List of mayors of Oakland, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of Oakland, California
Flag of Oakland
Seal of Oakland
Incumbent Barbara Lee since May 20, 2025
Term length	Four-year term, renewable once
Formation	April 17, 1854
First holder	Horace W. Carpentier
Deputy	Rebecca Kaplan (Vice Mayor)

The city of Oakland, California, was founded in 1852. It officially became a city in 1854. Oakland has a "strong mayor" system of government. This means the mayor has a lot of power to lead the city.

In the early days, Oakland mayors served short terms, usually one or two years. Today, mayors serve for four years. They can be re-elected only once.

Barbara Lee became the mayor of Oakland on May 20, 2025.

How Mayoral Terms Changed Over Time

• 1854: Mayors served 1-year terms. They were chosen by other city council members.
• 1893: Terms changed to 2 years. Mayors were still chosen by the city council.
• 1953: Terms became 4 years. From this point on, mayors were elected by the people of Oakland.

Oakland's Mayors: A Look Back

Number	Portrait	Name	Term start	Term end
1st		Horace W. Carpentier	April 17, 1854	March 5, 1855
2nd		Charles Campbell	March 5, 1855
3rd		Samuel H. Robinson	March 5, 1855	March 2, 1857
4th		Andrew Williams	March 2, 1857	March 7, 1859
5th		Francis K. Shattuck	March 7, 1859	March 7, 1860
6th		James Paine Miller Davis	March 7, 1860	March 5, 1862
7th		George M. Blake	March 5, 1862	March 1863
8th		William Henry Bovee	March 1863	March 14, 1864
9th		Edward Gibbons	March 14, 1864	March 6, 1865
10th		Benjamin F. Ferris	March 6, 1865	March 5, 1866
11th		John W. Dwinelle	March 5, 1866	March 7, 1867
12th		William Watrus Crane Jr.	March 7, 1867	November 1867
13th		Samuel Merritt	November 1867	March 1, 1869
14th		John B. Felton	March 1, 1869	March 5, 1870
15th		Nathaniel W. Spaulding	March 1, 1871	March 4, 1873
16th		Rev. Henry Durant	March 4, 1873	January 22, 1875
17th		Mack Webber	February 1875	March 13, 1876
18th		Enoch H. Pardee	March 13, 1876	March 25, 1878
19th		Washburne R. Andrus	March 25, 1878	March 8, 1880
20th		James E. Blethen	March 8, 1880	March 13, 1882
21st		Charles K. Robinson	March 13, 1882	March 12, 1883
22nd		J. West Martin	March 12, 1883	March 10, 1884
23rd		Ashmun Cooke Henry	March 10, 1884	March 9, 1885
24th		Eli W. Playter	March 9, 1885	March 14, 1887
25th		William R. Davis	March 14, 1887	March 12, 1888
26th		Charles D. Pierce	March 12, 1888	March 11, 1889
27th		John R. Glascock	March 11, 1889	March 9, 1891
28th		Melvin C. Chapman	March 9, 1891	March 13, 1893
29th		George C. Pardee	March 13, 1893	March 10, 1895
30th		John L. Davie	March 10, 1895	March 9, 1897
31st		William R. Thomas	March 9, 1897	March 13, 1899
32nd		Roland W. Snow	March 13, 1899	March 11, 1901
33rd		Anson Barstow	March 11, 1901	March 9, 1903
34th		Warren Olney	March 9, 1903	March 1905
35th		Frank K. Mott	March 1905	July 1, 1915
36th		John L. Davie	July 1, 1915	July 1, 1931
37th		Fred N. Morcom	July 1, 1931	July 1, 1933
38th		William J. McCracken	July 1, 1933	July 1, 1941
39th		John F. Slavich	July 1, 1941	July 1, 1945
40th		Herbert L. Beach	July 1, 1945	July 1, 1947
41st		Joseph E. Smith	July 1, 1947	July 1, 1949
42nd		Clifford E. Rishell	July 1, 1949	July 1, 1961
43rd		John C. Houlihan	July 1, 1961	April 30, 1966
44th		John H. Reading	May 1, 1966	July 1, 1977
45th		Lionel J. Wilson	July 1, 1977	January 3, 1991
46th		Elihu M. Harris	January 3, 1991	January 4, 1999
47th		Jerry Brown	January 4, 1999	January 8, 2007
48th		Ronald V. Dellums	January 8, 2007	January 3, 2011
49th		Jean Quan	January 3, 2011	January 5, 2015
50th		Libby Schaaf	January 5, 2015	January 9, 2023
51st		Sheng Thao	January 9, 2023	December 17, 2024
–		Nikki Fortunato Bas	December 17, 2024	January 6, 2025
–		Kevin Jenkins	January 6, 2025	May 20, 2025
52nd		Barbara Lee	May 20, 2025	incumbent

Meet Some of Oakland's Past Mayors

Horace W. Carpentier (1st Mayor)

Horace Carpentier, Oakland's first mayor.

Horace W. Carpentier was born in New York in 1824. He became a lawyer and moved to California in 1849. He was involved in buying large areas of land in the East Bay.

In 1852, Oakland's leaders gave Carpentier rights to the entire waterfront. This was in exchange for building wharves and a school. He also controlled ferry services and a toll bridge. People often questioned how he gained so much control.

Carpentier was elected Oakland's first mayor on April 17, 1854. He was only 29 years old. He wanted Oakland to be the western end of the transcontinental railroad. He also pushed for protecting the city's native oak trees.

After his political career, he led telegraph companies and helped found the Bank of California. He moved back to New York in 1880 and passed away in 1918. He gave a lot of money to universities like Columbia and Barnard College.

Francis K. Shattuck (5th Mayor)

Francis Shattuck, a key figure in early Oakland and Berkeley.

Francis K. Shattuck was born in New York in 1825. He came to California in 1850 and worked in the gold mines. Later, he became a major landowner in the East Bay. He helped develop the communities of Oakland and Berkeley.

Shattuck was a city council member and served on the county Board of Supervisors. He was elected mayor of Oakland in 1859. While mayor, he also served in the state Legislature. He tried to make Oakland the state capital.

He built Oakland's first city office building in 1867. He passed away in 1898.

Samuel Merritt (13th Mayor)

Samuel Merritt, who helped create Lake Merritt.

Samuel Merritt was born in Maine in 1822. He became a doctor and moved to San Francisco in 1850. He made a large fortune in real estate, insurance, and banking.

Merritt moved to Oakland and owned land around the lake that is now named after him, Lake Merritt. He became mayor in 1867. During his time, he helped resolve issues with the waterfront. He also started building the first city hall.

He contributed his own money to build the Twelfth Street Dam, which created Lake Merritt. In 1870, he helped make Lake Merritt the first official wildlife refuge in the United States. He passed away in 1890.

John B. Felton (14th Mayor)

John B. Felton, a lawyer and University of California Regent.

John B. Felton was born in Massachusetts in 1827. He studied law at Harvard and in Paris. He moved to San Francisco and became a successful lawyer.

Felton was a regent for the University of California from its start until his passing. He served as mayor of Oakland from 1869 to 1870. He passed away in 1877 at the age of 49.

Nathaniel W. Spaulding (15th Mayor)

Nathaniel W. Spaulding, inventor of the "Spaulding saw."

Nathaniel W. Spaulding was born in Maine in 1829. He was a carpenter who invented a new type of saw. This invention changed the saw business around the world.

He moved to Oakland in 1866. He was elected to the city council and then served as mayor in 1871 and 1872. Spaulding helped move the county seat from San Leandro to Oakland. He passed away in 1903.

Rev. Henry Durant (16th Mayor)

Henry Durant, first president of the University of California.

Henry Durant was born in Massachusetts in 1802. He was a minister and educator. In 1853, he opened a boys' school in Oakland. This school later became the University of California.

Durant became the first president of the University of California in 1870. He also served on the Oakland city council. He was elected mayor twice, in 1873 and 1874. Durant passed away while in office in 1875.

Enoch H. Pardee (18th Mayor)

Enoch H. Pardee, a doctor and politician.

Enoch H. Pardee was born in New York in 1829. He was a doctor specializing in eye care. He moved to Oakland and became active in politics.

Pardee served on the city council and in the State Assembly and Senate. He was mayor of Oakland in 1876 and 1877. His time as mayor was during a period of economic challenges and social unrest. He passed away in 1896. His son, George Pardee, also became mayor of Oakland.

John R. Glascock (27th Mayor)

John R. Glascock, a U.S. Congressman and Oakland mayor.

John R. Glascock was born in Mississippi in 1845. His family moved to Oakland when he was young. He studied law and became a partner in his father's law firm.

Glascock was elected district attorney for Alameda County. He also served in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1889, he was elected mayor of Oakland. He worked to address issues with the city's new charter. He passed away in 1913.

George C. Pardee (29th Mayor)

George C. Pardee, who also served as California Governor.

George C. Pardee was born in San Francisco in 1857. He was the son of former mayor Enoch H. Pardee. He was the first Oakland mayor born in California. He later became the first California governor born in the state.

Pardee studied medicine in Germany. He practiced as an eye, ear, and nose specialist. He served on the city council before becoming mayor in 1893.

As mayor, he faced labor unrest. He later became governor of California in 1902. He helped coordinate relief efforts after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. He was also important in creating the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), which provides water to the East Bay. He passed away in 1941.

Warren Olney (34th Mayor)

Warren Olney, a co-founder of the Sierra Club.

Warren Olney was born in Iowa in 1841. He served in the Union Army during the Civil War. He became a lawyer and moved to California in 1869.

Olney was elected mayor of Oakland in 1903. He supported the city owning its water system. He was also a co-founder of the Sierra Club, an environmental organization. He passed away in 1921.

Frank K. Mott (35th Mayor)

Frank K. Mott was born in San Francisco in 1866. His family moved to Oakland when he was young. He started working at a young age and later owned a hardware business.

Mott served on the city council before becoming mayor in 1905. He is known as "The Mayor Who Built Oakland." He led the city's efforts to help people who sought refuge in Oakland after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Many people moved to Oakland permanently after the earthquake.

He was re-elected multiple times. During his time as mayor, Oakland saw many improvements. These included harbor projects, the building of the current Oakland City Hall, and the Kaiser Convention Center. He retired in 1915 and passed away in 1958.

John L. Davie (36th Mayor)

John L. Davie was born in New York in 1850. He had many different jobs, including opera singer and butcher. He moved to Oakland in the late 1880s.

Davie had a long struggle with the Southern Pacific Railroad over control of the Oakland waterfront. He worked to bring ferry service to compete with the railroad.

He was elected mayor in 1895 and again in 1915, becoming Oakland's longest-serving mayor. He oversaw the creation of EBMUD and the Port of Oakland. Other projects during his time included the Oakland International Airport and improvements to Lake Merritt. He retired in 1931 and passed away in 1934.

Clifford E. Rishell (42nd Mayor)

Clifford E. Rishell was born in Iowa in 1890. He worked as a sign painter before moving to Oakland in 1912. He later started his own painting business.

Rishell was elected to the city council in 1949. In 1953, he became the first Oakland mayor elected by popular vote since 1927. He was known as "Oakland's Super Salesman" for his efforts to promote the city. He passed away in 1971.

John C. Houlihan (43rd Mayor)

John C. Houlihan was born in San Francisco in 1910. He became a lawyer and moved his practice to Oakland in 1944. He was appointed to the city council before being elected mayor in 1961.

As mayor, he oversaw major projects like the construction of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena and the Oakland Museum of California. He resigned in 1966 due to salary concerns and later faced legal issues. He passed away in 1986.

John H. Reading (44th Mayor)

John H. Reading was born in Arizona in 1917 but grew up in Oakland. He served as a pilot in the Army Air Force during World War II. He inherited his family's food products business.

Reading was appointed to the city council in 1961. In 1966, he was elected mayor. He was mayor when the Oakland Athletics baseball team moved to Oakland and won three World Series championships. He was re-elected three times. He passed away in 2003.

Lionel J. Wilson (45th Mayor)

Lionel J. Wilson, Oakland's first African-American mayor.

Lionel J. Wilson was born in New Orleans in 1915. His family moved to Oakland when he was three. He was a talented athlete and scholar, graduating from UC Berkeley and Boalt School of Law.

He was the first African-American appointed to the Alameda County Municipal Court. In 1977, he became Oakland's first African-American mayor. He was re-elected twice. During his time, he appointed the first two African-American women to the Oakland Board of Port Commissioners. He passed away in 1998.

Elihu M. Harris (46th Mayor)

Elihu M. Harris, who led Oakland after the 1989 earthquake.

Elihu M. Harris was born in Los Angeles in 1947. He served in the California State Assembly before being elected mayor of Oakland in 1990.

His time as mayor was challenging. Oakland was recovering from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Then, the Oakland firestorm of 1991 destroyed many homes. By the end of his term, the fire zone was rebuilt, and downtown Oakland began to improve. He passed away in 2021.

Jerry Brown (47th Mayor)

Jerry Brown, who served as both California Governor and Oakland Mayor.

Jerry Brown was born in San Francisco in 1938. He had a long career in politics, serving as California's Secretary of State and as governor multiple times.

He moved to Oakland in the 1990s and hosted a radio show. In 1998, he was elected mayor of Oakland. He helped pass an initiative that gave the mayor more power. He was known for his unique political style. After his time as mayor, he served again as California's Attorney General and Governor.

Ronald V. Dellums (48th Mayor)

Ronald V. Dellums, a former U.S. Congressman.

Ronald V. Dellums was born in Oakland in 1935. He served in the Marines and later became a social worker.

Dellums was elected to the Berkeley City Council in 1967. In 1970, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing parts of Oakland and Berkeley. He was a strong opponent of the Vietnam War. He served in Congress until 1998. He was elected mayor of Oakland in 2006 and served until 2011. He passed away in 2018.

Jean Quan (49th Mayor)

Jean Quan, Oakland's first woman and Asian American mayor.

Jean Quan was the first woman and the first Asian American to be elected Mayor of Oakland. Her family has roots in Oakland dating back to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

She was also the first Asian American woman elected to the Oakland School Board and the Oakland City Council. She received a scholarship to UC Berkeley and helped start Asian American Studies there. She served as mayor from 2011 to 2015.

Libby Schaaf (50th Mayor)

Libby Schaaf, who launched Oakland's Department of Transportation.

Libby Schaaf previously served on the Oakland City Council. In 2014, she ran for mayor and supported a measure to raise the city's minimum wage.

As mayor, her administration created the city's first Department of Transportation. She served as mayor from 2015 to 2023.

Sheng Thao (51st Mayor)

Sheng Thao, the first Hmong American mayor of a major U.S. city.

Sheng Thao was the first Hmong American mayor of a major city in the United States. She took office in January 2023. She was removed from office in December 2024.

Nikki Fortunato Bas (Interim Mayor)

Nikki Fortunato Bas, who served as an interim mayor.

Nikki Fortunato Bas was appointed as an interim mayor after Sheng Thao was removed from office. She served from December 2024 to January 2025. She resigned because she was elected to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.

Kevin Jenkins (Interim Mayor)

Kevin Jenkins, who served as an interim mayor.

Kevin Jenkins was elected City Council president and became interim mayor in January 2025. He served until May 2025.

Barbara Lee (52nd Mayor)

Barbara Lee, Oakland's current mayor.

Barbara Lee represented Oakland in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1998 to 2025. She was elected mayor of Oakland in April 2025. She was sworn in on May 20, 2025. She is the first Black woman to serve as mayor of Oakland.

See also

• Timeline of Oakland, California
• List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States