History

Until the charter of 1815, the President of the council served as equivalent of mayor. Two sources agree on the list of Presidents:

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

In 1924, the Charter Party

Charter Party

The Charter Party of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, is a minor political party. The party is Cincinnati's third party. Members of this party are called "Charterites."-History:...

, 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

Charlie Luken

Charles J. Luken is an American politician of the Democratic party who was mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio and served in the Ohio's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. Luken's uncle, labor leader James T. Luken, also served as mayor of Cincinnati...

 became the first mayor to take office under a restored system of direct mayoral election.

Mayors of Cincinnati

Dates	Name	Life Dates	Party	Elected By
1802–1803	David Ziegler David Ziegler David Ziegler was a German immigrant to the United States who served in the U.S. military and became the first mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio.-Early life and career:...	1748–1811		public
1803–1804	Joseph Prince			public
1805–1806	James Findlay James Findlay (Cincinnati mayor) James Findlay was a soldier, political official, and merchant who for decades was one of the leading citizens of Cincinnati, Ohio....	1770–1835		public
1807	John S. Gano			public
1807	Martin Baum Martin Baum Martin Baum was an American businessman and politician.The son of German immigrants Jacob Baum and Magdalena Elizabeth Kershner, Baum fought with General Anthony Wayne at the Battle of Fallen Timbers.After settling in Cincinnati, Baum became active in civic affairs, and was elected mayor in 1807...	1765–1831		public
1808–1809	Daniel Symmes Daniel Symmes Daniel Symmes was a politician in the U.S. State of Ohio in the Ohio State Senate, an Ohio Supreme Court Judge 1805-1808, Mayor of Cincinnati 1808-1809, and register of the Cincinnati land office....	1772–1827		public
1810–1811	James Findlay	1770–1835		public
1812	Martin Baum	1765–1831		public
1813	William Stanley			public
1814	Samuel W. Davies Samuel W. Davies For the English footballer, see Samuel Richard DaviesSamuel W. Davies was an American politician. He was elected as Mayor of Cincinnati in 1833, and served in that post for 10 consecutive years....	1776–1843		public
1815–1819	William Corry William Corry (Cincinnati mayor) William Corry was a politician in the U.S. State of Ohio who was in the Ohio House of Representatives and was Mayor of Cincinnati 1815-1819....	1779–1833		public
1819–1831	Isaac G. Burnet Isaac G. Burnet Isaac Gouverneur Burnet was a Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born on July 7, 1784, in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey.He married Keturah Wynne Gordon in 1804. They had 11 children....	1784–1856		public
1831–1833	Elisha Hotchkiss	1778–1858		public
1833–1843	Samuel W. Davies	1776–1843		public
1843–1851	Henry E. Spencer	1807–1882		public
1851–1853	Mark P. Taylor Mark P. Taylor Mark Peter Taylor is the Dean of Warwick Business School at the University of Warwick, and a leading international authority in international finance, with extensive experience in both the financial sector and higher education...		Democratic	public
1853–1855	David T. Snelbaker	1804–1867	Democratic	public
1855–1857	James J. Faran James J. Faran James John Faran was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Faran attended the common schools, and was graduated from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, in 1831.He studied law....	1808–1892	Democratic	public
1857–1859	Nicholas W. Thomas Nicholas W. Thomas Nicholas W. Thomas was born in Jenkintown , Philadelphia County, Pa., on May 23, 1810. He was the son of Joseph and Eleanor Thomas. He married Arminda Barnard, they had four children....	1810–1864	Whig	public
1859–1861	Richard M. Bishop Richard M. Bishop Richard Bishop , also known as Richard M. Bishop and Papa Richard, was an American politician from the U.S. state of Ohio. Bishop served as the 34th Governor of Ohio.-Biography:...	1812–1893	Democratic	public
1861–1863	George Hatch George Hatch George Hatch was a Democratic politician, who served as Mayor of the City of Cincinnati, Ohio, during the American Civil War from 1861 to 1863....		Democratic	public
1863–1866	Leonard A. Harris	1824–1890		public
1866–1869	Charles F. Wilstach	1818–1882		public
1869–1871	John F. Torrence	1819–1883		public
1871–1873	S. S. Davis S. S. Davis Simon Stevens Davis was an American politician from the U.S. state of Ohio. Bishop served as the 19th Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio....	1817–1896	Republican	public
1873–1877	George W. C. Johnston	1828–1879	Democratic	public
1877–1879	Robert M. Moore Robert M. Moore Robert M. Moore was an Irish-born mayor of Cincinnati.- External links :...	1816–1880	Republican	public
1879–1881	Charles Jacob Jr.	1834–1913		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 John A. Caldwell John Alexander Caldwell was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.Born in Fairhaven, Ohio, Caldwell was educated in the common schools of his native county and also by private teachers.He taught school for several years....	1852–1927	Republican	public
1897–1900	Gustav Tafel Gustav Tafel Gustav Tafel was a German-born colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1897 to 1900.-Biography:...	1830–1908	Democratic	public
1900–1905	Julius Fleischmann Julius Fleischmann Julius Fleischmann was a Jewish American politician, former mayor of Cincinnati and son of Charles Louis Fleischmann.-Biography:...	1871–1925	Republican	public
1906–1907	Edward J. Dempsey	1858–1929	Democratic	public
1908–1909	Leopold Markbreit Leopold Markbreit Leopold Markbreit was a German-American Republican politician in Cincinnati, Ohio. The half-brother of Frederick Hassaurek, Markbreit was a lawyer who was briefly the law partner of Rutherford B. Hayes. President Ulysses S. Grant appointed him Minister to Bolivia in 1869...	1842–1909	Republican	public
1909	John Galvin	1862–1922	Republican	public
1910–1911	Louis Schwab	1850–1926	Republican	public
1912–1913	Henry Thomas Hunt Henry Thomas Hunt Henry Thomas Hunt was the reform-minded mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio from 1912 to 1913. Hunt, 33 years old when he took office, quickly became known as the Boy Mayor...	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		public
1926–1929	Murray Seasongood Murray Seasongood Murray Seasongood was a Jewish American politician, who served as the Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio from 1926-1930. After his tenure as mayor, Seasongood was appointed as professor of law at Harvard University. He was named as one of the 100 Greatest Ohio Citizens in 1974.- References :...	1878–1983	Charter Party of Charterite	council
1930–1937	Russell Wilson Russell Wilson Russell Wilson is a quarterback for the Wisconsin Badgers football team. Wilson formerly played for the NC State Wolfpack football and baseball teams before transferring for his final season of eligibility in 2011...	1876–1946		council
1938–1947	James G. Stewart James Garfield Stewart James Garfield Stewart was a Republican from Cincinnati, Ohio. He served as mayor of Cincinnati from 1938 to 1947 and then as justice on the Ohio Supreme Court from 1947 to 1959. Stewart's son Potter was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court...	1880–1959	Republican	council
1947	Carl W. Rich	1898–1972	Republican	council
1948–1951	Albert D. Cash	1897–1952	Charter Party of Charterite (Democratic)	council
1951–1953	Carl W. Rich (2nd)	1898–1972	Republican	council
1953–1954	Edward N. Waldvogel	1894–1954		council
1954	Dorothy N. Dolbey	1908–1991		council
1954	Carl W. Rich (3rd)	1898–1972	Republican	council
1955–1957	Charles Phelps Taft II Charles Phelps Taft II Charles Phelps Taft II was a U.S. Republican Party politician and member of the Taft family. From 1955 to 1957, he served as Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio. Like other members of his family, Taft was a Republican for the purposes of state-wide elections. However, when running for municipal office in...	1897–1983	Charter Party of Charterite (Republican)	council
1957–1960	Donald D. Clancy Donald D. Clancy Donald D. Clancy was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented the 2nd District of Ohio from 1961 until 1977.-Early life and education:...	1921–2007	Republican	council
1960–1967	Walton H. Bachrach	1904–1989	Republican	council
1967–1971	Eugene P. Ruehlmann	1925–	Republican	council
1971	Willis D. Gradison Jr. Bill Gradison Willis David "Bill" Gradison Jr. is an American politician, who served for almost two decades in the U.S. House of Representatives.-Early life and education:...	1928–	Republican	council
1971–1972	Thomas A. Luken Tom Luken Thomas Andrew Luken is a politician of the Democratic Party from Ohio.Luken received his high school diploma in 1942 from Purcell High School. During the Second World War, Luken served as a U.S. Marine. In 1947, he earned a bachelor of arts degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati, after having...	1925–	Democratic	council
1972–1975	Theodore M. Berry Ted Berry Theodore M. Berry , an American politician of the Charter Party of Cincinnati, Ohio, was the first African American mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio.-Early life and education:...	1905–2000	Charter Party of Charterite	council
1975–1976	Bobbie L. Sterne Bobbie L. Sterne Bobbie L. Sterne is a former American politician of the Charter Party of Cincinnati, Ohio. She was Cincinnati's first female mayor. A long-time member of the Cincinnati City Council, Sterne served two terms as the Mayor of Cincinnati, from 1975–1976 and 1978-1979. She retired from the council in...		Charter Party of Charterite	council
1976–1977	James T. Luken Jim Luken James T. Luken was an American politician and labor union leader of the Democratic party, who served as mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the 1970s....	1921–1976	Democratic	council
1977–1978	Jerry Springer Jerry Springer Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...	1944–	Democratic	council
1978–1979	Bobbie L. Sterne (2nd)		Charter Party of Charterite	council
1979–1980	J. Kenneth Blackwell Ken Blackwell John Kenneth Blackwell is an American politician and activist who served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio from 1979 to 1980 and Ohio Secretary of State from 1999 to 2007. A Republican, he was the first African-American to be the candidate for governor of a major party in Ohio. In 2006, Blackwell...	1948–	Charter Party of Charterite (Republican)	council
1980–1982	David S. Mann David S. Mann David Scott Mann is an American politician of the Democratic party in Ohio.Mann was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1961 at Harvard University. After graduating, Mann served in the United States Navy, from 1961 to 1965. Afterwards, he was accepted at Harvard Law School and he was awarded a...	1939–	Democratic	council
1982–1983	Thomas B. Brush		Charter Party of Charterite	council
1983–1984	Arnold L. Bortz		Charter Party of Charterite	council
1984–1991	Charles J. Luken Charlie Luken Charles J. Luken is an American politician of the Democratic party who was mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio and served in the Ohio's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. Luken's uncle, labor leader James T. Luken, also served as mayor of Cincinnati...	1951–	Democratic	council
1991	David S. Mann (2nd)	1939–	Democratic	council
1991–1993	Dwight Tillery Dwight Tillery Dwight Tillery is an American politician of the Democratic Party who is active in local politics of Cincinnati, Ohio.Tillery grew up in the city's West End and attended the University of Cincinnati in the 1960s, where he helped found the university's United Black Association and graduated with a...	1948–	Democratic	council
1993–1999	Roxanne Qualls Roxanne Qualls Roxanne Qualls is a former Democratic mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, having served from December 1993 to November 1999. She also served a two-year term on the Cincinnati City Council prior to her service as mayor, having been elected in 1991. On August 8, 2007, the Charter Committee announced her...	1953–	Democratic	council
1999–2005	Charles J. Luken (2nd)	1951–	Democratic	public
2006–	Mark Mallory	1962–	Democratic	public

See also

• Election Results, Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio
  Election Results, Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio
  The mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, is elected directly in a nonpartisan election separate from the City Council election. Until 2001, the candidate who received the most votes in the City Council election would become mayor. Mayoral candidates in the general election are chosen in an open primary.Bold...
  
  
• Election Results, City Council of Cincinnati, Ohio
  Election Results, City Council of Cincinnati, Ohio
  The nine-member city council of Cincinnati, Ohio is elected at-large in a single election in which each voter chooses nine candidates from the field. The nine top vote-getters win seats on the council for a two-year term....