The mayor of Cincinnati is recognized as the official head and representative of the city for all purposes. There have been seventy mayors of Cincinnati. The first mayor was David Ziegler, who took office in 1802. The current mayor is Aftab Pureval, who was elected on November 2, 2021, and took office at noon on January 4, 2022.
Executive powers The mayor shall preside over all meetings of the Cincinnati City Council. The mayor may call a special meeting of the council, but may not have a vote in the council. The mayor has the power to propose legislation for debate among the council. The mayor shall appoint and may remove the vice-mayor and the chair of all committees of the council without the advice and consent of the council.
The mayor of Cincinnati shall be recognized as the official head and representative of the city for all purposes, except as provided otherwise in the city charter of Cincinnati. The mayor may appoint a city manager upon an affirmative vote of five members of the city council following the mayor's recommendation.
The mayor delivers an annual address to the council and citizens of the city reporting on the state of the city and making recommendations for the establishment and achievement of future city goals.
In time of public danger or emergency, the mayor, with the consent of the council, may take command of the police, maintain order and enforce the law.
Succession In the event of the death, removal or resignation of the mayor, the vice mayor of Cincinnati shall succeed to the office of mayor in accordance with the city charter. The current vice mayor is Jan Michelle Kearney.
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, 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 became the first mayor to take office under a restored system of direct mayoral election.
Mayor firsts In 1900, Julius Fleischmann became the youngest mayor of Cincinnati at the age of 28 years.
In 1954, Dorothy N. Dolbey became the first female mayor of the City of Cincinnati.
In 1972, Ted Berry, became the first African-American Mayor of Cincinnati.
In 2006, Mark Mallory was the first directly elected African-American Mayor of Cincinnati.
On November 2, 2021, Aftab Pureval was elected the first Asian American mayor of Cincinnati. Mayor Pureval is the 70th and current mayor of Cincinnati.
List of mayors Dates Image Name Life dates Party Elected by 1802–1803 David Ziegler 1748–1811 no party public 1803–1804 Joseph Prince no party public 1805–1806 James Findlay 1770–1835 no party public 1807 John S. Gano public 1807 Martin Baum 1765–1831 public 1808–1809 Daniel Symmes 1772–1817 public 1810–1811 James Findlay (2nd) 1770–1835 public 1812 Martin Baum (2nd) 1765–1831 public 1813 William Stanley public 1814 Samuel W. Davies 1776–1843 public 1815–1819 William Corry 1779–1833 public 1819–1831 Isaac G. Burnet 1784–1856 public 1831–1833 Elisha Hotchkiss 1778–1858 Democratic public 1833–1843 Samuel W. Davies 1776–1843 Whig public 1843–1851 Henry E. Spencer 1807–1882 Whig public 1851–1853 Mark P. Taylor Democratic public 1853–1855 David T. Snelbaker 1804–1867 Democratic public 1855–1857 James J. Faran 1808–1892 Democratic public 1857–1859 Nicholas W. Thomas 1810–1864 Whig public 1859–1861 Richard M. Bishop 1812–1893 Democratic public 1861–1863 George Hatch Democratic public 1863–1866 Leonard A. Harris 1824–1890 Republican public 1866–1869 Charles F. Wilstach 1818–1882 Republican public 1869–1871 John F. Torrence 1819–1883 Republican public 1871–1873 S. S. Davis 1817–1896 Republican public 1873–1877 George W. C. Johnston 1828–1879 Democratic public 1877–1879 Robert M. Moore 1816–1880 Republican public 1879–1881 Charles Jacob Jr. 1834–1913 Republican 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 1852–1927 Republican public 1897–1900 Gustav Tafel 1830–1908 Democratic public 1900–1905 Julius Fleischmann 1871–1925 Republican public 1906–1907 Edward J. Dempsey 1858–1929 Democratic public 1908–1909 Leopold Markbreit 1842–1909 Republican public 1909 John Galvin 1862–1922 Republican public 1910–1911 Louis Schwab 1850–1926 Republican public 1912–1913 Henry Thomas Hunt 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 Republican public 1926–1929 Murray Seasongood 1878–1983 Charterite council 1930–1937 Russell Wilson 1876–1946 Charterite council 1938–1947 James G. Stewart 1880–1959 Republican council 1947–1948 Carl W. Rich 1898–1972 Republican council 1948–1951 Albert D. Cash 1897–1952 Democratic council 1951–1953 Carl W. Rich (2nd) 1898–1972 Republican council 1953–1954 Edward N. Waldvogel 1894–1954 Charterite council 1954 Dorothy N. Dolbey 1908–1991 Charterite council 1954 Carl W. Rich (3rd) 1898–1972 Republican council 1955–1957 Charles Phelps Taft II 1897–1983 Republican council 1957–1960 Donald D. Clancy 1921–2007 Republican council 1960–1967 Walton H. Bachrach 1904–1989 Republican council 1967–1971 Eugene P. Ruehlmann 1925–2013 Republican council 1971 Willis D. Gradison Jr. 1928– Republican council 1971–1972 Thomas A. Luken 1925–2018 Democratic council 1972–1975 Theodore M. Berry 1905–2000 Charterite council 1975–1976 Bobbie L. Sterne 1919–2017 Charterite council 1976–1977 James T. Luken 1921–1979 Democratic council 1977–1978 Jerry Springer 1944–2023 Democratic council 1978–1979 Bobbie L. Sterne (2nd) 1919–2017 Charterite council 1979–1980 J. Kenneth Blackwell 1948– Charterite council 1980–1982 David S. Mann 1939– Democratic council 1982–1983 Thomas B. Brush 1934– Charterite council 1983–1984 Arnold L. Bortz 1946–2025 Charterite council 1984–1991 Charles J. Luken 1951– Democratic council 1991 David S. Mann (2nd) 1939– Democratic council 1991–1993 Dwight Tillery 1948– Democratic council 1993–1999 Roxanne Qualls 1953– Democratic council 1999–2005 Charles J. Luken (2nd) 1951– Democratic public 2006–2013 Mark Mallory 1962– Democratic public 2013–2022 John Cranley 1974– Democratic public 2022–present Aftab Pureval 1982– Democratic public
See also Cincinnati mayoral elections Cincinnati City Council Timeline of Cincinnati
References