List of mayors of Fall River, Massachusetts


This is a list of mayors of the City of Fall River, Massachusetts, from 1854 to present. Fall River was led by a three-member Board of Selectmen from 1803 until its re-incorporation as a city in 1854.
From 1854 until 1902, mayoral elections were held every year and mayors served one-year terms. In 1902, the mayoral term was increased to two years, which lasted until the city charter was changed in 1965. That year, the mayoral term was again increased, this time to a four-year term. This change would be overturned by voters in 1973 and a two-year term was reinstated.
The mayor's office is located at Fall River Government Center.

Mayoral chronology

, there have been 44 mayors and three acting mayors. Non-consecutive terms by the same person are counted separately. Number of mayors, ranked by party affiliation:
;List of Mayors
#MayorPictureTermNotes
1stJames BuffingtonMay 15, 1854–1855Previously a selectman from 1851 until establishment of the city.
2ndEdward P. Buffinton1856–1857
3rdNathaniel B. Borden1857–1858Previously a selectman from 1840 to 1841.
4thJosiah C. Blaisdell1858–1860
5thEdward P. Buffinton1860–1867
6thGeorge O. Fairbanks1867–1869Previously a selectman from 1852 until 1854.
7thSamuel M. Brown1869–1873
8thRobert T. Davis1873–1874
9thJames F. Davenport1874–1877
10thCrawford E. Lindsey1878–1879
11thWilliam S. Greene1880 – March 28, 1881Resigned.
ActingRobert Henry1881–1881Elected by the city council.
12thHenry K. Braley1882–1883
13thMilton Reed1884–1884
14thJohn W. Cummings1885–1885
15thWilliam S. Greene1886–1886
16thJohn W. Cummings1887–1888
17th1889–1890
18thJohn W. Coughlin1891–1894
19thWilliam S. Greene1895–1897
20thAmos M. Jackson1898–1899
21stJohn H. Abbott1900–1901
22ndGeorge Grime1902–1904Sitting in 1902.
23rdJohn T. Coughlin1905–1910
24thThomas F. Higgins1911–1913
25thJames H. KayJanuary 5, 1913 – 1923
26thEdmond P. Talbot1923–1926Sitting in 1923. First mayor of French-Canadian descent.
27thW. Harry Monks1927–1928
28thEdmond P. Talbot1929–1930First mayor under city manager form of government.
29thDaniel F. Sullivan1931–1932
30thJoseph Leo Hurley1933–1934Final mayor under city manager form of government.
31stAlexander C. Murray1935–1945
32ndWilliam P. Grant1946–1951
33rdJohn F. Kane1952–1957
34thJohn M. Arruda1958–1963First mayor of Portuguese descent.
35thRoland G. Desmarais1964–1967
36thNicholas W. Mitchell1968–1971
37thWilfred C. Driscoll1972–1978
38thCarlton M. Viveiros1978 – December 23, 1990Resigned to become clerk-magistrate of the Southeastern District Housing Court.
ActingDaniel BoganDecember 23, 1990 – June 25, 1991Acting mayor.
39thJohn R. MitchellJune 25, 1991 – January 1996
40thEdward M. Lambert Jr.January 1996 – October 26, 2007Resigned to accept a position at the University of Massachusetts.
ActingWilliam F. WhittyOctober 26, 2007 – January 7, 2008Acting mayor.
41stRobert CorreiaJanuary 7, 2008 – January 4, 2010Lost re-election bid when he finished third in a field of six in the preliminary election.
42ndWilliam A. FlanaganJanuary 4, 2010 – December 29, 2014Lost recall election held on December 16, 2014.
43rdSam SutterDecember 29, 2014 – January 4, 2016Elected mayor on the same ballot that recalled William Flanagan. Lost election to a full term in November 2015.
44thJasiel CorreiaJanuary 4, 2016 – January 6, 2020Youngest mayor elected at 23 years old. First mayor of Cape Verdean descent. Recalled yet re-elected on March 12, 2019. Lost re-election in November, 2019.
ActingClifford PonteOctober 16, 2019 – January 6, 2020As President of the Fall River City Council, Ponte became Acting Mayor when Mayor Jasiel Correia took a leave of absence.
45thPaul E. CooganJanuary 6, 2020Elected mayor in November 2019.

City managers

Fall River had a city manager from 1929 until 1935.
#City managerPictureTermNotes
1stEdward F. Harrington1929–1931
2ndJ. Walter Ackerman1931–1933
3rdAlexander C. Murray1933–1935Served as mayor upon abolition of office.