List of mayors of Buffalo, New York facts for kids
The mayor is the leader of a city's government. They are in charge of making sure the city runs smoothly, from managing public services to representing the city. This page lists all the people who have served as the mayor of Buffalo, a major city in New York.
Quick facts for kids Mayor of the City of Buffalo |
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![]() Seal of the City of Buffalo
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Government of Buffalo | |
Style | The Honorable (formal) Mr. Mayor (informal) |
Seat | Buffalo City Hall |
Term length | Four years; renewable |
Constituting instrument | Buffalo City Charter |
Inaugural holder | Ebenezer Johnson |
Formation | 1832 |
Succession | Deputy Mayor of Buffalo |
Deputy | Deputy Mayor of Buffalo |
Salary | $178,519 (2024) |
Contents
Buffalo's Mayors: A Complete List
This table shows all the people who have been mayor of Buffalo, along with their political party and how long they served.
No. | Name | Picture | Party | Term in office | Election | Notes |
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1 | Ebenezer Johnson | Democratic-Republican | May 1832 – March 1833 |
1832 | A doctor who served during the War of 1812. | |
2 | Major Andre Andrews | Independent | March 1833 – 1834 |
1833 | Helped start the first Bank of Buffalo. | |
3 | Ebenezer Johnson | Democratic-Republican | 1834 – 1835 |
1834 | ||
4 | Hiram Pratt | Whig | 1835 – 1836 |
1835 | ||
5 | Samuel Wilkeson | Independent | 1836 – March 14, 1837 |
1836 | ||
6 | Josiah Trowbridge | Whig | March 14, 1837 – December 21, 1837 |
1837 | ||
7 | Pierre A. Barker | Independent | December 21, 1837 – March 13, 1838 |
– | ||
8 | Ebenezer Walden | Whig | March 13, 1838 – 1839 |
1838 | ||
9 | Hiram Pratt | Whig | 1839 – 1840 |
1839 | ||
10 | Sheldon Thompson | Whig | 1840 – March 2, 1841 |
1840 | ||
11 | Isaac R. Harrington | Whig | March 2, 1841 – March 8, 1842 |
1841 | ||
12 | George William Clinton | Independent | March 8, 1842 – 1843 |
1842 | Later served as a U.S. Attorney for Northern New York. | |
13 | Joseph G. Masten | Democratic | 1843 – 1844 |
1843 | ||
14 | William Ketchum | Whig | 1844 – 1845 |
1844 | ||
15 | Joseph G. Masten | Democratic | 1845 – 1846 |
1845 | ||
16 | Solomon G. Haven | Whig | 1846 – 1847 |
1846 | ||
17 | Elbridge G. Spaulding | Whig | 1847 – 1848 |
1847 | Served as New York State Treasurer and in the U.S. House of Representatives. | |
18 | Orlando Allen | Whig | 1848 – 1849 |
–
1848 |
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19 | Hiram Barton | Whig | 1849 – 1850 |
1849 | ||
20 | Henry K. Smith | Democratic | 1850 – March 4, 1851 |
1850 | ||
21 | James Wadsworth | Democratic | March 4, 1851 – March 9, 1852 |
1851 | ||
22 | Hiram Barton | Whig | March 9, 1852 – 1853 |
1852 | ||
23 | Eli Cook | Democratic | 1853 – 1855 |
March 1853
November 1853 |
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24 | Frederick P. Stevens | Democratic | 1856 – 1857 |
1855 | ||
25 | Timothy T. Lockwood | Democratic | 1858 – January 2, 1860 |
1857 | ||
26 | Franklin A. Alberger | Republican | January 2, 1860 – January 6, 1862 |
1859 | ||
27 | William G. Fargo | Democratic | January 6, 1862 – 1866 |
1861
1863 |
Co-founded famous companies like American Express and Wells Fargo. | |
28 | Chandler J. Wells | Republican | 1866 – 1867 |
1865 | ||
29 | William F. Rogers | Democratic | 1868 – 1869 |
1867 | ||
30 | Alexander Brush | Republican | 1870 – 1873 |
1869
1872 (special) |
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31 | Lewis P. Dayton | Democratic | 1874 – 1875 |
1873 | ||
32 | Philip Becker | Republican | 1876 – January 7, 1878 |
1875 | ||
33 | Solomon Scheu | Democratic | January 7, 1878 – January 1880 |
1877 | ||
34 | Alexander Brush | Republican | January 1880 – January 2, 1882 |
1879 | ||
35 | Grover Cleveland | Democratic | January 2, 1882 – November 20, 1882 |
1881 | Later became the 22nd and 24th President of the United States. | |
36 | Marcus M. Drake | Republican | November 20, 1882 – December 29, 1882 |
– | ||
37 | Harmon S. Cutting | Democratic | December 29, 1882 – January 16, 1883 |
– | ||
38 | John B. Manning | Democratic | January 16, 1883 – January 6, 1884 |
1883 (special) | ||
39 | Jonathan Scoville | Democratic | January 6, 1884 – 1885 |
1883 | ||
40 | Philip Becker | Republican | 1886 – 1890 |
1885
1887 |
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41 | Charles F. Bishop | Democratic | 1890 – 1894 |
1889
1891 |
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42 | Edgar B. Jewett | Republican | 1895 – 1897 |
1894 | ||
43 | Conrad Diehl | Democratic | 1898 – 1901 |
1897 | ||
44 | Erastus C. Knight | Republican | 1902 – 1905 |
1900 | ||
45 | James N. Adam | Democratic | 1906 – 1909 |
1905 | ||
46 | Louis P. Fuhrmann | Democratic | 1910 – 1917 |
1909
1913 |
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47 | George S. Buck | Republican | 1918 – 1921 |
1917 | ||
48 | Frank X. Schwab | Republican | 1922 – 1929 |
1921
1925 |
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49 | Charles E. Roesch | Republican | 1930 – 1933 |
1929 | ||
50 | George J. Zimmermann | Democratic | 1934 – 1937 |
1933 | ||
51 | Thomas L. Holling | Democratic | 1938 – 1941 |
1937 | ||
52 | Joseph J. Kelly | Democratic | 1942 – 1945 |
1941 | ||
53 | Bernard J. Dowd | Republican | 1946 – 1949 |
1945 | ||
54 | Joseph Mruk | Republican | January 1, 1950 – December 31, 1953 |
1949 | ||
55 | Steven Pankow | Democratic | January 1, 1954 – December 31, 1957 |
1953 | ||
56 | Frank A. Sedita | Democratic | January 1, 1958 – December 31, 1961 |
1957 | ||
57 | Chester A. Kowal | Republican | January 1, 1962 – December 31, 1965 |
1961 | ||
58 | Frank A. Sedita | Democratic | January 1, 1966 – March 5, 1973 |
1965
1969 |
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59 | Stanley M. Makowski | Democratic | March 5, 1973 – December 31, 1977 |
–
1973 |
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60 | James D. Griffin | Democratic | January 1, 1978 – December 31, 1993 |
1977
1981 1985 1989 |
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61 | Anthony Masiello | Democratic | January 1, 1994 – December 31, 2005 |
1993
1997 2001 |
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62 | Byron Brown | Democratic | January 1, 2006 – October 15, 2024 |
2005
2009 2013 2017 2021 |
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63 | Christopher Scanlon | Democratic | October 15, 2024 – |
Political Parties of Buffalo's Mayors
This table shows how many mayors have belonged to each political party throughout Buffalo's history.
Party | Mayors |
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Democratic | 30 |
Democratic-Republican | 2 |
Republican | 15 |
Whig | 12 |
No Party | 4 |
How Buffalo's Mayoral Role Changed
In 1853, the rules for Buffalo's city government were updated. The town of Black Rock became part of Buffalo. Also, the mayor's term changed from one year to two years. From then on, citizens voted directly for their mayor.
See also
- Timeline of Buffalo, New York