Mayor of the City of Baltimore Residence Private residence Term length Four years Inaugural holder James Calhoun 1794 Formation 1797
The Mayor of Baltimore is the head of the executive branch of the government of the City of Baltimore, Maryland. The Mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills / ordinances / resolutions passed by the unicameral (one chamber) Baltimore City Council. In addition, the Mayor oversees all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and shares with the Governor of Maryland, responsibilities for the public school system within the city limits. As of May 2, 2019, the Office of Mayor of the City of Baltimore has changed hands 61 times with 51 different individuals in assuming office in the 220 years of city government, 1797-2017. The Office of the Mayor is located in the historic Baltimore City Hall located at 100 Holliday Street in downtown Baltimore.
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History
James Calhoun was first elected in 1794 under the old Baltimore Town government with a group of town commissioners, and continued as the new first mayor under the new City Charter in 1796-97, when the City was incorporated as the “City of Baltimore” (occasionally entitled officially as the “Mayor and City Council of Baltimore”) under the authority of the General Assembly of Maryland which had originally authorized the port in 1706 and the creation in 1729 and laying out of a town in early 1730. Calhoun continued to serve for another seven years until 1804.
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Serving as the “county seat” since finagling a scheme to move the courthouse, replacing old Joppa in 1767 of surrounding Baltimore County which had been “erected” (authorized) in 1659 as the fifth county designated in the Province and first county in northern Maryland. The City was separated from the adjacent County by the provisions of the adoption of the new second Maryland Constitution of 1851 and became an independent city with the same status as the other 22 (later 23) counties of Maryland. Then the county seat for Baltimore County was moved after an election/referendum to Towsontown (later Towson, Maryland), a few miles north of Baltimore with the building there of its first Courthouse structure three years later with surrounding square of landscaped grassy lawns between Allegheny, Pennsylvania and Chesapeake Streets in 1854.
Six individuals are credited with multiple, non-consecutive returns to the office after completing an initial term, and are counted as separate mayoralties. These are: Edward Johnson (twice), John Montgomery, Ferdinand C. Latrobe (elected four times), Howard W. Jackson, William F. Broening, and Theodore R. McKeldin.
Originally elected for a term of only two years under the original first City Charter of 1796/1797, now traditionally, the current edition of the Baltimore City Charter limits a mayoral term to four years since the revisions of 1920 (who can be reelected without term limits). However, the 2015 election was postponed to 2016 in order to better align with national elections.
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Baltimore has experienced major turnover in the mayor’s office in recent years, in large part due to corruption scandals. In September 2015, incumbent mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced she would not seek re-election, setting up a hotly-contested primary election in the heavily Democratic city in 2016. Maryland State Senator Catherine Pugh defeated former mayor Shelia Dixon, who resigned from office in 2010 after pleading guilty to misappropriating holiday gift cards intended to serve poor Baltimore residents. Pugh easily defeated Republican Alan Walden and Green Party candidate Joshua Harris to become the 50th Mayor of Baltimore, and was sworn in on December 6, 2016. Pugh resigned on May 2, 2019, amid a scandal in which Pugh was accused of, and eventually pled guilty to charges of fraud, conspiracy, and tax evasion regarding a scheme to sell copies of a self-published children’s book series, known as Healthy Holly, to the University of Maryland Medical System without competition. Upon Pugh’s resignation, then-City Council President Jack Young took over as Mayor. In the 2020 Democratic primary, Young went up against Dixon, his successor as City Council President Brandon Scott, former T. Rowe Price executive and Obama Administration Treasury Department official Mary Miller, former federal prosecutor and deputy Attorney General of Maryland Thiruvendran Vignarajah. Scott narrowly edged out Dixon, with Young finishing a distant fifth. Brandon Scott was elected with more than 70% of the vote in the November general election, and was sworn in as the city’s 52nd Mayor on December 8, 2020.
Some well-known political and historical figures to have held the office of Mayor of Baltimore include:
- Samuel Smith, Revolutionary War soldier and War of 1812 commander, twice elected to the House of Representatives and Senate respectively, twice served as President Pro Tempore of the Senate, served as Mayor from 1835 until 1838.
- Thomas Swann, member of the American Party, better known as the “Know-Nothings,” served as Mayor from 1856 until 1860, was elected as the 33rd Governor of Maryland in 1866, and subsequently served in the House of Representatives for ten years until 1879.
- William Pinkney Whyte, served as mayor from 1881 until 1883, served three non-consecutive terms as United States Senator, was elected the 35th Governor of Maryland in 1872, and as Attorney General of Maryland in 1887.
- Thomas D’Alesandro, Jr., served three terms as Mayor from 1947 until 1959, best known outside of Baltimore as the father to future Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, son Thomas D’Alesandro III also served as Mayor for one term from 1967 until 1971.
- William Donald Schaefer, served four terms as Mayor, the most of anyone to hold the office, from 1971 until 1987, when he became the 58th Governor of Maryland. Schaefer would also serve as Comptroller of Maryland later in life from 1999 until 2007.
- Kurt Schmoke, served three terms as Mayor from 1987 until 1999, was the first African-American to be elected Mayor of Baltimore.
- Martin O’Malley, served two terms as Mayor of Baltimore from 1999 until 2007, when he became the 61st Governor of Maryland, was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 2016, dropped out of contest in the winter of 2016 after failing to secure a strong finish in the Iowa caucuses.
List
# Portrait Mayor Term start Term end Terms Party Notes 01 1 James Calhoun 1797 1804 5 None 01 2 Thorowgood Smith 1804 1808 2 None 01 3 Edward Johnson 1808 1816 4 Democratic-Republican 01 4 George Stiles 1816 1819 1 .5 1⁄2 Democratic-Republican Resigned during second term, died shortly after. 01 (3) Edward Johnson 1819 1820 Partial Democratic-Republican Elected by the 1818 electors to finish out Mayor Stiles’ term. 01 5 John Montgomery 1820 1822 1 Democratic-Republican 01 (3) Edward Johnson 1822 1824 1 Democratic-Republican 01 (5) John Montgomery 1824 1826 1 Democratic-Republican 01 6 Jacob Small 1826 1831 2 .5 1⁄2 Democratic-Republican Resigned from office. 01 7 William Steuart 1831 1832 Partial Democratic-Republican Elected by the 1830 electors to finish out Mayor Small’s term. 01 8 Jesse Hunt 1832 1835 1 .5 1⁄2 Whig Resigned from office. 01 9 Samuel Smith 1835 1838 1 .5 1⁄2 Democratic First elected in a special election to finish out Mayor Hunt’s term, elected to a full term in 1836. 01 10 Sheppard C. Leakin 1838 1840 1 Whig 01 11 Samuel Brady 1840 1842 Partial Whig Resigned from office. 01 12 Solomon Hillen Jr. 1842 1843 Partial Democratic First elected in a special election to finish out Mayor Brady’s term, elected to a full term in 1842. Resigned from office. 01 13 James O. Law 1843 1844 Partial Democratic Elected in a special election to finish out Mayor Hillen’s term. 01 14 Jacob G. Davies 1844 1848 2 Whig 01 15 Elijah Stansbury, Jr. 1848 1850 1 Democratic 01 16 John H.T. Jerome 1850 1852 1 Democratic 01 17 John S. Hollins 1852 1854 1 Whig 01 18 Samuel Hinks 1854 1856 1 American 01 19 Thomas Swann 1856 1860 2 American 01 20 George W. Brown 1860 1861 Partial Constitutional Union Arrested and removed from office by the Union Army for Confederate sympathies. 01 21 John C. Blackburn 1861 1862 Partial None President of the First Branch of the City Council and served as Mayor Ex Officio from Mayor Brown’s arrest until the new First Branch organized and elected a President in January 1862. 01 22 John L. Chapman 1862 1867 3 .5 1⁄2 Republican President of the First Branch of the City Council and served as Mayor Ex Officio from January to November 1862. Elected to three terms. His final term was reduced from two years to one year per the new Maryland Constitution. 01 23 Robert T. Banks 1867 1871 1 Democratic The Maryland Constitution of 1867 extended the term of office from two to four years. The term was reduced back to two years in 1870. 01 24 Joshua Van Sant 1871 1875 2 Democratic 01 25 Ferdinand C. Latrobe 1875 1877 1 Democratic 01 26 George P. Kane 1877 1878 Partial Democratic Died in office. 01 (25) Ferdinand C. Latrobe 1878 1881 1 .5 1⁄2 Democratic First elected in a special election to finish out Mayor Kane’s term, elected to a full term in 1879. 01 27 William P. Whyte 1881 1883 1 Democratic 01 (25) Ferdinand C. Latrobe 1883 1885 1 Democratic 01 28 James Hodges 1885 1887 1 Republican 01 (25) Ferdinand C. Latrobe 1887 1889 1 Democratic 01 29 Robert C. Davidson 1889 1891 1 Democratic 01 (25) Ferdinand C. Latrobe 1891 1895 2 Democratic 01 30 Alcaeus Hooper 1895 1897 1 Republican 01 31 William T. Malster 1897 1899 1 Republican 01 32 Thomas G. Hayes 1899 1903 1 Democratic 01 33 Robert McLane 1903 1904 Partial Democratic Died in office. 01 34 E. Clay Timanus 1904 1907 Partial Republican President of the Second Branch. Succeeded to the mayoralty following Mayor McLane’s death. 01 35 J. Barry Mahool 1907 1911 1 Democratic Lost reelection. 01 36 James H. Preston 1911 1919 2 Democratic Lost reelection. 01 37 William F. Broening 1919 1923 1 Republican Lost reelection. 01 38 Howard W. Jackson 1923 1927 1 Democratic Did not run for reelection. 01 (37) William F. Broening 1927 1931 1 Republican Did not run for reelection. 01 (38) Howard W. Jackson 1931 1943 3 Democratic Lost reelection in 1943. 01 39 Theodore McKeldin 1943 1947 1 Republican Did not run for reelection. 01 40 Thomas D’Alesandro Jr. 1947 1959 3 Democratic Lost reelection in 1959. 01 41 J. Harold Grady 1959 1962 Partial Democratic Resigned following appointment as a Judge to the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City (Circuit Court). 01 42 Philip H. Goodman 1962 1963 Partial Democratic City Council President. Succeeded to the mayoralty following Grady’s resignation. Lost reelection to a full term. 01 (39) Theodore McKeldin 1963 1967 1 Republican Did not run for reelection. 01 43 Thomas D’Alesandro III 1967 1971 1 Democratic Did not run for reelection. 01 44 William D. Schaefer 1971 1987 4 Democratic Baltimore’s longest-serving mayor. Resigned following his election as governor. 01 45 Clarence H. Burns 1987 1987 Partial Democratic City Council President. First African-American mayor of Baltimore. Succeeded to the mayoralty following Schaefer’s resignation. Lost reelection to a full term. 01 46 Kurt Schmoke 1987 1999 3 Democratic First African-American elected Mayor of Baltimore. Did not run for reelection in 1999. 01 47 Martin O’Malley 1999 2007 2 Democratic Resigned following his election as governor. 01 48 Sheila Dixon 2007 2010 Partial Democratic City Council President. First female Mayor of Baltimore and first female elected Mayor of Baltimore. Succeeded to the mayoralty following O’Malley’s resignation. Elected to a full term in 2007. Resigned from office in January 2010. 01 49 Stephanie Rawlings-Blake 2010 2016 1 .5 1⁄2 Democratic City Council President. Succeeded to the mayoralty following Dixon’s resignation. Elected to a full term in 2011. Did not run for reelection in 2016. 01 50 Catherine Pugh 2016 2019 Partial Democratic Resigned from office May 2, 2019. 01 51 Jack Young 2019 2020 Partial Democratic City Council President. Succeeded to the mayoralty following Pugh’s resignation. 01 52 Brandon Scott 2020 Incumbent Democratic Inaugurated on December 8, 2020
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