List of mayors of Long Beach, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of Long Beach
Flag of Long Beach
Seal of Long Beach
Incumbent Rex Richardson since December 20, 2022
Term length	Four years (two terms with unlimited opportunities to run as a write-in candidate to a maximum of three terms within a lifetime)
Precursor	President of the Board of Trustees
Inaugural holder	Charles H. Windham

The mayor of a city is like the main leader or boss of that city. They help make important decisions and lead the city government. This page lists all the people who have been the mayor of Long Beach, California.

The person who is currently the mayor of Long Beach is Rex Richardson. He started his job on December 20, 2022. He is the first African American person to be the mayor of Long Beach, which is a big step!

How Long Beach Got Its Mayors

Before Long Beach had a "mayor," the person in charge was called the "President of the Board of Trustees." The official title of "mayor" was created in 1908. This happened after the city finished writing its new city charter, which is like a rulebook for how the city runs.

For many years, until 1988, the mayor was chosen in a different way. The people didn't vote for the mayor directly. Instead, the city council members would choose one of themselves to be the mayor. This is called being "indirectly elected."

Then, in 1988, things changed! Ernie Kell was the first mayor to be "directly elected." This means the people of Long Beach got to vote for their mayor themselves.

Who Has Been Mayor of Long Beach?

This table shows all the people who have served as mayor of Long Beach, California, and when they were in office.

Term	Image	Name
1908 – 1912		Charles H. Windham
1912 – 1914		Ira S. Hatch
1914 – 1915		Louis N. Whealton
1915 – 1921		William T. Lisenby
1921 – 1924		Charles A. Buffum
1924 – 1926		Ray R. Clark
1926 – 1927		Fillmore Condit
1927 – 1930		Oscar Hauge
1930 – 1933		Asa E. Fickling
1933 – 1934		M. E. Paddock
1934 – 1936		Carl Fletcher
1936 – 1938		Thomas M. Eaton
1938 – 1939		Clarence E. Wagner
1939 – 1942		Francis H. Gentry
1942 – 1945		Clarence E. Wagner
1945 – 1947		Herbert E. Lewis
1947 – 1953		Burton W. Chace
1953 – 1954		Lyman B. Sutter
1954 – 1957		George Vermillion
1957 – 1960		Ray C. Kealer
1960 – 1975		Edwin W. Wade
1975 – 1980		Thomas Clark
1980 – 1982		Eunice Sato
1982 – 1984		Thomas Clark
1984 – 1994		Ernie Kell
1994 – 2006		Beverly O'Neill
2006 – 2014		Robert "Bob" Foster
2014 – 2022		Robert Garcia
2022 – Present		Rex Richardson

See also

• Timeline of Long Beach, California