Mayor of Hartford, Connecticut facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mayor of Hartford, Connecticut |
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Incumbent
Arunan Arulampalam since January 1, 2024 |
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| Formation | June 18, 1774 |
| First holder | Thomas Seymour |
The mayor is the top leader of the city of Hartford, Connecticut. This person works to make Hartford a great place to live. They help guide the city's future.
This page lists all the people who have served as mayor of Hartford. It also shows their political groups and when they were in office.
Contents
How Hartford's Mayor's Role Changed
Hartford's city government has changed over time. In 1947, the city switched from a system where the mayor and city council shared power. It moved to a system where a professional city manager ran the daily operations.
At first, the mayor was chosen from the city council members. But starting in 1969, people began to vote directly for the mayor. This meant the mayor was elected by everyone in the city.
From "Weak Mayor" to "Strong Mayor"
For many years, Hartford had what was called a "weak mayor" system. In this system, the mayor had limited power. For example, the mayor did not get to vote in city council meetings. They could only veto (block) decisions made by the council.
The city council was in charge of hiring or firing the city manager. The mayor had no official say in this. Also, the city manager appointed and supervised most department heads. The mayor could only hire their own secretary.
People wanted to change this system. They felt the city faced many challenges. These included a shrinking population and issues with city services. They believed a "strong mayor" system would help fix these problems.
In a "strong mayor" system, the mayor would have more power. They would be the main leader of the city. This would help them make bigger changes.
Efforts to Change the City's Rules
In the 1990s and early 2000s, there were attempts to update Hartford's city charter. The city charter is like the city's rulebook. These changes aimed to give the mayor more power.
In 2000, a group suggested big changes. They wanted to get rid of the city manager role. They also wanted the mayor to be the chief executive of the city. This means the mayor would be in charge of running everything. The mayor's salary would also increase.
These proposed changes were put to a vote. Most people who voted supported them. However, not enough registered voters participated, so the changes did not pass that time.
The Shift to a Strong Mayor System
In 2002, Mayor Eddie A. Perez took office. He strongly believed in a "strong mayor" government. He created a new group to review the city charter again.
This group suggested many of the same changes as before. They wanted the mayor to be the chief executive and chief operating officer. This would mean the mayor would oversee all city departments. The mayor would also appoint most of the school board members and all department heads. They would also prepare the city's yearly budget.
On November 5, 2002, these new changes were put to a vote. About 77% of voters approved them. These changes officially started with the 2003 election. Since then, Hartford has had a "strong mayor" system.
List of Mayors of Hartford
The table below lists the people who have served as mayor of Hartford, Connecticut.
| # | Name | Party | Served | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas Seymour | Federalist | June 18, 1774 – May 28, 1812 | Resigned |
| 2 | Chauncey Goodrich | Federalist | June 8, 1812 – September 9, 1815 | Died in office; Served simultaneously as Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut |
| 3 | Jonathan Brace | Federalist | September 9, 1815 – November 22, 1824 | |
| 4 | Nathaniel Terry | Whig | November 22, 1824 – March 28, 1831 | |
| 5 | Thomas Scott Williams | Whig | March 28, 1831 – April 27, 1835 | |
| 6 | Henry Leavitt Ellsworth | Democratic | April 27, 1835 – June 15, 1835 | Resigned |
| 7 | Jared Griswold | Whig | June 15, 1835 – November 22, 1835 | Died in office |
| 8 | Jeremy Hoadley | Whig | November 23, 1835 – April 18, 1836 | |
| 9 | Henry Hudson | Whig | April 18, 1836 – April 20, 1840 | |
| 10 | Thomas Kimberly Brace | Whig | April 20, 1840 – April 17, 1843 | Resigned |
| 11 | Amos M. Collins | Democratic | April 17, 1843 – April 19, 1847 | |
| 12 | Philip Ripley | Democratic | April 19, 1847 – April 21, 1851 | |
| 13 | Ebenezer Flower | Democratic | April 21, 1851 – April 18, 1853 | |
| 14 | William Jas. Hamersley | Democratic | April 18, 1853 – April 17, 1854 | |
| 15 | Henry C. Deming | Democratic | April 17, 1854 – April 12, 1858 | |
| 16 | Timothy M. Allyn | Republican | April 12, 1858 – April 8, 1860 | |
| 17 | Henry C. Deming | Democratic | April 9, 1860 – February 27, 1862 | Resigned |
| 18 | Charles S. Benton | Democratic | February 10, 1852 – April 14, 1862 | Elected by Common Council |
| 19 | William Jas. Hamersley | Democratic | April 14, 1862 – April 11, 1864 | |
| 20 | Allyn S. Stillman | Republican | April 11, 1864 – April 9, 1866 | |
| 21 | Charles R. Chapman | Democratic | April 9, 1866 – April 1, 1872 | |
| 22 | Henry C. Robinson | Republican | April 1, 1872 – April 6, 1874 | |
| 23 | Joseph H. Sprague | Democratic | April 6, 1874 – April 1, 1878 | |
| 24 | George G. Sumner | Democratic | April 1, 1878 – April 5, 1880 | |
| 25 | Morgan Bulkeley | Republican | April 5, 1880– April 2, 1888 | |
| 26 | John G. Root | Republican | April 2, 1888 – April 7, 1890 | |
| 27 | Henry C. Dwight | Republican | April 7, 1890 – April 4, 1892 | |
| 28 | William Waldo Hyde | Democratic | April 4, 1892 – April 2, 1894 | |
| 29 | Leveret Brainard | Republican | April 2, 1894 – April 6, 1896 | |
| 30 | Miles B. Preston | Democratic | April 6, 1896 – April 2, 1900 | |
| 31 | Alexander Harbison | Republican | April 2, 1900 – April 7, 1902 | |
| 32 | Ignatius A. Sullivan | Democratic | April 7, 1902 – April 4, 1904 | |
| 33 | William F. Henney | Republican | April 4, 1904 – April 7, 1908 | |
| 34 | Edward W. Hooker | Republican | April 7, 1908 – April 5, 1910 | |
| 35 | Edward L. Smith | Democratic | April 5, 1910 – April 2, 1912 | |
| 36 | Louis R. Cheney | Republican | April 2, 1912 – April 7, 1914 | |
| 37 | Joseph H. Lawler | Democratic | April 7, 1914 – April 4, 1916 | |
| 38 | Frank A. Hagarty | Republican | April 7, 1916 – April 7, 1918 | |
| 39 | Richard J. Kinsella | Democratic | April 2, 1918 – April 4, 1920 | |
| 40 | Newton C. Brainard | Republican | April 6, 1920 – May 2, 1922 | |
| 41 | Richard J. Kinsella | Democratic | April 4, 1922 – April 6, 1924 | |
| 42 | Norman C. Stevens | Republican | April 1, 1924 – May 1, 1928 | |
| 43 | Walter E. Batterson | Republican | April 3, 1928 – December 1, 1931 | |
| 44 | William J. Rankin | Democratic | November 3, 1931 – December 4, 1933 | |
| 45 | Joseph W. Beach | Republican | November 7, 1933 – December 3, 1935 | |
| 46 | John A. Pilgard | Democratic | November 5, 1935 – November 14, 1935 | Died before taking oath of office |
| 47 | Thomas J. Spellacy | Democratic | December 3, 1935 – June 18, 1943 | Elected to first term by Common Council; resigned in fourth term. |
| 48 | Dennis P. O'Connor | Democratic | June 24, 1943 – December 7, 1943 | Elected by Common Council |
| 49 | William H. Mortensen | Republican | December 7, 1943 – December 4, 1945 | |
| 50 | Cornelius A. Moylan | Republican | December 4, 1945 – December 24, 1946 | Died in office |
| 51 | Edward N. Allen | Republican | January 3, 1947 – January 6, 1948 | Elected by Common Council |
| 52 | Cyril Coleman | Democratic | January 6, 1948 – December 4, 1951 | |
| 53 | Joseph V. Cronin | Democratic | December 4, 1951 – December 1, 1953 | |
| 54 | Dominick J. DeLucco | Democratic | 1953–1955 | |
| 55 | Joseph V. Cronin | Democratic | 1955–1957 | |
| 56 | James H. Kinsella | Democratic | 1957–1960 | |
| 57 | Dominick J. DeLucco | Democratic | November 14, 1960 – December 5, 1961 | Deputy mayor, succeeded to office |
| 58 | William E. Glynn | Democratic | December 5, 1961 – December 7, 1965 | |
| 59 | George B. Kinsella | Democratic | December 7, 1965 – December 5, 1967 | |
| 60 | Antonina Uccello | Republican | December 5, 1967 – April 12, 1971 | Resigned to take U.S. Department of Transportation post; City's first female mayor; first female mayor of a state capital |
| 61 | George A. Athanson | Democratic | April 12, 1971 – December 1, 1981 | Deputy mayor, succeeded to office |
| 62 | Thirman L. Milner | Democratic | December 1, 1981 – December 1, 1987 | City's first black mayor, and first black elected mayor in New England |
| 63 | Carrie Saxon Perry | Democratic | December 1, 1987 – December 7, 1993 | City's first black female mayor, and first black female elected mayor of a major Northeastern city |
| 64 | Michael P. Peters | Democratic | December 7, 1993 – December 4, 2001 | |
| 65 | Eddie A. Perez | Democratic | December 4, 2001 – June 26, 2010 | Resigned from office |
| 66 | Pedro Segarra | Democratic | June 26, 2010 – December 31, 2015 | City Council president, succeeded Perez |
| 67 | Luke Bronin | Democratic | January 1, 2016–December 31, 2023 | |
| 68 | Arunan Arulampalam | Democratic | January 1, 2024–present |
See also
- Mayoral elections in Hartford, Connecticut
