List of mayors of Rock Island, Illinois

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The office of Mayor of Rock Island, Illinois has existed since the Rock Island's incorporation in 1841 with Benjamin Barrett serving as the city's first mayor. Rock Island adopted a Mayor-Council form of government. It held that form of government for the next 110 years when in 1952 the city adopted a new popular form of city government, the council-manager form. Carl F. Bauer was elected as the first mayor under this form in 1953. This form of government still elected a mayor but the mayor is nothing more than a figurehead whereas the true power lay in the hands of the City Council and City Manager.

The Rock Island mayoralty is a ceremonial position that is often used as a stepping stone for higher political office. Most of Rock Island's mayors did not go far past the mayoralty but a few did, mostly running for State Representative, State Senator, and U.S. Congress. Rock Island held partisan election throughout much of its history. For a brief time from 1911 to 1923, Rock Island's mayor served as a non-partisan mayor; then again in 1923 the City went back to partisan elections. The Republican Party has dominated the mayoralty, the city had more Republican mayors than Democratic mayors. In 1953 when the city adopted the Council-Manager form of government the city once again went to non-partisan elections and it continues to this day.

In 1984 a referendum appeared on the city ballot asking whether voters wanted to adopt partisan elections or continue with non-partisan elections, the referendum was defeated by an overwhelming margin.

Rock Island mayors

Rock Island's mayors since the city's first mayoral election in 1849:

Ben Harper Benjamin harper-illinois-1902.png
Ben Harper
William McConochie Mayor William McConochie, 1915.jpg
William McConochie
#NameTerm startTerm end Party
1 Benjamin Barrett 18491850
2 Joshua Hatch 18501851
3Patrick Whitaker18511852
4William Frizzell18521854
5 Ben Harper
(1817–1887; aged 70)
18541855 Republican
6Benjamin Barrett18551856
7William Bailey18561857
8 Patrick Gregg 18571858
9 Thomas Bulford 18581860
10 Calvin Truesdale 18601861
11 Bailey Davenport 18611866
12Calvin Truesdale18661867
13 B. H. Kimball 18671867
14 William Eggleston 18671868
15 Thomas Murdock 18681869
16 James Buford 18691870
17 Porter Skinner 18701871
18 Elijah Carter 18711872
19Thomas Murdock18721873
20Bailey Davenport18731874
21 Thomas Gaft 18741875
22Bailey Davenport18751876
23 William Butler 18761878
24 Elisha Reynolds 18781880
25 Henry Carse 18801883
26 James Z. Mott 18831885
27Thomas Murdock18851887
28 Virgil M. Blanding 18871889
29 William McConochie 18891893
30 Thomas J. Medill, Jr. 18931895
31 B. Frank Knox 18951897
32Thomas J. Medill, Jr.18971899
33William McConochie18991901
34B. Frank Knox19011903
35William McConochie19031905
36 George W. McCaskrin 19051907
37 Harry C. Schaffer 19071909
38George W. McCaskrin19091911
39 Harry M. Shriver 19111915
40William McConochie19151919
41Harry M. Shriver19191923
42 Walter A. Rosenfield 19231927
43 Chester C. Thompson
(1893–1971; aged 77)
19271933 Democratic
44 Clarence Hodson 19331933
45Herman Brown19331933
46 John Graham 19341935
47 Charles Johnson 19351935
48 John Bengston 19351937
49 Robert P. Galbraith 19371945
50 Melvin McKay 19451953
51 Carl F. Bauer 19531957
52 Warren Yerger 19571961
53 Morris E. Muhleman
(1915–1998; aged 83)
19611965 Republican
54 James H. Haymaker 19651977
55 Alan A. Campbell 19771978 [1]
56 Martin Galex 19771978
57 James R. Davis 19791985
58 Robert Millett 19851989
59 Mark Schwiebert
(born in 1950; age 71)
19892009 Democratic
60 Dennis E. Pauley May 1, 20092017
61 Mike Thoms
(born in 1958; age 64)
May 1, 2017Present

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References

  1. "Mayor Campbell, 36, Dies". The Rock Island Argus . February 9, 1978.