List of mayors of Wilmington, Delaware
The Mayor of Wilmington is the chief executive of the government of Wilmington, Delaware, as stipulated by the Charter. The current Mayor of Wilmington is Mike Purzycki.
City of Wilmington
Rank | Mayor | Start | End | Party | Note |
1 | Bayard, Richard H | 1832 | 1834 | Whig | Wilmington incorporated in 1832. |
2 | Williamson, Nicholas G. | 1834 | 1843 | Whig | |
3 | Wilson, David C. | 1843 | 1845 | Whig | |
4 | Porter, Alexander | 1845 | 1848 | Whig | |
5 | Huffington, William | 1848 | 1850 | Democratic | |
6 | Driver, Joshua E. | 1850 | 1851 | ||
7 | Evans, Columbus P., Capt. | 1851 | 1852 | Whig | Editor of the Delaware Republican. |
8 | Jones, William Hemphill | 1852 | 1853 | First mayor elected by popular vote. | |
9 | Alderdice, John A. | 1853 | 1854 | Publisher of The Journal. | |
10 | Heyward, James F. | 1854 | 1855 | ||
11 | Wiggins, William B. | 1855 | 1856 | ||
12 | Huffington, William | 1856 | 1857 | Democratic | Non-continuous terms. |
13 | Sparks, George W. | 1857 | 1858 | ||
14 | Young, Thomas | 1858 | 1860 | ||
15 | Gilpin, Vincent C. | 1860 | 1863 | ||
16 | Turner, John M | 1863 | 1865 | ||
17 | Maris, Joshua | 1865 | 1867 | ||
18 | Valentine, Joshua S. | 1867 | 1872 | ||
19 | Simms, Joshua L. | 1872 | 1875 | Democratic | |
20 | Whitely, William G. | 1875 | 1878 | Democratic | |
21 | Allmond, John P. | 1878 | 1882 | ||
22 | Wales, John Patton | 1882 | 1885 | Son of Senator John Wales. | |
23 | Rhoads, Calvin B. | 1885 | 1891 | Democratic | Choir director |
Willey, Stansbury J. | 1891 | 1893 | Republican | Term changed to two years, Saturday election in June. | |
Shortridge, E. G. | 1893 | 1894 | Republican | ||
Jefferies, Charles R. | 1895 | ? | Democratic | ||
Fahey, John C. | 1899 | ? | Democratic | ||
Fisher, George M. | 1903 | 1903 | |||
Bird, Charles D. | 1903 | ? | Democratic | ||
Wilson, Horace | 1905 | 1907 | Republican | ||
Howell, Harrison W. | 1911 | 1915 | Republican | ||
Lawson, John W. | 1919 | ? | |||
Harvey, LeRoy | 1921 | 1923? | Founded Wilmington Music School. | ||
Taylor, William G. | ? | 1925 | Republican | Lost at Sea | |
Forrest, Dr. George | 1923 | 1931 | First intern at Delaware Hospital. | ||
Sparks, Frank C. | 1931 | 1933 | Republican | ||
Speer, William | 1933 | 1935 | Democratic | ||
Bacon, Walter W. | 1935 | 1940 | Republican | Resigned when elected Governor. | |
James, Albert W. | 1941 | 1944 | Republican | Filled term of Gov. Bacon. | |
Herlihy, Thomas, Jr. | 1945 | 1946 | Republican | Resigned when appointed Chief Judge of Municipal Court. | |
Wilson, Joseph S. | 1947 | 1949 | Republican | ||
Hearn, James F. | 1949 | 1953 | Republican | ||
Walz, August | 1954 | 1955 | Republican | ||
47 | Lammot, Eugene | 1957 | 1960 | Democratic | Resigned when elected Lt. Gov. Election Tues. in Nov. |
48 | Babiarz, John E. | 1961 | 1969 | Democratic | 1968 Occupation |
49 | Haskell, Harry G., Jr. | 1969 | 1973 | Republican | |
50 | Maloney, Thomas C. | 1973 | 1977 | Democratic | |
51 | McLaughlin, William T. | 1977 | 1984 | Democratic | |
52 | Frawley, Daniel S. | 1985 | 1993 | Democratic | Stadium named after. |
53 | Sills, James | 1993 | 2001 | Democratic | First African American Mayor |
54 | Baker, James M. | 2001 | 2013 | Democratic | First 3-Term Mayor with 4-year terms |
55 | Williams, Dennis P. | 2013 | 2017 | Democratic | Served in the Delaware House of Representatives |
56 | Mike Purzycki | 2017 | Currently Serving | Democratic | Spearheaded successful Riverfront redevelopment |