List of mayors of Fort Wayne, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of the City of Fort Wayne
Flag of Fort Wayne, Indiana
Incumbent Sharon Tucker since April 23, 2024
Term length	Four years, no limit
Inaugural holder	George W. Wood
Formation	1840
Website	Office of the Mayor

Welcome to Fort Wayne, Indiana! Did you know that a special leader helps run this city? That person is called the Mayor of Fort Wayne. The mayor is like the main boss of the city government. They make sure all the different departments, like parks, police, and roads, are working well.

Mayors in Fort Wayne serve for four years at a time. There's no limit to how many times someone can be elected mayor. This means a mayor can keep serving as long as the people of Fort Wayne keep voting for them! The first mayor of Fort Wayne was George W. Wood, who started his term in 1840.

Meet Fort Wayne's Mayors

Here is a list of all the people who have served as mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana. You'll see their names, when they started and ended their terms, and which political party they belonged to.

Lithograph of Fort Wayne's first mayor, George W. Wood

Tom Henry, Fort Wayne's 44th and longest serving mayor

No.	Portrait	Mayor	Term start	Term end		Party
1		Wood, George W.George W. Wood (1808–1871; aged 63)	May 1, 1840	July 5, 1841		Whig
2		Joseph Morgan (1795-1851; aged 56)	July 5, 1841	January 1843		Whig
3		Henry Lotz (1797–1845; aged 48)	January 1843	1845		Whig
4		John M. Wallace (1820–1866; aged 46)	1845	1846		Whig
5		Huxford, Merchant W.Merchant W. Huxford (1798–1877; aged 79)	1846	1849		Democratic
6		William Stewart (1st) (1798-1873; aged 74)	1849	1852		Democratic
7		Philip G. Jones (1808-1859; aged 50)	1852	1853		Know Nothing
8		Charles Whitmore (1819–1892; aged 73)	1853	1855		Democratic
(6)		William Stewart (2nd) (1798-1873; aged 74)	1855	1857		Democratic
9		Samuel S. Morss (1811–1862; aged 51)	1857	1859		Know Nothing
10		Franklin P. Randall (1st) (1812–1892; aged 79)	1859	1865		Democratic
11		James Worden (1819–1884; aged 65)	1865	1866		Democratic
12		Benjamin Saunders (1810-1870; aged 60)	1866	1867		Democratic
13		Henry Sharp (1809–1900; aged 91)	1867	1869		Republican
(10)		Franklin P. Randall (2nd) (1812–1892; aged 79)	1869	1873		Democratic
14		Zollinger, Charles A.Charles A. Zollinger (1st) (1838–1893; aged 55)	1873	1885		Democratic
15		Charles F. Muhler (1841–1899; aged 58)	1885	1889		Republican
16		Daniel L. Harding (1843-1912; aged 69)	1889	May 7, 1891		Republican
(14)		Charles A. Zollinger (2nd) (1838–1893; aged 55)	May 7, 1891	December 27, 1893		Democratic
17		Henry P. Scherer (1st) (1855–1917; aged 61)	December 27, 1893	May 1894		Democratic
18		Chauncey B. Oakley (1833–1903; aged 69)	May 1894	May 7, 1896		Republican
(17)		Henry P. Scherer (2nd) (1855–1917; aged 61)	May 7, 1896	May 9, 1901		Democratic
19		Henry C. Berghoff (1856–1925; aged 69)	May 9, 1901	January 1, 1906		Democratic
20		Hosey, William J.William J. Hosey (1st) (1854–1937; aged 83)	January 1, 1906	1910		Democratic
21		Jesse Grice (1852–1915; aged 63)	1910	January 5, 1914		Republican
(20)		William J. Hosey (2nd) (1854–1937; aged 83)	January 5, 1914	1918		Democratic
22		W. Sherman Cutshall (1868–1939; aged 71)	1918	1922		Republican
(20)		William J. Hosey (3rd) (1854–1937; aged 83)	1922	January 4, 1926		Democratic
23		William C. Geake (1874-1965; aged 90)	January 4, 1926	1930		Republican
(20)		William J. Hosey (4th) (1854–1937; aged 83)	1930	1935		Democratic
24		Baals, Harry W.Harry W. Baals (1st) (1886–1954; aged 67)	1935	January 1, 1948		Republican
25		Henry E. Branning, Jr. (1890–1970; aged 80)	January 1, 1948	1952		Democratic
(24)		Harry W. Baals (2nd) (1886–1954; aged 67)	1952	May 9, 1954		Republican
26		Meyers, RobertRobert Meyers (1913–2007; aged 93)	May 9, 1954	December 31, 1959		Republican
27		Paul Mike Burns (1917–2011; aged 93)	January 1, 1960	December 31, 1963		Democratic
28		Harold S. Zeis (1912–1975; aged 62)	January 1, 1964	December 31, 1971		Republican
29		Ivan A. Lebamoff (1932–2006; aged 73)	January 1, 1972	December 31, 1975		Democratic
30		Armstrong, Robert E.Robert E. Armstrong (1925–2008; aged 82)	January 1, 1976	December 31, 1979		Republican
31		Moses, WinfieldWinfield Moses (1st) (born in 1943; age 82)	January 1, 1980	July 8, 1985		Democratic
32		Simon, CosetteCosette Simon (born in 1953; age 72)	July 8, 1985	July 19, 1985		Democratic
(31)		Winfield Moses (2nd) (born in 1943; age 82)	July 20, 1985	December 31, 1987		Democratic
33		Helmke, PaulPaul Helmke (born in 1948; age 76)	January 1, 1988	December 31, 1999		Republican
34		Richard, GrahamGraham Richard (born in 1947; age 78)	January 1, 2000	December 31, 2007		Democratic
35		Henry, TomTom Henry (1951–2024; aged 72)	January 1, 2008	March 28, 2024		Democratic
36		Karl Bandemer (born in 1945; age 79)	March 28, 2024	April 23, 2024		Democratic
37		Sharon Tucker (born in 1972; age 53)	April 23, 2024	Incumbent		Democratic

More About Fort Wayne's Government

If you're interested in how elections work for mayors in Fort Wayne, you can learn more here:

• Mayoral elections in Fort Wayne, Indiana