.jpg/250px-Andre_Dickens_in_Soweto_(cropped).jpg){kind=small}
.jpg)
Community hub
0 subscribers8 pages, 0 posts
Recent from talks
All channels
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Contribute something
Welcome to the community hub built to collect knowledge and have discussions related to List of mayors of Atlanta.
Nothing was collected or created yet.
List of mayors of Atlanta
View on Wikipediafrom Wikipedia
| Mayor of Atlanta | |
|---|---|
 Seal of City of Atlanta | |
.jpg) | |
| Term length | 4 years, limit of 2 terms |
| Inaugural holder | Moses Formwalt |
| Formation | 1848 |
| Salary | $147,500[1][2] |
| Website | www.atlantaga.gov |
| Elections in Georgia |
|---|
 |
This is a list of mayors of Atlanta, Georgia. The mayor is the highest elected official in Atlanta. Since its incorporation in 1847, the city has had 61 mayors. The current mayor is Andre Dickens who was elected in the 2021 election and took office in January 2022.
The term of office was one year until Cicero C. Hammock's second term (1875–77), when a new city charter changed it to two years. The term was changed to four years in 1929, giving Isaac N. Ragsdale the modern stay in office. Though a political party is listed where known, the mayoral election is officially non-partisan, so candidates do not represent their party when elected. Since 1879, all mayors of Atlanta have been Democrats.
List
[edit]See the mayors of Atlanta category for an alphabetical list by surname.
| # | Image | Mayor | Term start | Term end | Terms | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moses Formwalt | 1848 | 1849 | 1 | Rowdy | ||
| 2 | Benjamin Bomar | 1849 | 1850 | 1 | Rowdy | ||
| 3 | Willis Buell | 1850 | 1851 | 1 | Rowdy | ||
| 4 | 
|
Jonathan Norcross | 1851 | 1852 | 1 | Moral | |
| 5 | Thomas Gibbs | 1852 | 1853 | 1 | Moral | ||
| 6 | John Mims | 1853 | 1853 | 1⁄2 | None | ||
| 7 | .png)
|
William Markham | 1853 | 1854 | 1 | None | |
| 8 | William M. Butt | 1854 | 1855 | 1 | None | ||
| 9 | .png)
|
Allison Nelson | 1855 | 1855 | 1⁄2 | Democratic | |
| 10 | William Ezzard (1st term) | 1856 | 1858 | 2 | Democratic | ||
| 11 | 
|
Luther Glenn | 1858 | 1860 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 12 | William Ezzard (2nd term) | 1860 | 1861 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 13 | Jared Whitaker | 1861 | 1861 | 1⁄2 | Democratic (Southern) | ||
| 14 | Thomas Lowe | 1861 | 1862 | 1⁄2 | Democratic (Southern) | ||
| 15 | 
|
James Calhoun | 1862 | 1866 | 4 | Democratic (Southern) | |
| 16 | James E. Williams | 1866 | 1869 | 2 | Democratic | ||
| 17 | William Hulsey | 1869 | 1870 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 18 | William Ezzard (3rd term) | 1870 | 1871 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 19 | Dennis Hammond | 1871 | 1872 | 1 | Republican | ||
| 20 | John H. James | 1872 | 1873 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 21 | Cicero C. Hammock (1st term) | 1873 | 1874 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 22 | Samuel B. Spencer | 1874 | 1875 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 24 | Cicero C. Hammock (2nd term) | 1875 | 1877 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 25 | .png)
|
Nedom L. Angier | 1877 | 1879 | 1 | Republican | |
| 26 | 
|
William L. Calhoun | 1879 | 1881 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 27 | James W. English | 1881 | 1883 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 28 | 
|
John B. Goodwin (1st term) | 1883 | 1885 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 29 | .jpg)
|
George Hillyer | 1885 | 1887 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 30 | John T. Cooper | 1887 | 1889 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 31 | John T. Glenn | 1889 | 1891 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 32 | .png)
|
William Hemphill | 1891 | 1893 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 33 |
|
John B. Goodwin (2nd term) | 1893 | 1895 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 34 | 
|
Porter King | 1895 | 1897 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 35 | 
|
Charles A. Collier | 1897 | 1899 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 36 | James G. Woodward (1st term) | 1899 | 1901 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 37 | 
|
Livingston Mims | 1901 | 1903 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 38 | 
|
Evan Howell | 1903 | 1905 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 39 | James G. Woodward (2nd term) | 1905 | 1907 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 40 | 
|
Walthall R. Joyner | 1907 | 1909 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 41 | 
|
Robert Maddox | 1909 | 1911 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 42 | 
|
Courtland Winn | 1911 | 1913 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 43 | James G. Woodward (3rd term) | 1913 | 1917 | 2 | Democratic | ||
| 44 |
|
Asa Griggs Candler | 1917 | 1919 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 45 | James L. Key (1st term) | 1919 | 1923 | 2 | Democratic | ||
| 46 | 
|
Walter Sims | 1923 | 1927 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 47 | Isaac N. Ragsdale | 1927 | 1931 | 2 | Democratic | ||
| 48 | James L. Key (2nd term) | 1931 | 1937 | 3 | Democratic | ||
| 49 |
|
William B. Hartsfield (1st term) | 1937 | 1941 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 50 | Roy LeCraw | 1941 | 1942 | 1⁄2 | Democratic | ||
| 51 |
|
William B. Hartsfield (2nd term) | 1942 | 1962 | 5 | Democratic | |
| 52 | Ivan Allen Jr. | 1962 | 1970 | 2 | Democratic | ||
| 53 | Sam Massell | 1970 | 1974 | 1 | Democratic | ||
| 54 | 
|
Maynard Jackson (1st & 2nd terms) | 1974 | 1982 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 55 | .jpg)
|
Andrew Young | 1982 | 1990 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 56 |
|
Maynard Jackson (3rd term) | 1990 | 1994 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 57 | 
|
Bill Campbell | 1994 | 2002 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 58 | 
|
Shirley Franklin | 2002 | 2010 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 59 | .jpg)
|
Kasim Reed | 2010 | 2018 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 60 | 
|
Keisha Lance Bottoms | 2018 | 2022 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 61 |
|
Andre Dickens | 2022 | Incumbent | 1 | Democratic |
Acting mayors
[edit]| Name | Mayoral term | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Glen | 1855–1856 | Democratic | |
| Thomas Lowe | 1861–1862 | Democratic | |
| George B. Lyle | 1942 | Democratic | |
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ EndPlay (December 3, 2012). "Atlanta City Council approves 50% raise". WSBTV. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
- ^ "Atlanta's mayoral race takes shape amid mounting debt and school board challenges - SaportaReport". SaportaReport. August 27, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
List of mayors of Atlanta
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
The list of mayors of Atlanta enumerates the chief executives who have governed the city of Atlanta, Georgia, since its incorporation in 1847 as a municipal corporation centered on its role as a railroad terminus.[1][2] Atlanta operates under a strong mayor-council system, where the mayor, elected at-large, functions as the primary executive authority responsible for administering city operations, enforcing the charter, and representing the municipality.[3][4] The mayoral term is four years, with incumbents restricted to two consecutive terms, though early terms varied in length from one to two years before standardization.[4] Among the officeholders, William B. Hartsfield stands out for the longest aggregate service, holding the position intermittently from 1937 to 1962 and steering the city through post-Depression recovery, wartime logistics, and aviation expansion via Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.[5] Subsequent mayors oversaw pivotal transitions, including Maynard Jackson's 1973 election as the first Black mayor, which reflected demographic shifts and demands for equitable contracting in public works.[6] The roster highlights Atlanta's evolution amid economic booms, racial tensions, and infrastructural demands, with the current incumbent, Andre Dickens, elected in 2021 amid ongoing urban policy debates.[3]
Historical Background
Incorporation and Early Mayoral Powers
Atlanta originated as the western terminus of the Georgia Railroad in 1837, initially known as Terminus before being renamed Marthasville in 1843 and then Atlanta in 1845 by railroad executive J. Edgar Thomson.[7][8] The Georgia General Assembly incorporated it as the Town of Atlanta on December 29, 1847, establishing a municipal government amid explosive growth from converging rail lines, including the Western and Atlantic Railroad completed that year.[8][9] This charter created a mayor-council structure with six councilmen, transitioning from informal commission governance to formal elected offices.[9] The inaugural mayoral election in January 1848 was marked by intense factionalism, street fights, and saloons serving as polling sites, reflecting the rough frontier character of the burgeoning rail hub.[7][10] Moses W. Formwalt, a 28-year-old distiller and merchant born in Tennessee, won the one-year term as the city's first mayor, defeating rivals in a vote of about 500 residents.[11][10] Early terms remained annual, emphasizing accountability in a rapidly expanding settlement whose population grew from roughly 500 in 1847 to over 2,500 by 1850.[9] The 1847 charter vested the mayor with chiefly administrative duties, such as enforcing ordinances, presiding over council meetings, and supervising basic public works, while the council retained primary legislative and fiscal powers.[9] Lacking broad executive veto or appointment authority seen in later reforms, early mayors coordinated essential services like street grading, market regulation, and rudimentary policing to accommodate rail-driven commerce and migration, without the centralized control of modern urban executives.[12] This structure aligned with Georgia's state laws for municipalities, prioritizing council oversight in nascent cities focused on infrastructure over policy innovation.[13]Changes in Term Lengths and Election Processes
Upon incorporation in 1847, Atlanta's mayors were elected annually through partisan elections, reflecting common practices in early American municipalities to ensure frequent accountability to voters. This structure persisted through the mid-19th century, with elections typically held in October and terms beginning January 1. By the late 1870s, amid post-Civil War reconstruction and city growth, the charter was amended to extend terms to two years, reducing election frequency while maintaining annual council elections in some cases. These changes aimed to stabilize leadership during economic expansion and infrastructure development, though specific charter documents from the era confirm the shift without imposing term limits. A major revision occurred in 1953 with an updated city charter that lengthened the mayoral term to four years, aligning Atlanta with larger U.S. cities seeking executive continuity for long-term planning. Elections transitioned to a fully non-partisan format by 1919, eliminating party primaries and focusing on individual candidates, a reform influenced by progressive-era efforts to curb machine politics and factionalism. Runoff provisions were introduced to ensure majority support, requiring a second election between the top two candidates if no one secures over 50% in the general election held the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. Candidate qualifications, governed by Georgia state code and city charter, mandate U.S. citizenship, a minimum age of 25, residency in Atlanta for at least 12 months prior to qualifying, and no felony convictions barring office-holding. The 1973 city charter (Ga. L. 1973, p. 2188, Act No. 53), effective January 1974, marked another pivotal shift by explicitly permitting consecutive terms up to two four-year periods, reversing prior informal or statutory discouragements of reelection and enabling sustained leadership amid demographic and political transitions. This amendment, ratified during a period of civil rights advancements, supported extended tenures without lifetime limits, though non-consecutive reelection remains possible after a break. These evolutions, driven by charter amendments approved by the Georgia General Assembly, have promoted tenure stability while adapting to urban complexities, with elections administered under state law requiring qualifying fees and residency verification.[4][14]Chronological List of Mayors
1847–1900
Atlanta was incorporated on December 29, 1847, with the first mayoral election occurring on January 29, 1848, resulting in the election of Moses Formwalt as the inaugural mayor representing the Free and Rowdy Party, a local faction favoring limited government intervention in commerce. Early governance featured annual elections and one-year terms, fostering frequent leadership changes amid rapid urban growth as a railroad hub; between 1848 and 1900, approximately 37 individuals served as mayor, yielding an average tenure of roughly 1.4 years reflective of political volatility and short-term mandates.[15][16][8] The Civil War profoundly disrupted municipal continuity, with Atlanta serving as a Confederate supply center until Union forces under General William T. Sherman besieged and captured the city in July–September 1864; Mayor James M. Calhoun, a former Whig turned Confederate supporter, formally surrendered on September 2, 1864, to preserve order, after which Sherman ordered evacuation and the destruction of military assets, culminating in fires that razed much of the city on November 14–15, 1864. Postwar Reconstruction introduced brief Republican influence, though Democratic dominance prevailed, with only two verified Republican mayors: Dennis Hammond (1871–1872) and Nedom L. Angier (1877–1879).[17][18][19]| No. | Mayor | Term start | Term end | Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moses Formwalt | 1848 | 1849 | Free and Rowdy | First mayor; oversaw initial city development as railroad terminus.[15][16] |
| 2 | Benjamin Bomar | 1849 | 1850 | Democrat | [16] |
| 3 | Willis Buell | 1850 | 1851 | Democrat | Served during population growth to over 2,500.[16] |
| 4 | Jonathan Norcross | 1851 | 1852 | Whig | Advocated for city name change to Atlanta in 1845 (pre-incorporation).[16][20] |
| 5 | Thomas F. Gibbs | 1852 | 1853 | Democrat | [16][20] |
| 6 | John F. Mims | Jan 1853 | Oct 1853 | Democrat | Partial term; resigned or removed amid administrative issues.[16][20] |
| 7 | William Markham | Oct 1853 | 1854 | Democrat | Completed unsettled term.[16][20] |
| ... | (Subsequent mayors through 1859) | Varies | Varies | Mostly Democrat | Annual turnover; city population reached 9,554 by 1860.[16] |
| 16 | James M. Calhoun | 1860 | 1862 | Democrat | Re-elected 1862; surrendered city to Union on Sept. 2, 1864; city largely destroyed by fire Nov. 1864.[18][17][21] |
| ... | (Postwar mayors 1865–1870) | Varies | Varies | Democrat/Republican | Reconstruction era shifts; some Confederate veterans. |
| ~27 | Dennis Hammond | 1871 | 1872 | Republican | One of two 19th-century Republicans.[19] |
| ~25 | Nedom L. Angier | 1877 | 1879 | Republican | Fled South during war; postwar service.[19] |
| ... | (Mayors through 1900) | Varies | 1900 | Mostly Democrat | Terms lengthened slightly post-1880s; focus on rebuilding and industrialization.[16] |
1901–1950
During the first half of the 20th century, Atlanta's mayors oversaw the city's growth as a regional hub amid industrialization, including railroad expansions and early aviation developments, while upholding Jim Crow segregation laws that excluded Black residents from municipal leadership until after 1950.[23] Mayoral terms shifted from annual elections to two-year cycles around the turn of the century, allowing for more stable governance through economic booms, the Great Depression, and World War II mobilization efforts like wartime production and infrastructure maintenance.[24] The following table lists the mayors serving from 1901 to 1950, based on historical records; all were white Democrats, reflecting the era's political dominance and lack of racial diversity in office.[25][26]| Mayor | Term Years | Key Verifiable Facts |
|---|---|---|
| Livingston Mims | 1901 | Served one year following prior short terms; focused on post-reconstruction stability.[22] |
| Evan P. Howell | 1902–1903 | Newspaper editor; emphasized urban development in growing industrial city.[27] |
| James G. Woodward | 1903–1905, 1905–1907, 1913–1917 | Multiple terms as labor leader and newspaperman; managed 1906 race riot response by urging calm amid mob violence.[28][29] |
| Robert F. Maddox | 1907–1911 | Independent-backed; prioritized fiscal reforms post-Woodward era.[28] |
| W. R. Joyner | 1911 | Brief term as fire chief; handled transitional administration.[22] |
| Asa G. Candler | 1916–1919 | Coca-Cola founder elected as reform mayor in 1916 to address fiscal chaos; oversaw debt reduction and public works.[30] |
| Walter A. Sims | 1923–1931 | Klan-endorsed candidate; signed 1925 legislation leasing land for Atlanta's first municipal airport, foundational for aviation growth.[25][31][32] |
| James L. Key | 1931–1937 | Multiple-term holder; navigated early Depression-era budget cuts and public relief.[27] |
| William B. Hartsfield | 1937–1941, 1942–1950 | Long-serving; promoted airport expansion during WWII for military use and secured federal funds for infrastructure amid economic recovery.[26][33] |
| Roy D. LeCraw | 1941–1942 | Interrupted term after volunteering for military service; brief oversight during wartime transition.[16] |
1951–2000
William B. Hartsfield continued his tenure as mayor of Atlanta through 1962, having held the office in multiple terms since the 1930s, during which the city navigated post-World War II growth and early civil rights tensions. Ivan Allen Jr. succeeded Hartsfield in 1962 and served two four-year terms until 1970, becoming the last white mayor before the city's leadership shifted to Black mayors in subsequent elections; Allen's administration supported civil rights legislation amid urban renewal projects.[34] Sam Massell, elected in 1969, held office from 1970 to 1974 as Atlanta's first Jewish mayor, managing the transition period with a focus on infrastructure like the establishment of MARTA.[35]| Mayor | Term Years | Key Election Details |
|---|---|---|
| Maynard Jackson | 1974–1982 | Elected in 1973 runoff as first Black mayor of a major southern city, serving two consecutive terms; returned for third term 1990–1994.[14] [19] |
| Andrew Young | 1982–1990 | Elected in 1981, re-elected in 1985 with over 80% of the vote; former civil rights leader who emphasized international economic ties during two terms.[36] |
| Bill Campbell | 1994–2000 | Elected in 1993 landslide, serving initial term through 1998 and re-elected for second term extending beyond 2000; oversaw preparations for the 1996 Olympics.[37] [38] |
2001–Present
Since 2001, Atlanta's mayors have included Shirley Franklin (2002–2010), Kasim Reed (2010–2018), Keisha Lance Bottoms (2018–2022), and Andre Dickens (2022–present).[40][41][42] This continues the pattern of all mayors being African American since Maynard Jackson's election in 1973 as the city's first Black mayor.[6] The following table lists the mayors, their terms, and key election details:| Mayor | Term | Election Details |
|---|---|---|
| Shirley Franklin | 2002–2010 | Elected November 2001; first African American woman mayor of a major southern city; served two terms.[43][44] |
| Kasim Reed | 2010–2018 | Elected 2009 runoff; reelected 2013; focused on fiscal reform and core services.[40][45] |
| Keisha Lance Bottoms | 2018–2022 | Elected December 2017 runoff against Mary Norwood; did not seek reelection in 2021.[46][47] |
| Andre Dickens | 2022–present | Elected November 2021 runoff with 62.88% of vote against Felicia Moore; term ends January 2026; seeking reelection in November 2025 against multiple challengers.[48][49][50] |