List of mayors of Holyoke, Massachusetts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of Holyoke
Seal of Holyoke
Incumbent Joshua A. Garcia since November 15, 2021
Seat	Holyoke City Hall
Term length	4 years (2015-present) 2 years (1936-2015) 1 year (1874-1936)
Formation	1874
First holder	William B. C. Pearsons
Website	Official website: https://www.holyoke.org/departments/mayors-office

The mayor of Holyoke is like the main boss of the city government in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The mayor is in charge of the city's executive branch. This means they help create the city's yearly budget. They also choose important leaders, like the chief of police.

What Does the Mayor Do?

The mayor has many important jobs. They make sure the city runs smoothly every day. They also work with the city council to make new rules. The mayor helps decide how the city's money is spent. They also appoint people to lead different city departments.

How Are Mayors Elected?

In Holyoke, elections for mayor are "nonpartisan." This means that when people run for mayor, they don't say they belong to a political party. They don't need support from a party either. Even though candidates might be from different parties, they run as individuals. This helps focus on the person, not just their party.

How Long Does a Mayor Serve?

When Holyoke first became a city in 1874, mayors served for just one year. This changed over time. In 1936, the term became two years. Then, in 2015, it changed again to four years. This longer term lets mayors work on bigger projects.

Since 1959, Holyoke has had "mayoral primaries." This is a first election where many people can run. The two candidates who get the most votes then go on to the main election. People often call the mayor's office "Room One." This is because it's the main office space for the mayor.

Holyoke's Mayors Through History

Many different people have served as mayor of Holyoke. They have helped shape the city over the years. Here is a list of the people who have held this important job.

Mayor John Cronin shakes hands with George Pearsons, son of the City's first mayor William B. C. Pearsons, during a celebration of the City's fiftieth anniversary.

#	Mayor	Picture	Term	Notes
1st	William B. C. Pearsons		1874–1876	Holyoke's first mayor.
2nd	Roswell P. Crafts		1877
3rd	William Whiting II		1878–1879
4th	William Ruddy		1880
5th	Franklin P. Goodall		1881
6th	Roswell P. Crafts		1882–1883	Served a second time.
7th	James E. Delaney		1884–1885
8th	James J. O'Connor		1886–1887
9th	James E. Delaney		1888	Served a third time.
10th	Jeremiah F. Sullivan		1889–1890
11th	Michael J. Griffin		1891
12th	Jeremiah F. Sullivan		1892	Served a second time.
13th	Dennie L. Farr		1893
14th	Marciene H. Whitcomb		1894
15th	Henry A. Chase		1895
16th	James J. Curran		1896
17th	George H. Smith		1897
18th	Michael Connors		1898
19th	Arthur B. Chapin		1899–1904
20th	Nathan P. Avery		1904–1910
21st	John J. White		1911–1913
22nd	John H. Woods		1914–1915
23rd	John J. White		1916–1917	Served a second time.
24th	John D. Ryan		1918–1919
25th	John F. Cronin		1920–1925
26th	Gregory J. Scanlon		1926
27th	John F. Cronin		1927	Served a second time.
28th	Fred G. Burnham		1928–1929
29th	William T. Dillon		1930–1931
30th	Fred G. Burnham		1932	Passed away while in office.
Acting	William M. Hart		1932	Served as acting mayor.
31st	Henry J. Toepfert		1932–1935	First elected in a special election.
32nd	William P. Yoerg		1936–1939	Did not seek re-election.
33rd	Henry J. Toepfert		1940–1953	Longest-serving mayor. Passed away in office.
Acting	James T. Doherty		1953	Served as acting mayor.
34th	Edwin A. Seibel		1953–1957	Elected in a special election. Passed away in office.
Acting	Samuel Resnic		1957	Served as acting mayor.
Acting	Paul L. Brougham		1957	Elected in a special election.
35th	Samuel Resnic		1958–1963	Holyoke's first Jewish mayor.
36th	Daniel F. Dibble		1964–1967
37th	William Taupier		1968–1975	Left office to become City Manager of Lowell, Massachusetts.
Acting	Thomas Monahan		1975	Served as acting mayor.
38th	Ernest E. Proulx		1976–1986
39th	Martin J. Dunn		1987–1991	Left office to become a State Senator.
Acting	Joseph M. McGiverin		1991	Served as acting mayor.
40th	William Hamilton		1991–1995	First elected in a special election.
41st	Daniel Szostkiewicz		1995–1999
42nd	Michael J. Sullivan		2000–2009
43rd	Elaine A. Pluta		2010–2011	Holyoke's first female mayor.
44th	Alex Morse		2012–2021	Youngest mayor in city history (elected at 22). Left office to become Town Manager of Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Acting	Todd A. McGee		2021	Served as acting mayor.
Acting	Terence "Terry" Murphy		2021	Served as acting mayor.
45th	Joshua A. Garcia		2021–	Holyoke's first Latino mayor.