. Butler (1879–1953)	May 26, 1936 – May 29, 1945		Democratic
33		Charles W. Leeman (1892–1979)	May 29, 1945 – May 25, 1948		Democratic
34		Glenn Cunningham (1912–2003)	May 25, 1948 – May 25, 1954		Republican
35		Johnny Rosenblatt (1907–1979)	May 25, 1954 – May 22, 1961		Democratic [15]	First Jewish mayor of Omaha.
36		James Dworak (1925–2002)	May 22, 1961 – May 24, 1965		Democratic
37		Alexander V. Sorensen (1905–1982)	May 24, 1965 – May 26, 1969		Republican	[16]
38		Eugene A. Leahy (1929–2000)	May 26, 1969 – May 28, 1973		Democratic
39		Edward Zorinsky (1928–1987)	May 28, 1973 – November 16, 1976 [g]		Republican (before 1975)	Second Jewish mayor. Resigned after winning election to the U.S. Senate.
					Democratic (1975-1987) [17]
40		Robert G. Cunningham (1923–2014) (interim mayor)	November 16, 1976 – June 6, 1977		Republican	Succeeded mayor Edward Zorinsky who won election to the U.S. Senate. Stepped down June 6, 1977 to serve on the State Game and Parks Commission. [18]
41		Al Veys (1919–2002)	June 6, 1977 – June 8, 1981		Democratic	[19] [20]
42		Mike Boyle (1944–2021)	June 8, 1981 – January 26, 1987 [h]		Democratic
Acting		Stephen H. Tomasek, Jr. (1920–2001)	January 26, 1987 – February 6, 1987		Democratic	City Council President Tomasek served as acting mayor after mayor Mike Boyle was recalled. [21]
43		Bernard R. Simon† (1927–1988) (interim mayor)	February 6, 1987 – April 14, 1988 [i]		Democratic	Named mayor by the City Council on February 3, 1987 after mayor Mike Boyle was recalled. [22] Simon died on April 14, 1988 with City Council President Fred Conley served as acting mayor until the council was able to convene to name an interim mayor. [22]
Acting		Fred L. Conley (b. 1948)	April 14, 1988 – April 20, 1988		Democratic	First African American councilmember in Omaha. As president of the City Council, Conley served as acting mayor after the death of interim mayor Bernie Simon on April 14, 1988. [22]
44		Walt Calinger (b. 1940) (interim mayor)	April 20, 1988 – June 5, 1989		Democratic	Named interim mayor on April 20, 1988 by a 4-3 vote of the City Council to finish the unexpired term of Bernie Simon. [23]
45		P. J. Morgan (b. 1940)	June 5, 1989 – September 20, 1994 [j]		Republican	[24]
Acting		Subby Anzaldo (1933–2019)	September 20, 1994 – January 9, 1995		Democratic
46		Hal Daub (b. 1941)	January 9, 1995 – June 10, 2001		Republican
47		Mike Fahey (b. 1943)	June 10, 2001 – June 8, 2009		Democratic
48		Jim Suttle (b. 1944)	June 8, 2009 – June 10, 2013		Democratic
49		Jean Stothert (b. 1954)	June 10, 2013 – June 9, 2025		Republican	First woman mayor of Omaha
50		John Ewing Jr. (b. 1961)	June 9, 2025 – Incumbent		Democratic	First African American elected mayor of Omaha

Notes

1. Resigned.
2. Resigned.
3. Removed from office.
4. Died in office.
5. May have served illegally.
6. Died in office.
7. Resigned.
8. Removed from office.
9. Died in office.
10. Resigned.

See also

• Government of Omaha
• History of Omaha

References

1. ""Jim" Dahlman Served Longest". Omaha World-Herald (Sunday ed.). February 21, 1932. p. 40 – via NewsBank.
2. Scalise, Larry. "Mayors of Omaha, Nebraska", Omaha Public Library http://www.omahapubliclibrary.org/subjects/society/history/mayors.html Archived May 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
3. Allen Flanery, James (May 10, 1989). "Morgan Win Seen as End To Turbulent Time for City Boyle Theme Not Enough, Observers Say". Omaha World-Herald . p. 1 – via NewsBank.
4. "How Title to a Large Part of Omaha Was Created: Story of an Exciting Period in the History of This City, as Told by the Late David D. Belden, Who Was Mayor in a Critical Time". Omaha World-Herald (Sunday ed.). February 5, 1911. p. 23 – via NewsBank. But for some reason many of the best citizens did not want Mr. Lowe...The democratic [sic] convention for the nomination of municipal officers had been called and it was to assemble at 2 p. m., the very next day.
5. "Mary Louise Gilmore Dead: Was Formerly Well Known in the City of Omaha". Omaha World-Herald (Morning ed.). April 4, 1906. p. 6 – via NewsBank. [Gilmore] came here from Illinois as the appointee of President Franklin Pierce and was an ardent adherent to the Douglas democracy of that day.
6. "Colonel Lorin Miller Dead: A Pioneer of Nebraska and a Prominent Man in Its Early Days". Omaha Daily Bee . August 1, 1888. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Office Sought the Man: Why Omaha Has So Few Ex-Mayors and Few Citizens Remember Them as Such". Omaha World-Herald (Sunday ed.). September 27, 1891. p. 6 – via NewsBank.
8. "Election Returns". Omaha (Daily) Republican. April 3, 1873. p. 4 – via Google News.
9. "Passing of a Pioneer: James S. Gibson Dies at His Home in This City Sunday". Omaha World-Herald (Evening ed.). April 2, 1906. p. 1 – via NewsBank.
10. "Seven Democratic Councilmen Outvote Five Republicans, and Consequently Johnson Scoops Baumer". Omaha Daily Bee . May 12, 1874. p. 4 – via Chronicling America.
11. Omaha Illustrated: A History of the Pioneer Period and the Omaha of Today. D.C. Dunbar and Co. 1888. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
12. "Republican Ticket: Election: Tuesday, April 3, 1877". Omaha Daily Bee . April 2, 1877. p. 4. Retrieved December 16, 2024– via Chronicling America.
13. "The Death of Ex-Mayor Murphy". Omaha Daily Bee . December 28, 1885. p. 4 – via Chronicling America.
14. "Moores Takes the Reins: Assumes Control of the Mayor's Office—Thrilling Episode". Omaha World-Herald (Morning ed.). May 12, 1897. p. 1 – via NewsBank.
15. "Rosenblatt to Speak". Omaha World-Herald (Evening ed.). May 15, 1957. p. 8 – via NewsBank. City Commissioner John Rosenblatt will speak on "City Government and City Affairs" at the semi-monthly luncheon of the Douglas County Democratic [emphasis added] Club Tuesday, noon at 213 South Nineteenth [sic] Street.
16. "Mayor Hails City's Progress in Human Relations". Omaha Star . November 12, 1965. p. 1 – via NewsBank. American cities have the responsibility to provide equal opportunity in housing and jobs to all Americans citizens, Omaha Mayor A. V. Sorensen told Young Republicans [emphasis added] at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, last Thursday.
17. "OPPD to Senate: Zorinsky's Star Moved Only Up". Omaha World-Herald . March 7, 1987 – via NewsBank.
18. "Dahlquist to Liquor Commission, Cunningham to Game and Parks". Lincoln Journal . May 16, 1977 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
19. Thompson, David (April 6, 1977). "Mrs. Abbott Forecasting Tough Fight". Omaha World-Herald . p. 1 – via NewsBank.
20. Kotok, C. David (April 3, 1985). "Low Turnout Called Aid To Krejci Against Boyle". Omaha World-Herald – via NewsBank. In 1981, then - Gov. Charles Thone backed Veys against Boyle. Veys, then a Democrat, received substantial GOP support.
21. "Omaha officials search for new mayor". Colorado Springs Gazette . January 15, 1987 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
22. "Omaha mayor dies; cancer fight lauded". Lincoln Journal Star . April 14, 1988. pp.  1, 9 – via Newspapers.com.
23. "Omaha council picks Calinger as mayor". Lincoln Journal Star . April 20, 1988 – via Newspapers.com.
24. "P.J. Morgan, an Omaha real estate manager, was elected mayor May 9". Omaha World-Herald . December 24, 1989 – via Newspapers.com.