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List of mayors of Buffalo, New York facts for kids

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The following is a list of people who have served as mayors of the city of Buffalo in the U.S. state of New York.

Quick facts for kids
Mayor of the City of Buffalo
Flag of Buffalo, New York.svg
Flag of the City of Buffalo
Seal of Buffalo, New York.svg
Seal of the City of Buffalo
Mayor Byron W. Brown Buffalo NY (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Byron Brown

since January 1, 2006
Government of Buffalo
Style The Honorable
(formal)
Mr. Mayor
(informal)
Seat Buffalo City Hall
Term length Four years; renewable
Constituting instrument Buffalo City Charter
Inaugural holder Ebenezer Johnson
Formation 1832
Succession Deputy Mayor of Buffalo
Deputy Deputy Mayor of Buffalo
Salary $178,519 (2024)

List of mayors

No. Name Picture Party Took office Left office Notes
1 Ebenezer Johnson Johnson Democratic-Republican May 1832 March 1833 1st term. Served as a doctor during the War of 1812
2 Major Andre Andrews Andrews 1833 1834 Founding member of the first Bank of Buffalo
3 Ebenezer Johnson Johnson Democratic-Republican 1834 1835 2nd term
4 Hiram Pratt Pratt Whig 1835 1836 1st term
5 Samuel Wilkeson Wilkeson 1836 1837
6 Josiah Trowbridge Trowbridge Whig March 14, 1837 December 21, 1837
7 Pierre A. Barker 1837 1838
8 Ebenezer Walden Walden Whig March 13, 1838 1839
9 Hiram Pratt Pratt Whig 1839 1840 2nd term
10 Sheldon Thompson Thompson Whig 1840 March 2, 1841
11 Isaac R. Harrington Harrington Whig March 2, 1841 March 8, 1842
12 George William Clinton Clinton 1842 1843 Served as the 7th United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York
13 Joseph G. Masten Masten Democratic 1843 1844 1st term
14 William Ketchum Whig 1844 1845
15 Joseph G. Masten Masten Democratic 1845 1846 2nd term
16 Solomon G. Haven Haven Whig 1846 1847
17 Elbridge G. Spaulding Spaulding Whig 1847 1848 Served as New York State Treasurer from 1854–1855 and was twice elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
18 Orlando Allen Whig 1848 1849
19 Hiram Barton Barton Whig 1849 1850 1st term
20 Henry K. Smith Smith Democratic 1850 1851
21 James Wadsworth Democratic March 4, 1851 March 9, 1852
22 Hiram Barton Barton Whig 1852 1853 2nd term
23 Eli Cook Democratic 1853 1855
24 Frederick P. Stevens Democratic 1856 1857
25 Timothy T. Lockwood Lockwood Democratic 1858 1859
26 Franklin A. Alberger Alberger Republican 1860 1861
27 William G. Fargo Fargo Democratic 1862 1865 Co-founded the modern day financial firms of American Express and Wells Fargo
28 Chandler J. Wells Wells Republican 1866 1867
29 William F. Rogers Rogers Democratic 1868 1869
30 Alexander Brush Brush Republican 1870 1873 1st term
31 Lewis P. Dayton Dayton Democratic 1874 1875
32 Philip Becker Becker Republican 1876 1877
33 Solomon Scheu Scheu Democratic 1878 1879
34 Alexander Brush Brush Republican 1880 1881 2nd term
35 Grover Cleveland Cleveland Democratic January 2, 1882 November 20, 1882 Elected 22nd & 24th President of the United States. The only American President to be mayor of a major city.
36 Marcus M. Drake Drake Republican November 20, 1882 December 29, 1882
37 Harmon S. Cutting Democratic December 29, 1882 January 16, 1883
38 John B. Manning Manning Democratic January 16, 1883 January 6, 1884
39 Jonathan Scoville Scoville Democratic January 7, 1884 1885
40 Philip Becker Becker Republican 1886 1889
41 Charles F. Bishop Bishop Democratic 1890 1894
42 Edgar B. Jewett Jewett Republican 1895 1897
43 Conrad Diehl Diehl Democratic 1898 1901
44 Erastus C. Knight Knight Republican 1902 1905
45 James N. Adam Adam Democratic 1906 1909
46 Louis P. Fuhrmann Fuhrmann Democratic 1910 1917
47 George S. Buck Buck Republican 1918 1921
48 Frank X. Schwab Schwab Republican 1922 1929
49 Charles E. Roesch Roesch Republican 1930 1933
50 George J. Zimmermann Democratic 1934 1937
51 Thomas L. Holling Democratic 1938 1941
52 Joseph J. Kelly Kelly Democratic 1942 1945
53 Bernard J. Dowd Republican 1946 1949
54 Joseph Mruk Mruk Republican January 1, 1950 December 31, 1953
55 Steven Pankow Democratic January 1, 1954 December 31, 1957
56 Frank A. Sedita Sedita Democratic January 1, 1958 December 31, 1961 1st term
57 Chester A. Kowal Kowal Republican January 1, 1962 December 31, 1965
58 Frank A. Sedita Sedita Democratic January 1, 1966 March 5, 1973 2nd term
59 Stanley M. Makowski Makowski Democratic March 5, 1973 December 31, 1977
60 James D. Griffin Griffin Democratic January 1, 1978 December 31, 1993
61 Anthony Masiello Masiello Democratic January 1, 1994 December 31, 2005
62 Byron Brown Brown Democratic January 1, 2006 Present Longest-serving mayor. First African-American mayor.

Number of mayors by party affiliation

Party Mayors
Democratic 29
Democratic-Republican 2
Republican 15
Whig 12
No Party 4

History

In 1853, the charter of the city was amended to include the town of Black Rock and the city proper was divided into thirteen wards. In addition, the term of city offices, including mayor changed from a one-year term to a two-year term and was elected directly by the people.

Mayoral elections

(winners are in bold)

Date Candidates  
November 8, 1881 Grover Cleveland Milton Beebe
  15,120 11,528
January 9, 1883 John B. Manning Robert R. Hefford
  11,036 7,321
November 6, 1973 Stanley M. Makowski Stewart M. Levy John A. Westra Patrick W. Giagnacova Ira Liebowitz
  77,569 24,423 2,640 1,147 597
November 2, 1993 Anthony Masiello Richard A. Grimm Eugene Fahey
  36,092 9,277 7,566
November 8, 2005 Byron Brown Kevin Helfer Judith Einach Charles Flynn
  46,613 19,853 3,525 3,082
November 3, 2009 Byron Brown Michael P. Kearns
  17,728 158
November 5, 2013 Byron Brown Sergio Rodriguez
  26,120 10,733
November 7, 2017 Byron Brown Mark J F Schroeder Anita Howard Terrence Robinson Taniqua Simmons
  29,688 11,446 1,357 1,276 102
November 2, 2021 Byron Brown India Walton Ben Carlisle Jaz Miles William O'Dell
  38,338 25,773 219 23 8

See also

  • Timeline of Buffalo, New York
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List of mayors of Buffalo, New York Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.