List of Chicago Mayors


The mayoral term in Chicago was one year from 1837 through 1863, when it was increased to two years. In 1907 it was again lengthened to four years, the present duration. Until 1861, municipal elections were held in March. In that year, legislation changed them to April. In 1869, however, election time was changed to November, and terms expiring in April of that year were lengthened. In 1875, the election day was moved back to April by the city's vote to operate under the Cities and Villages Act of 1872.

#NameTermPartyNotes
1William Butler Ogden1837–1838Democratic
2Buckner Stith Morris1838–1839Whig
3Benjamin Wright Raymond1839–1840Whig
4Alexander Loyd1840–1841Democratic
5Francis Cornwall Sherman1841–1842Democratic
6Benjamin Wright Raymond (2nd)1842–1843Whig
7Augustus Garrett1843–1844Democratic
8Alson Sherman1844–1845Independent Democrat
9Augustus Garrett (2nd)1845–1846Democratic
10John Putnam Chapin1846–1847Whig
11James Curtiss1847–1848Democratic
12James Hutchinson Woodworth1848–1850Independent Democrat
13James Curtiss (2nd)1850–1851Democratic
14Walter S. Gurnee1851–1853Democratic
15Charles McNeill Gray1853–1854Democratic
16Isaac Lawrence Milliken1854–1855Democratic
17Levi Day Boone1855–1856American Party
18Thomas Dyer1856–1857Democratic
19John Wentworth1857–1858Republican
20John Charles Haines1858–1860Democratic
21John Wentworth (2nd)1860–1861Republican
22Julian Sidney Rumsey1861–1862Republican
23Francis Cornwall Sherman1862–1865Democratic
24John Blake Rice1865–1869Republican
25Roswell B. Mason1869–1871CitizensMayor during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
26Joseph Medill1871–1873FireproofBorn in Canada
27Harvey Doolittle Colvin1873–1875People's
28Monroe Heath1876–1879Republican
29Carter Harrison, Sr.1879–1887Democraticfather of Carter Harrison, Jr.
30John A. Roche1887–1889Republican
31DeWitt Clinton Cregier1889–1891Democratic
32Hempstead Washburne1891–1893Republican
33Carter Harrison, Sr. (2nd)1893DemocraticAssassinated in office; father of Carter Harrison, Jr.
34George Bell Swift1893RepublicanMayor Pro Tem
35John Patrick Hopkins1893–1895Democratic
36George Bell Swift (2nd)1895–1897Republican
37Carter Harrison, Jr.1897–1905DemocraticFirst Chicago born mayor; son of Mayor Carter Harrison, Sr.
38Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne1905–1907Democratic
39Fred A. Busse1907–1911Republican
40Carter Harrison, Jr. (2nd)1911–1915Democratic
41William Hale Thompson1915–1923Republican
42William Emmett Dever1923–1927Democratic
43William Hale Thompson(2nd)1927–1931Republican
44Anton Cermak1931–1933DemocraticAssassinated in office; second foreign born (in Kladno, Austria-Hungary)
45Frank J. Corr1933Democratic32 days, Acting Mayor
46Edward Joseph Kelly1933–1947DemocraticAct of the Illinois legislature permitted City Council to elect a non-alderman to fill the vacancy.
47Martin H. Kennelly1947–1955Democratic
48Richard J. Daley1955–1976DemocraticDied in office; father of Richard M. Daley
49Michael Anthony Bilandic1976–1979Democratic
50Jane Margaret Byrne1979–1983DemocraticFirst female mayor
51Harold Washington1983–1987DemocraticDied in office; first Black/African-American mayor
52David Duvall Orr1987Democratic8 days, Interim Mayor
53Eugene Sawyer1987–1989DemocraticElected by city council to complete Mayor Washington's term
54Richard M. Daley1989–2011DemocraticLongest serving mayor; son of Richard J. Daley
55Rahm Emanuel2011–presentNonpartisan1First Jewish mayor