List of mayors of Juneau, Alaska facts for kids

Juneau, Alaska, is the capital city of Alaska. It's officially known as the City and Borough of Juneau. Juneau became Alaska's capital on June 6, 1900. This was an important step because it also allowed communities in Alaska to form their own local governments for the first time. Before this, towns like Sitka and Nome had unofficial governments. Juneau offered some public services, like fire protection and schools, even before it officially became a city.
Juneau officially formed its city government on June 29, 1900, and held its first election. Nearby Douglas, located just across the Gastineau Channel, became a city on March 29, 1902. Many people have served as mayor for both Juneau and Douglas over the years.
In October 1963, the Greater Juneau Borough was created. This was a larger area that included both Juneau and Douglas, along with surrounding towns and wilderness. It was the first "first-class borough" in Alaska. Several years later, a law was passed allowing cities and boroughs to combine. So, on July 1, 1970, Juneau, Douglas, and the borough joined together to form the single government we know today. Since then, sixteen people have served as mayor of this combined City and Borough of Juneau. The current mayor is Beth Weldon, who took office on October 15, 2018.
Contents
Mayors of Juneau City (1900–1970)
Juneau became an official city on June 29, 1900. Before it joined with Douglas and the borough, it was a self-governing city.
No. | Image | Name (birth–death) |
Took office | Left office |
---|---|---|---|---|
Acting | John F. Malony (1857–1919) |
1900 | 1900 | |
1 | ![]() |
Arthur K. Delaney (1841–1905) |
1900 | 1901 |
2 | George Forrest (c. 1870–[?]) |
1901 | 1902 | |
3 | Ohlin H. Adsit (1855–1909) |
1902 | 1904 | |
(2) | George Forrest (c. 1870–[?]) |
1904 | 1905 | |
4 | John F. Malony (1857–1919) |
1905 | 1906 | |
5 | Herman Tripp (1859–1939) |
1906 | 1907 | |
(2) | George Forrest (c. 1870–[?]) |
1907 | 1908 | |
6 | ![]() |
Emery Valentine (1858–1930) |
1908 | 1912 |
7 | Harry Bishop (c. 1869–1920) |
1912 | 1913 | |
8 | Charles Carter (1870–1961) |
1913 | 1914 | |
9 | ![]() |
John Reck (1865–c. 1950) |
1914 | 1916 |
10 | Benjamin D. Stewart (1878–1976) |
1916 | 1917 | |
(6) | ![]() |
Emery Valentine (1858–1930) |
1917 | 1919 |
11 | J. Latimer Gray | 1919 | 1920 | |
12 | ![]() |
R. E. Robertson (1885–1961) |
1920 | 1923 |
13 | Isadore Goldstein (1883–1959) |
1923 | 1925 | |
14 | J. J. Connors (1876–1951) |
1925 | 1927 | |
15 | Thomas Judson (1882–1938) |
1927 | 1933 | |
(13) | Isadore Goldstein (1883–1959) |
1933 | 1937 | |
(15) | Thomas Judson (1882–1938) |
1937 | 1938 | |
16 | Harry Lucas (1890–1949) |
1938 | 1944 | |
17 | A. B. Hayes | 1944 | 1945 | |
18 | Ernest Parsons | 1945 | 1946 | |
19 | ![]() |
Waino Hendrickson (1896–1983) |
1946 | 1953 |
20 | Bert McDowell (1904–c. 1975) |
1953 | 1955 | |
21 | M. L. "Molly" MacSpadden (1903–1961) |
1955 | 1959 | |
22 | Lauris Parker (1918–2003) |
1959 | 1961 | |
Acting | J. Wayne Johnson | 1961 | 1961 | |
Acting | A. W. Boddy (c. 1909–1987) |
1961 | 1961 | |
(22) | Lauris Parker (1918–2003) |
1961 | 1967 | |
23 | Timothy O'Day | 1967 | 1967 | |
24 | Joseph George | 1967 | 1969 | |
25 | Joseph McLean (1917–2012) |
1969 | 1970 |
Mayors of Douglas City (1902–1970)
Douglas became an official city on March 29, 1902. It also had its own local government before joining with Juneau.
No. | Image | Name (birth–death) |
Took office | Left office |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Charles Hopp | 1902 | 1903 | |
2 | Frank Bach | 1903 | 1904 | |
(1) | Charles Hopp | 1904 | 1905 | |
3 | William Stubbins | 1905 | 1907 | |
4 | M. S. Hudson | 1907 | 1908 | |
5 | M. J. O'Connor | 1908 | 1912 | |
(3) | William Stubbins | 1912 | 1913 | |
(5) | M. J. O'Connor | 1913 | 1915 | |
6 | Peter Johnson | 1915 | 1916 | |
(5) | M. J. O'Connor | 1916 | 1917 | |
7 | Elmer Smith | 1917 | 1920 | |
8 | F. A. J. Gallwas | 1920 | 1921 | |
9 | James Cristae | 1921 | 1923 | |
(8) | F. A. J. Gallwas | 1923 | 1925 | |
10 | J. O. Kirkham | 1925 | 1926 | |
11 | Neis Anderson | 1926 | 1928? | |
12 | J. R. Guerin | 1928 | 1929 | |
13 | L. W. Kilburn | 1929 | 1932 | |
14 | John Feusi | 1932 | 1933 | |
15 | Guy Smith | 1933 | 1934 | |
16 | Albert Goetz | 1934 | 1937 | |
(13) | L. W. Kilburn | 1937 | 1941 | |
17 | Robert Bonner, Jr. | 1941 | 1942 | |
18 | Erwin Hachmeister | 1942 | 1943 | |
19 | Elton Engstrom (1905–1963) |
1943 | 1944 | |
20 | James Parsons | 1944 | 1945 | |
21 | Marcus Jensen (1908–2001) |
1945 | 1947 | |
22 | Mike Pusich (1896–1953) |
1947 | 1953 | |
23 | William Boehl (1914–2000) |
1953 | 1961 | |
(21) | Marcus Jensen (1908–2001) |
1961 | 1964 | |
24 | Guy Russo (1921–2006) |
1964 | 1969 | |
25 | Robert Savikko (1927–1972) |
1969 | 1970 |
Mayors of the Greater Juneau Borough (1963–1970)
This table shows the mayors of the larger area, the Greater Juneau Borough, before it merged with the cities of Juneau and Douglas.
No. | Image | Name (birth–death) |
Took office | Left office |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Claude Millsap, Jr. (1920–) |
1963 | 1967 | |
2 | Myrton R. Charney (1931–2013) |
1967 | 1970 |
Mayors of the City and Borough of Juneau (1970–Present)
This table lists the mayors of the combined City and Borough of Juneau, starting from July 1, 1970, up to the current mayor.
No. | Image | Name (birth–death) |
Took office | Left office |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Joseph McLean (1917–2012) |
1970 | 1973 | |
2 | William A. Macomber | 1973 | October 7, 1975 | |
3 | Virginia Kline | October 7, 1975 | 1976 | |
4 | William D. "Bill" Overstreet (1926–2013) |
1976 | 1983 | |
5 | ![]() |
Fran Ulmer (1947–) |
1983 | 1985 |
6 | Ernest Polley (c. 1937–1997) |
October 14, 1985 | October 10, 1988 | |
7 | ![]() |
Bruce Botelho (1948–) |
October 10, 1988 | October 14, 1991 |
8 | Jamie Parsons (1941–2015) |
October 14, 1991 | October 10, 1994 | |
9 | ![]() |
Byron Mallott (1943–2020) |
October 10, 1994 | February 13, 1995 |
10 | ![]() |
Dennis Egan (1947–2022) |
February 13, 1995 | October 9, 2000 |
11 | ![]() |
Sally Smith (1945–) |
October 9, 2000 | October 20, 2003 |
(7) | ![]() |
Bruce Botelho (1948–) |
October 20, 2003 | October 11, 2012 |
12 | Merrill Sanford (1947–) |
October 11, 2012 | October 20, 2015 | |
13 | Greg Fisk (1945–2015) |
October 20, 2015 | November 30, 2015 | |
14 | Mary Becker (acting) |
November 30, 2015 | March 28, 2016 | |
15 | ![]() |
Ken Koelsch (c. 1945–) |
March 28, 2016 | October 15, 2018 |
16 | ![]() |
Beth Weldon (1965–) |
October 15, 2018 | incumbent |