List of mayors of Cincinnati

The mayor of Cincinnati is recognized as the official head and representative of the city for all purposes. There have been seventy-six mayors of Cincinnati. The first mayor was David Ziegler, who took office in 1802. The current mayor is Aftab Pureval, who was elected on November 2, 2021, and took office at noon on January 4, 2022.

Mayor of Cincinnati
Seal of Cincinnati, Ohio
Flag of Cincinnati, Ohio
Incumbent
Aftab Pureval
since January 4, 2022
StyleThe Honorable
Term lengthFour years; may serve two consecutive terms; renewable once
Inaugural holderDavid Ziegler
Formation1802
SuccessionVice Mayor of Cincinnati
Salary$121,291
WebsiteOffice of the Mayor

Executive powers

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The mayor shall preside over all meetings of the Cincinnati City Council. The mayor may call a special meeting of the council, but may not have a vote in the council. The mayor has the power to propose legislation for debate among the council. The mayor shall appoint and may remove the vice-mayor and the chair of all committees of the council without the advice and consent of the council.

The mayor of Cincinnati shall be recognized as the official head and representative of the city for all purposes, except as provided otherwise in the city charter of Cincinnati. The mayor may appoint a city manager upon an affirmative vote of five members of the city council following the mayor's recommendation.

The mayor delivers an annual address to the council and citizens of the city reporting on the state of the city and making recommendations for the establishment and achievement of future city goals.

In time of public danger or emergency, the mayor, with the consent of the council, may take command of the police, maintain order and enforce the law.

Succession

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In the event of the death, removal or resignation of the mayor, the Vice Mayor of Cincinnati shall succeed to the office of mayor in accordance with the city charter. The current vice mayor of Cincinnati is Jan Michelle Kearney.

History

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Until the charter of 1815, the president of the council served as equivalent of mayor. Two sources agree on the list of presidents:[1][2]

Prior to 1925 (and since 1999) the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio was elected in a separate, partisan election.

In 1924, the Charter Party, a local third-party, was founded. It has elected members of the city council and mayors. Until 1961, many Democrats ran as Charterites. The party focuses exclusively on local government; thus, many Charterites switch to a major party when seeking office outside Cincinnati.

From 1925 through 1998, the mayor was chosen by the city council from among its nine members.

In 1971, a coalition of two parties, the Democrats and the Charterites, worked out a power-sharing plan, which, starting in 1973, resulted in a rotating mayorship. After a few years of rotation, they decided that the city council member who received the most votes in the election would automatically become mayor.

In 1999, Charlie Luken became the first mayor to take office under a restored system of direct mayoral election.[3]

Mayor firsts

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In 1900, Julius Fleischmann became the youngest mayor of Cincinnati at the age of 28 years.

In 1954, Dorothy N. Dolbey became the first female mayor of the City of Cincinnati.

In 2006, Mark Mallory was the first directly elected African-American Mayor of Cincinnati.

On November 2, 2021, Aftab Pureval was elected the first Asian American mayor of Cincinnati. Mayor Pureval is the 70th and current mayor of Cincinnati.

List of mayors

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Dates Image Name Life dates Party Elected by
1802–1803   David Ziegler 1748–1811 no party public
1803–1804 Joseph Prince   no party public
1805–1806   James Findlay 1770–1835 no party public
1807 John S. Gano     public
1807   Martin Baum 1765–1831   public
1808–1809 Daniel Symmes 1772–1827   public
1810–1811 James Findlay (2nd) 1770–1835   public
1812 Martin Baum (2nd) 1765–1831   public
1813 William Stanley     public
1814 Samuel W. Davies 1776–1843   public
1815–1819 William Corry 1779–1833   public
1819–1831 Isaac G. Burnet 1784–1856   public
1831–1833 Elisha Hotchkiss 1778–1858 Democratic public
1833–1843 Samuel W. Davies 1776–1843 Whig public
1843–1851 Henry E. Spencer 1807–1882 Whig public
1851–1853 Mark P. Taylor   Democratic public
1853–1855 David T. Snelbaker 1804–1867 Democratic public
1855–1857   James J. Faran 1808–1892 Democratic public
1857–1859 Nicholas W. Thomas 1810–1864 Whig public
1859–1861   Richard M. Bishop 1812–1893 Democratic public
1861–1863 George Hatch   Democratic public
1863–1866 Leonard A. Harris 1824–1890 Republican public
1866–1869 Charles F. Wilstach 1818–1882 Republican public
1869–1871 John F. Torrence 1819–1883 Republican public
1871–1873 S. S. Davis 1817–1896 Republican public
1873–1877 George W. C. Johnston 1828–1879 Democratic public
1877–1879   Robert M. Moore 1816–1880 Republican public
1879–1881 Charles Jacob Jr. 1834–1913 Republican public
1881–1883 William F. Means   Democratic public
1883–1885 Thomas J. Stephens 1823–1892 Democratic public
1885–1889   Amor Smith Jr. 1840–1915 Republican public
1889–1894 John B. Mosby 1845–1928 Republican public
1894–1897   John A. Caldwell 1852–1927 Republican public
1897–1900   Gustav Tafel 1830–1908 Democratic public
1900–1905   Julius Fleischmann 1871–1925 Republican public
1906–1907 Edward J. Dempsey 1858–1929 Democratic public
1908–1909   Leopold Markbreit 1842–1909 Republican public
1909 John Galvin 1862–1922 Republican public
1910–1911 Louis Schwab 1850–1926 Republican public
1912–1913   Henry Thomas Hunt 1879–1956 Democratic public
1914–1915 Frederick S. Spiegel 1855–1925 Republican public
1916–1917   George Puchta 1860–1937 Republican public
1918–1921 John Galvin (2nd) 1862–1922 Republican public
1922–1925   George Carrel 1865–1949 Republican public
1926–1929   Murray Seasongood 1878–1983 Charterite council
1930–1937 Russell Wilson 1876–1946 Charterite council
1938–1947 James G. Stewart 1880–1959 Republican council
1947–1948   Carl W. Rich 1898–1972 Republican council
1948–1951 Albert D. Cash 1897–1952 Democratic council
1951–1953   Carl W. Rich (2nd) 1898–1972 Republican council
1953–1954 Edward N. Waldvogel 1894–1954 Charterite council
1954 Dorothy N. Dolbey 1908–1991 Charterite council
1954   Carl W. Rich (3rd) 1898–1972 Republican council
1955–1957   Charles Phelps Taft II 1897–1983 Republican council
1957–1960   Donald D. Clancy 1921–2007 Republican council
1960–1967 Walton H. Bachrach 1904–1989 Republican council
1967–1971 Eugene P. Ruehlmann 1925–2013 Republican council
1971   Willis D. Gradison Jr. 1928– Republican council
1971–1972   Thomas A. Luken 1925–2018 Democratic council
1972–1975   Theodore M. Berry 1905–2000 Charterite council
1975–1976 Bobbie L. Sterne 1919–2017 Charterite council
1976–1977 James T. Luken 1921–1979 Democratic council
1977–1978   Jerry Springer 1944–2023 Democratic council
1978–1979 Bobbie L. Sterne (2nd) 1919–2017 Charterite council
1979–1980   J. Kenneth Blackwell 1948– Charterite council
1980–1982   David S. Mann 1939– Democratic council
1982–1983 Thomas B. Brush 1934– Charterite council
1983–1984 Arnold L. Bortz 1946– Charterite council
1984–1991   Charles J. Luken 1951– Democratic council
1991   David S. Mann (2nd) 1939– Democratic council
1991–1993 Dwight Tillery 1948– Democratic council
1993–1999 Roxanne Qualls 1953– Democratic council
1999–2005   Charles J. Luken (2nd) 1951– Democratic public
2006–2013   Mark Mallory 1962– Democratic public
2013–2022   John Cranley 1974– Democratic public
2022–present   Aftab Pureval 1982– Democratic public

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Greve, Charles Theodore (1904). Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens. Vol. 1. Chicago: Biographical Publishing Company. p. 438.
  2. ^ Goss, Charles Frederic (1912). Cincinnati, the Queen City, 1788–1912. Vol. 1. Cincinnati: S J Clarke Publishing Company. p. 96.
  3. ^ Seuss, Jeff (October 31, 2021). "Soldiers, reformers and Jerry Springer: A brief history of the mayors of Cincinnati". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved August 23, 2024.