| Elections in North Carolina |
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This is a list of mayors of Raleigh since the creation of the office in 1857. The Mayor is the head of a council-manager system of government for Raleigh, North Carolina. The office was created in 1857 when a new charter was established for the city to replace the original 1795 charter. Mayor William H. Harrison was mayor during the Confederate States of America and eventually surrendered the city back to the United States before Sherman's March to the Sea arrived. [1]
Under Raleigh's original 1795 charter, the equivalent of a mayor was called the "Intendant of Police" (a title borrowed from France). The first person to hold the office was John Haywood. He was elected by the city board of commissioners (who were themselves appointed by the North Carolina General Assembly). Starting in 1803, intendants of police were elected annually by all land-owning free men, including free African-Americans. [2] [3]
| # | Mayor | Term start | Term end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Haywood | 1795 | c. 1803 |
| 2 | William White | 1803 | 1806 |
| 3 | William Hill | 1806 | 1807 [4] |
| 4 | Dr. Calvin Jones | 1807 | 1809 |
| 5 | John Marshall | 1809 | 1811 |
| 6 | Jonathan S. Robeteau | 1812 | 1813 |
| 7 | Sterling Yancey | 1813 | 1814 [5] |
| 8 | Alexander Lucas | 1814 | 1816 |
| 9 | Mark Cooke | 1817 | 1819 |
| 10 | Joseph Gales, Sr. (first time) | 1819 | 1826 |
| 11 | John Bell | 1826 | 1827 |
| 12 | Joseph Gales, Sr. (second time) | 1827 | 1833 |
| 13 | Thomas Cobbs | 1833 | 1834 |
| 14 | Weston Raleigh Gales (first time) | 1835 | 1837 |
| 15 | Thomas Cobbs | 1837 | 1838 |
| 16 | William C. Carrington | 1838 | 1839 |
| 17 | Thomas Cobbs | 1839 | 1840 |
| 18 | Joseph Gales, Sr. (third time) | 1840 | 1841 |
| 19 | William F. Clarke | 1841 | 1842 |
| 20 | Thomas Loring | 1842 | 1843 |
| 21 | Weston Raleigh Gales (second time) | 1843 | 1847 [6] |
| 22 | William Dallas Haywood | 1847 | 1857 [7] |
| # | Mayor | Term start | Term end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | William Dallas Haywood (first time) | 1857 | 1858 |
| 24 | William H. Harrison (first time) | 1858 | 1867 |
| 25 | William Dallas Haywood (second time) | 1867 | 1868 |
| 26 | Charles B. Root [8] | 1868 | 1869 |
| 27 | William H. Harrison (second time) | 1869 | 1872 |
| 28 | Wesley Whitaker | 1872 | 1874 |
| 29 | Joseph W. Holden | 1874 | 1875 |
| 30 | John C. Gorman | 1875 | 1875 |
| 31 | Joseph Henry Separk (died in office) | 1875 | 1875 |
| 32 | Basil C. Manly (died in office) | 1875 | 1882 |
| 33 | William H. Dodd [9] | 1882 | 1887 |
| 34 | Alfred A. Thompson | 1887 | 1891 |
| 35 | Thomas Badger | 1891 | 1895 |
| 36 | William M. Russ | 1895 | 1898 |
| 37 | A. M. Powell | 1898 | 1905 |
| 38 | James I. Johnson (first time) | 1905 | 1909 |
| 39 | James S. Wynne | 1909 | 1911 |
| 40 | James I. Johnson (second time) | 1911 | 1919 |
| 41 | T. B. Eldridge | 1919 | 1923 |
| 42 | Eugene English Culbreth [10] [11] | 1923 | 1931 |
| 43 | George A. Iseley | 1931 | 1939 |
| 44 | Graham H. Andrews | 1939 | 1947 |
| 45 | Percey Daniel Snipes | 1947 | 1951 |
| 46 | James E. Briggs | 1951 | 1953 |
| 47 | Fred B. Wheeler [12] | 1951 | 1957 |
| 48 | William Gilmore Enloe | 1957 | 1963 |
| 49 | James William Reid | 1963 | 1965 |
| 50 | Travis Hocutt Tomlinson | 1965 | 1969 |
| 51 | Seby Brown Jones | 1969 | 1971 |
| 52 | Thomas Wood Bradshaw, Jr. | 1971 | 1973 |
| 53 | Clarence Everett Lightner | 1973 | 1975 |
| 54 | Jyles Jackson Coggins | 1975 | 1977 |
| 55 | Isabella McLean Bett Walton Cannon | 1977 | 1979 |
| 56 | George Smedes York | 1979 | 1983 |
| 57 | Avery Council Upchurch | 1983 | 1993 |
| 58 | Tom Harrison Fetzer | 1993 | 1999 |
| 59 | Paul Yelverton Coble | 1999 | 2001 |
| 60 | Charles Carpenter Meeker | 2001 | 2011 |
| 61 | Nancy Pletcher McFarlane | 2011 | 2019 |
| 62 | Mary-Ann Baldwin | 2019 | 2024 |
| 63 | Janet Cowell | 2024 | - |
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North Carolina is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia to the southwest, and Tennessee to the west. The state is the 28th-largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. Along with South Carolina, it makes up the Carolinas region of the East Coast. At the 2020 census, the state had a population of 10,439,388. Raleigh is the state's capital and Charlotte is its most populous city. The Charlotte metropolitan area, with an estimated population of 2,805,115 in 2023, is the most populous metropolitan area in North Carolina, the 22nd-most populous in the United States, and the largest banking center in the nation after New York City. The Research Triangle, with an estimated population of 2,368,947 in 2023, is the second-most populous combined metropolitan area in the state, 31st-most populous in the United States, and is home to the largest research park in the United States, Research Triangle Park.
Raleigh is the capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeast, the 41st-most populous city in the U.S., and the largest city of the Research Triangle metro area. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees, which line the streets in the heart of the city. The city covers a land area of 148.54 square miles (384.7 km2). The U.S. Census Bureau counted the city's population as 467,665 at the 2020 census. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. It is ranked as a sufficiency-level world city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. The city of Raleigh is named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who established the now-lost Roanoke Colony in present-day Dare County.
Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th-fastest growing county in the United States, with Cary and Raleigh being the 8th- and 15th-fastest growing communities, respectively.
Garner is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 31,159 as of the 2020 census. A suburb of Raleigh, the city limits are entirely within Wake County, though portions of unincorporated Wake County, as well as the Cleveland community in northern Johnston County, have Garner mailing addresses. It is part of the Research Triangle region of North Carolina and serves as a bedroom community for the region.
Cary is a town in Wake, Chatham, and Durham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is part of the Raleigh-Cary, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2020 census, its population was 174,721, making it the seventh-most populous municipality in North Carolina, and the 148th-most populous in the United States. In 2023, the town's population had increased to 180,010.
William Woods Holden was an American politician who served as the 38th and 40th governor of North Carolina. He was appointed by President Andrew Johnson in 1865 for a brief term and then elected in 1868. He served until 1871 and was the leader of the state's Republican Party during the Reconstruction Era.
John Haywood was an American politician, who was the longest-serving North Carolina State Treasurer from 1787 until his death in 1827.
William Johnston Dawson was a U.S. Congressman from the state of North Carolina from 1793 to 1795 and a member of the North Carolina House of Commons.
Paul Yelverton Coble served one term as Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina from December 1999 to December 2001. Coble served on the Wake County Board of Commissioners from 2006 to 2014, and served as chairman of the board from 2010 to 2012. In 2015, he became the Legislative Services Officer for the North Carolina General Assembly.
Calvin Jones was an American physician and politician who served as the Intendant of Police of Raleigh, North Carolina from 1807 to 1809. Previously, he served in the North Carolina House of Commons as the representative for Johnston County from 1799 to 1802 and Wake County in 1807. During the War of 1812; he commanded the state's seventh militia division, having previously served as the adjutant general of North Carolina.
The Joel Lane House, also known as Wakefield, was built in 1769 and is now a restored historic home and museum in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is the oldest dwelling in Wake County and contains collections of 18th century artifacts and period furnishings. The museum grounds include a detached middle-class home built circa 1790, a formal city garden, and a period herb garden. The house is named after Joel Lane, the "Father of Raleigh" and "Father of Wake County."
The Mordecai House, built in 1785, is a registered historical landmark and museum in Raleigh, North Carolina that is the centerpiece of Mordecai Historic Park, adjacent to the Historic Oakwood neighborhood. It is the oldest residence in Raleigh on its original foundation. In addition to the house, the Park includes the birthplace and childhood home of President Andrew Johnson, the Ellen Mordecai Garden, the Badger-Iredell Law Office, Allen Kitchen and St. Mark's Chapel, a popular site for weddings. It is located in the Mordecai Place Historic District.
William White (1762–1811) was the second North Carolina Secretary of State, serving from 1798 until 1811.
The mayor of Raleigh is the mayor of Raleigh, the state capital of North Carolina, in the United States. Raleigh operates with council-manager government, under which the mayor is elected separately from Raleigh City Council, of which they are the eighth member.
Isabella McLean Bett Walton Cannon was an American politician who served as the first female mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina from 1977 until 1979. At the age of 73, she defeated the incumbent Mayor, Jyles Coggins, during the election of 1977. Known as "the little old lady in tennis shoes," she served one term as mayor of Raleigh until 1979. Isabella Cannon died at the age of 97 on February 13, 2002.
The Raleigh mayoral election of 2011 was held on October 11, 2011, to elect a Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina for a two-year term. Incumbent Mayor Charles Meeker announced in April 2011 that he would not run for a sixth term. The election was officially a non-partisan contest, but outgoing Mayor Meeker was well known as a Democrat. Meeker endorsed candidate Nancy McFarlane, who is politically unaffiliated, to succeed him. She won the election with 61 percent of the vote, making a runoff unnecessary.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
The 2019 mayoral election in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, was held on Tuesday, October 8, 2019. Former City Council member Mary-Ann Baldwin placed first in the election, followed by attorney Charles Francis. Although Baldwin did not receive a majority of the vote, Francis declined to seek a runoff, leaving Baldwin elected as the city's next mayor.
The North Carolina General Assembly of 1836–1837 met in the Government House in Raleigh from November 21, 1836 to January 23, 1837. The assembly consisted of the 120 members of the North Carolina House of Commons and 50 senators of North Carolina Senate elected by the voters in August 1836. During the 1836 session, the legislature created Davie County, but it was not until 1842 that Davie County began sending delegates to the General Assembly. William H. Haywood, Jr was elected speaker of the House of Commons and Charles Manley was elected clerk. Hugh Waddell was elected President of the Senate and Thomas G. Stone was elected Clerk. Richard Dobbs Spaight, Jr. was the Governor in 1835 and 1836. He was elected by the previous legislature. In 1837, the Governor of North Carolina, Edward Bishop Dudley from New Hanover County, was elected, for the first time, by the people vice the legislature. The Whigs would control North Carolina politics until 1850. While in power, their notable achievements included funding railroads and roads, public education, and State chartered banks.
The 2022 mayoral election in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, was originally scheduled to be held on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, but was postponed until November 8, 2022, by the passage of a state law in June 2021 that permanently moved Raleigh municipal elections to even years. The law also changed the requirement that winners attain a majority of the vote in a runoff if necessary, instead allowing election by a simple plurality. Incumbent mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin sought election to a second term in office. She was challenged by Terrance Ruth and DaQuanta Copeland.
