List of mayors of Pittsburgh Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of Pittsburgh
Flag of the mayor of Pittsburgh
City of Pittsburgh coat of arms
Incumbent Ed Gainey since January 3, 2022
Style	"The Honorable"
Term length	4 years, no term limits
Inaugural holder	Ebenezer Denny
Formation	1816
Salary	$113,942 (2020)
Website	Office of the Mayor

The mayor of Pittsburgh is the chief leader of the city's government in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. This role is set out in the city's official rules, called the Charter of the City of Pittsburgh.

Before Pittsburgh became a city in 1816, it was a smaller town called a "borough." The borough council would choose a "chief burgess" from among themselves to lead. When Pittsburgh became a city, its first seven mayors were chosen in a similar way by the city council. It wasn't until the 1830s, with Mayor Samuel Pettigrew, that people in the city started voting for their mayor. Pettigrew was the last mayor chosen by the council and the first one elected by popular vote.

From 1901 to 1903, the state government took control of Pittsburgh. This happened because of problems with the city's previous mayor, William J. Diehl. The state appointed leaders called "recorders" who only answered to the state. Since 1903, all mayors have been chosen by the people through elections. The current mayor, as of July 2025, is Democrat Ed Gainey.

Early Leaders: Chief Burgesses (1794–1813)
Mayors of Pittsburgh (since 1816)
Mayors with the Longest Terms
See also

Early Leaders: Chief Burgesses (1794–1813)

Before Pittsburgh was officially a city, it was a borough. The leaders of the borough were called Chief Burgesses. They were chosen by the borough council.

No.	Chief Burgess	Term	Notes
1	George Robinson	1794–c. 1800	Involved in the Whiskey Rebellion.
2	John Park	1800–1801
3	Dr. George Stevenson	1801–1802
4	Isaac Craig	1802–1803
5	James O'Hara	1803–1804	A veteran of the American Revolutionary War.
6	General Pressley Neville	1804–1805	Also a Revolutionary War veteran.
7	General John Wilkins	c. 1805–c. 1812	Served as Quartermaster General for the U.S. Army.
8	William Steele	1812–1813

Mayors of Pittsburgh (since 1816)

After 1816, Pittsburgh became a city, and its leaders were called mayors. At first, mayors were chosen by the city council, but later, citizens began to vote for them.

No.	Mayor	Term	Party	Key Facts
1	Ebenezer Denny	1816–1817	Federalist	First mayor after Pittsburgh became a city. He was a Revolutionary War veteran.
2	John Darragh	1817–1825	Federalist	Chosen by the City Council.
3	John M. Snowden	1825–1828	Democratic-Republican	Chosen by the City Council.
4	Magnus Miller Murray	1828–1830	Jacksonian	Chosen by the City Council.
5	Matthew B. Lowrie	1830–1831	Anti-Masonic	Chosen by the City Council.
6	Magnus Miller Murray	1831–1832	Democrat	Chosen by the City Council for a second time.
7	Samuel Pettigrew	1832–1836	Democrat	First mayor to win an election by popular vote.
8	Dr. Jonas R. McClintock	1836–1839	Democrat	Elected at 28, he was the youngest mayor at the time.
9	William Little	1839–1840	Independent
10	William W. Irwin	1840–1841	Whig	Later became a U.S. Ambassador.
11	James Thomson	1841–1842	Whig
12	Alexander Hay	1842–1845	Whig	Served in the Mexican War and Civil War after being mayor.
13	William J. Howard	1845–1846	Whig	Longtime president of a charity group.
14	William Kerr	1846–1847	Democrat
15	Gabriel Adams	1847–1849	Whig	Later became a state judge.
16	John Herron	1849–1850	Whig	A hero from the Mexican War.
17	Joseph Barker	1850–1851	People's and Anti-Catholic	Elected while in jail for causing riots.
18	John B. Guthrie	1851–1853	Democrat	Father of a future mayor, George W. Guthrie.
19	Robert M. Riddle	1853–1854	Whig	Formerly Pittsburgh's Postmaster.
20	Ferdinand E. Volz	1854–1856	Whig	Led the city's response to a cholera outbreak.
21	William Bingham	1856–1857	American
22	Henry A. Weaver	1857–1860	Republican
23	George Wilson	1860–1862	Republican	Formerly a director for Pittsburgh Public Schools.
24	Benair C. Sawyer	1862–1864	Republican	Later made a fortune in mining.
25	James Lowry, Jr.	1864–1866	Union City
26	William C. McCarthy	1866–1868	Republican	A well-known city firefighter.
27	James Blackmore	1868–1869	Workingmen's
28	Jared M. Brush	1869–1872	Republican	Served as a minister during the Civil War.
29	James Blackmore	1872–1875	Democrat	Served a second term as mayor.
30	William C. McCarthy	1875–1878	Republican	Served a second term as mayor.
31	Robert Liddell	1878–1881	Democrat	Was a brewer before and after his term.
32	Robert W. Lyon	1881–1884	Democrat	Earned two Purple Hearts in the Civil War.
33	Andrew Fulton	1884–1887	Republican	Former city councilman.
34	William McCallin	1887–1890	Republican	Former County Coroner and Sheriff.
35	Henry I. Gourley	1890–1893	Republican	Former city councilman.
36	Bernard J. McKenna	1893–1896	Democrat	Former city councilman and firefighter.
37	Henry P. Ford	1896–1899	Republican	An industrialist.
38	William J. Diehl	1899–1901	Republican	Resigned from office.
39	Adam M. Brown	1901	Republican	A former judge.
40	Joseph O. Brown	1901–1903	Republican	Died while in office.
41	William B. Hays	1903–1906	Citizens / Democrat	An industrialist.
42	George W. Guthrie	1906–1909	Democrat	Son of former mayor John B. Guthrie.
43	William A. Magee	1909–1914	Republican	Former city councilman.
44	Joseph G. Armstrong	1914–1918	Republican	Nicknamed "Joe the Builder" for his public works projects.
45	Edward V. Babcock	1918–1922	Republican	Purchased land for county parks.
46	William A. Magee	1922–1926	Republican	Served a second term as mayor.
47	Charles H. Kline	1926–1933	Republican	Resigned due to political pressure.
48	John S. Herron	1933–1934	Republican	Former City Council President.
49	William N. McNair	1934–1936	Democrat	Known for his honesty.
50	Cornelius D. Scully	1936–1946	Democrat	Former City Council President.
51	David L. Lawrence	1946–1959	Democrat	Considered one of the greatest American mayors.
52	Thomas Gallagher	1959	Democrat	Became mayor at age 75.
53	Joseph M. Barr	1959–1970	Democrat	Former State Senator.
54	Peter F. Flaherty	1970–1977	Democrat	Resigned to work for the U.S. Attorney General.
55	Richard Caliguiri	1977–1988	Independent Democrat	Died while in office.
56	Sophie Masloff	1988–1994	Democrat	Began her career in Pittsburgh politics at age 18.
57	Thomas J. Murphy, Jr.	1994–2006	Democrat	Lectures internationally about cities.
58	Bob O'Connor	2006	Democrat	Died while in office.
59	Luke Ravenstahl	2006–2014	Democrat	Became mayor at age 26, making him the youngest mayor of a large city.
60	Bill Peduto	2014–2022	Democrat	Former city councilman.
61	Ed Gainey	2022–present	Democrat	Became the first African-American mayor of Pittsburgh.

Mayors with the Longest Terms

Some mayors have served for many years. Here are the ones with the longest times in office:

13 years (1946–1959) – David L. Lawrence
12 years (1994–2006) – Thomas J. Murphy, Jr.
11 years and 1 month (1977–1988) – Richard Caliguiri
10 years and 1 month (1959–1970) – Joseph M. Barr
9 years and 3 months (1936–1946) – Cornelius D. Scully
8 years and 9 months (1909–1914, 1922–1926) – William A. Magee
8 years (2014–2022) – Bill Peduto
7 years and 11 months (1817–1825) – John Darragh
7 years and 4 months (2006–2014) – Luke Ravenstahl
7 years and >3 months (1970–1977) – Peter F. Flaherty
7 years and <3 months (1926–1933) – Charles H. Kline

These terms are rounded to the nearest month.

List of mayors of Pittsburgh facts for kids

Contents

Early Leaders: Chief Burgesses (1794–1813)

Mayors of Pittsburgh (since 1816)

Mayors with the Longest Terms

See also