List of mayors of Tampa, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mayor of Tampa |
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Flag of the City of Tampa
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Seal of the City of Tampa
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 Jane Castor since May 1, 2019 |
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| Style | The Honorable |
| Term length | 4 years limited to two consecutive terms |
| Inaugural holder | Joseph B. Lancaster |
| Formation | 1856 |
| Salary | $160,384 |
The Mayor is the top elected leader in Tampa, Florida. They are in charge of running the city government and making important decisions for the people of Tampa. Since Tampa became a city in 1856, there have been 59 different mayors. For a few years during the American Civil War, from 1862 to 1866, Tampa didn't have a mayor because the city government was paused.
How Mayors Are Chosen
Choosing a mayor in Tampa has changed over time. In the past, there was a political group that made it very difficult for African American citizens to vote or have a say in who became mayor. This unfair system lasted from 1910 until 1947.
Since 1953, elections for mayor in Tampa have been non-partisan. This means that candidates don't run as members of a specific political party, like Democrat or Republican. All people who want to be mayor can enter the main election directly. They do have to say which party they usually support, but it's not part of the official election.
If no candidate wins more than half of the votes, the two candidates with the most votes have a second election. This second vote is called a runoff election, and it decides who becomes mayor.
How Long Mayors Serve
The length of time a mayor serves in Tampa has also changed over the years.
- From 1856 to 1896, mayors served for only one year.
- In 1896, the term was made longer, to two years.
- Then, in 1924, it was changed again to four years, which is how long it is today.
For a long time, from 1856 to 1920, a mayor could not serve two terms in a row. They had to take a break for at least one full term before they could run for mayor again. This is why some mayors served multiple times, but not right after each other. After 1920, there were no limits on how many terms a mayor could serve.
However, since 1983, there are rules about how many terms a mayor can serve. A mayor can serve a maximum of two terms in a row. If they want to be mayor again after that, they have to wait for at least one full four-year term before running for office again.
Past Mayors of Tampa
Tampa has had many leaders since it became a city. Here is a list of the people who have served as mayor.
| # | Mayor | Term start | Term end | Terms | ||
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| 1 | Joseph B. Lancaster † | February 14, 1856 | November 25, 1856 | 1⁄2 | American | |
| 2 | Darwin A. Branch (1st term) | November 25, 1856 | December 6, 1856 | Acting | American | |
| 3 | Alfonso DeLaunay | December 6, 1856 | February 9, 1857 | Partial | Democratic | |
| 4 | Darwin A. Branch (2nd term) | February 9, 1857 | February 10, 1858 | 1 | American | |
| 5 | Madison Post | February 10, 1858 | February 12, 1859 | 1 | American | |
| 6 | James McKay Sr. | February 12, 1859 | February 1, 1860 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 7 | John P. Crichton | February 1, 1860 | February 2, 1861 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 8 | Hamlin V. Snell | February 2, 1861 | February 3, 1862 | 1 | Democratic (Southern) | |
| 9 | John Jackson | February 3, 1862 | February 22, 1862 | Acting | Democratic (Southern) | |
| 10 | Edward A. Clarke | October 25, 1866 | January 1, 1867 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 11 | Josiah A. Ferris | January 1, 1867 | March 1, 1869 | 1 1⁄2 | Democratic | |
| 12 | John T. Lesley | March 1, 1869 | October 4, 1869 | 1⁄2 | Democratic | |
| / | John A. Henderson 1 | July 6, 1870 | mid 1872 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 13 | James E. Lipscomb | August 11, 1873 | August 13, 1876 | 3 | Democratic | |
| 14 | Harlan P. Lovering | August 14, 1876 | August 14, 1877 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 15 | Thomas Jackson (1st term) | August 14, 1877 | August 14, 1878 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 16 | John P. Wall | August 14, 1878 | August 14, 1880 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 17 | Henry C. Ferris | August 14, 1880 | February 19, 1881 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 18 | Matthew E. Haynsworth | February 19, 1881 | March 22, 1881 | Acting | Democratic | |
| 19 | George B. Sparkman (1st term) | March 22, 1881 | August 14, 1883 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 20 | Duff Post (1st term) | August 14, 1883 | August 13, 1886 | 3 | Democratic | |
| 21 | Herman Glogowski (1st term) | August 13, 1886 | July 15, 1887 | 1 | Republican | |
| 22 | George B. Sparkman (2nd term) | July 15, 1887 | March 8, 1888 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 23 | Herman Glogowski (2nd term) | March 8, 1888 | March 6, 1889 | 1 | Republican | |
| 24 | Thomas Jackson (2nd term) | March 6, 1889 | March 5, 1890 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 25 | Herman Glogowski (3rd term) | March 5, 1890 | March 4, 1891 | 1 | Republican | |
| 26 | Duff Post (2nd term) | March 4, 1891 | March 4, 1892 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 27 | Herman Glogowski (4th term) | March 4, 1892 | March 10, 1893 | 1 | Republican | |
| 28 | Frederick A. Salomonson (1st term) | March 10, 1893 | March 9, 1894 | 1 | Republican | |
| 29 | Robert W. Easley | March 9, 1894 | March 8, 1895 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 30 | Frederick A. Salomonson (2nd term) | March 8, 1895 | June 5, 1896 | 1 | Republican | |
| 31 | Myron E. Gillett | June 5, 1896 | June 5, 1898 | 1 | Republican | |
| 32 | Frank C. Bowyer | June 5, 1898 | June 8, 1900 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 33 | Francis L. Wing (1st term) | June 8, 1900 | June 4, 1902 | 1 | Independent | |
| 34 | James McKay Jr. | June 5, 1902 | June 5, 1904 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 35 | Frederick A. Salomonson (3rd term) | June 5, 1904 | June 7, 1906 | 1 | Republican | |
| 36 | William H. Frecker | June 8, 1906 | June 4, 1908 | 1 | Republican | |
| 37 | Francis L. Wing (2nd term) | June 4, 1908 | June 6, 1910 | 1 | Independent | |
| 38 | Donald B. Mckay (1st term) | June 6, 1910 | June 10, 1920 | 3 | White Municipal Party | |
| 39 | Horace Cadwell Gordon | June 10, 1920 | January 4, 1921 | 1⁄2 | White Municipal Party | |
| 40 | Charles H. Brown | January 4, 1921 | January 8, 1924 | 1 | White Municipal Party | |
| 41 | Perry G. Wall | January 8, 1924 | January 3, 1928 | 1 | White Municipal Party | |
| 42 | Donald B. Mckay (2nd term) | January 3, 1928 | October 27, 1931 | 1 | White Municipal Party | |
| 43 | Thomas N. Henderson | October 27, 1931 | November 3, 1931 | Partial | White Municipal Party | |
| 44 | Robert E. Lee Chancey | November 3, 1931 | November 3, 1943 | 3 | White Municipal Party | |
| 45 | Curtis Hixon † | November 3, 1943 | May 21, 1956 | 3 1⁄2 | White Municipal Party/Democratic | |
| 46 | Junie L. Young Jr. | May 21, 1956 | October 2, 1956 | Acting | Democratic | |
| 47 | Nick Nuccio (1st administration) | October 2, 1956 | October 1, 1959 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 48 | Julian Lane | October 1, 1959 | October 1, 1963 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 49 | Nick Nuccio (2nd administration) | October 1, 1963 | October 3, 1967 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 50 | Dick A. Greco (1st administration) | October 3, 1967 | April 1, 1974 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 51 | Richard L. Cheney † | April 1, 1974 | June 19, 1974 | Acting | Democratic | |
| 52 | Lloyd Copeland | June 19, 1974 | October 3, 1974 | Acting | Republican | |
| 53 | William F. Poe | October 3, 1974 | October 1, 1979 | 1 | Republican | |
| 54 | Bob Martinez | October 3, 1979 | July 16, 1986 | 1 1⁄2 | Democratic | |
| Republican | ||||||
| 55 | Sandra Freedman | July 16, 1986 | April 1, 1995 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 56 | Dick A. Greco (2nd administration) | April 1, 1995 | April 1, 2003 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 57 | Pam Iorio | April 1, 2003 | March 31, 2011 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 58 | Bob Buckhorn | April 1, 2011 | May 1, 2019 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 59 | Jane Castor | May 1, 2019 | Incumbent | 1 | Democratic |
See also
