List of mayors of Grand Rapids, Michigan facts for kids

A mayor is the leader of a city or town. They are like the city's chief executive officer, helping to make important decisions and oversee how the city is run. The mayor works with the city council to create laws, manage city services like parks and police, and represent the city to the outside world.

This article lists the people who have served as mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The current mayor is David LaGrand, who started his term on January 1, 2025.

Quick facts for kids Mayor of the City of Grand Rapids
Flag of the City of Grand Rapids
Seal of the City of Grand Rapids
Incumbent David LaGrand since January 1, 2025
Formation	1850
First holder	Henry R. Williams

Grand Rapids Mayors: A Historical List

The city of Grand Rapids has had many mayors since it was officially formed in 1850. Each mayor has played a role in shaping the city's history and growth. This list shows who served as mayor and when.

No.	Portrait	Name	Term start	Term end		Party	Notes
1		Henry R. Williams	1850	1851		Whig
2		Ralph W. Cole	1851	1852		Whig
3		William H. Withey	1852	1853		Whig
4		Thomas B. Church	1853	1854		Democratic
5		Wilder D. Foster	1854	1855		Republican
6		Charles Shepard	1855	1856		Republican
7		John M. Fox	1856	1857		Democratic
8		William T. Powers	1857	1858		Democratic
9		Gilbert M. McCray	1858	1859		Democratic
10		George K. Johnson	1859	1860		Democratic
11		Martin L. Sweet	1860	1861		Republican
12		George H. White	1861	1862		Democratic
13		Charles C. Comstock	1863	1864		Democratic
14		Wilder D. Foster	1865	1866
15		John W. Champlin	1867	1868		Democratic
16		Moses V. Aldrich	1868	1870		Republican
17		Leonard H. Randall	1871	1871		Democratic
18		Julius Houseman	1872	1873		Democratic
19		Peter R. L. Pierce	1873	1874		Republican
20		Julius Houseman	1874	1875		Democratic
21		Peter R. L. Pierce	1875	1876		Republican
22		William Montague Ferry	1876	1877
23		George W. Thayer	1877	1878		Democratic
24		Henry S. Smith	1878	1879		Greenback
25		Francis Letellier	1879	1880		Republican
26		Henry S. Smith	1880	1881		Greenback
27		George G. Steketee	1881	1882		Republican
28		Edmund B. Dikeman	1882	1883
29		Crawford Angell	1883	1884		Democratic
30		Charles E. Belknap	1884	1885		Republican
31		John L. Curtis	1885	1886		Greenback-Democrat
32		Edmund B. Dikeman	1886	1887		Democratic
33		Isaac M. Weston	1888	1889		Democratic
34		John Killean	1889	1891		Democratic
35		Edwin F. Uhl	1891	1892		Democratic
36		William J. Stuart	1892	1893		Republican
37		Ernest B. Fisher	1894	1895		Republican
38		Charles D. Stebbins	1895	1896		Democratic
39		Lathrop C. Stow	1896	1897		Republican
40		George R. Perry	1898	1901		Democratic
41		W. Millard Palmer	1902	1903		Republican
42		Edwin F. Sweet	1904	1905		Democratic
43		George E. Ellis	1905	1915		Republican
44		George P. Tilma	1916	1917		Republican
45		Philo C. Fuller	1917	1918
46		Christian Gallmeyer	1918	1920
47		John McNabb	1921	1922
48		William Oltman	1922	1923
49		Julius Tisch	1923	1924
50		Elvin Swarthout	1924	1926
51		John D. Karel	1930	1933
52		William Timmers	1934	1935
53		Tunis Johnson	1936	1937		Democratic
54		George W. Welsh	1938	1949		Republican
55		Stanley J. Davis (interim)	1949	1950
56		Paul G. Goebel	1950	1953
57		George Veldman	1954	1955
58		Paul G. Goebel	1956	1957
59		Stanley J. Davis	1958	1963		Democratic
60		C. H. Sonneveldt	1964	1969
61		Robert Boelens	1970	1971
62		Lyman S. Parks	1971	1975			First African American mayor
63		Abe L. Drasin	1976	1983			First Jewish mayor
64		Gerald R. Helmholdt	1984	1991
65		John H. Logie	1992	2003
66		George Heartwell	2004	2015		Democrat
67		Rosalynn Bliss	2016	2024		Democratic	First woman mayor
68		David LaGrand	2025	Present		Democratic