Mayor of San Diego facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mayor of the City of San Diego |
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![]() Flag of San Diego
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![]() Seal of San Diego
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Term length | Four years, renewable once |
Inaugural holder | Joshua Bean |
Formation | 1850 |
Salary | $206,000 annually |
Website | Office of the Mayor |
The mayor of the City of San Diego is the main leader and chief executive of San Diego, California. The mayor's job is to make sure the laws passed by the San Diego City Council are followed. The mayor serves for four years and can be elected for two terms in a row.
Since 1850, when California became a state, 36 different people have been mayor of San Diego. Before California became a state, leaders called alcaldes served as mayors during the Spanish and Mexican times, starting in 1780. For a period from 1852 to 1888, there was no elected mayor. Instead, a group called a board of trustees ran the city. The head of this board was sometimes called "mayor" as a courtesy.
The most recent election was in November 2024. Todd Gloria was re-elected as the 37th mayor of San Diego.
Contents
History of San Diego's Mayors
The role of mayor was created when San Diego officially became a city on March 27, 1850. However, the city faced financial problems just two years later in 1852. Because of these money troubles, the State of California changed the city's government. They replaced the mayor and city council with a board of trustees.
The position of mayor was brought back with a new city plan in 1887. This plan was replaced by a permanent City Charter on May 6, 1889. This new system gave the mayor a lot of power, known as a strong mayor government.
In 1931, a different system was adopted. This was called a council–manager government. In this system, the mayor was the leader of the city council, but a city manager handled many of the daily operations.
In November 2004, voters decided to try the strong mayor system again for five years. This trial was made permanent in June 2010 after voters approved it.
Challenges and Changes
Over the years, some mayors have faced difficulties during their time in office.
- In 1985, Mayor Roger Hedgecock resigned due to issues related to how his election campaign was funded.
- In 2002, there were problems with how the city managed pensions for its employees. This led to Mayor Dick Murphy resigning.
- In 2005, two city council members, Ralph Inzunza and Michael Zucchet, resigned because of issues involving campaign contributions.
- In 2013, Mayor Bob Filner resigned after facing serious accusations.
- In 2016, Mayor Kevin Faulconer made a deal for a new City Hall building. This building turned out to have problems like Asbestos and other issues, making it unusable. This deal became a well-known example of political problems in San Diego.
What the Mayor Does
The mayor is the official leader of San Diego for all important city events and government duties. The mayor can approve or reject decisions made by the City Council. If the mayor rejects a decision, the council can still pass it with a two-thirds vote.
Under the strong mayor system, the mayor has the power to hire and fire the city manager. The mayor also guides the city manager's work. The mayor can also fire the chief of police or the chief of the fire department, though the council can overrule this. The mayor can suggest new laws or ideas to the City Council, but they do not vote on these items.
Every year, by January 15, the mayor gives a "State of the City" speech to the City Council. This speech talks about how the city is doing. The mayor must also propose a budget for the city by April 15. This budget shows how the city plans to spend its money.
The mayor's salary was set at $100,464 in 2003. In 2012, a commission suggested raising it to $235,000, but the City Council decided to keep it the same. In 2014, the commission again recommended no pay increase. Instead, they suggested that any future pay raises should not apply to council members who voted for them. This idea was approved. In November 2018, voters passed a measure that links future mayoral salaries to those of Superior Court judges. As of December 2020, the mayor's salary is $206,000.
How Mayors Are Elected
The mayor is chosen in a citywide election. The election has two parts. First, there is a primary election. The two candidates who get the most votes in the primary then go on to a final election, called the general election.
People can only write in a candidate's name during the primary election. The mayor serves a four-year term and can serve two terms in a row. Even though mayors are officially non-partisan (meaning they don't run as a specific political party), most candidates do say which party they prefer.
If the mayor's office becomes empty with less than a year left in the term, the City Council chooses someone to finish the term. If there is more than a year left, the City Council must call a special election. The person who gets the most votes in this special election becomes mayor. If no one gets a majority, a special run-off election is held between the top two candidates. While the mayor's office is empty, the president of the City Council acts as a temporary mayor with limited powers. If a mayor serves for two years or more of a partial term, it counts as one full term.
The most recent election was in November 2024. Todd Gloria was re-elected as the 37th mayor of San Diego. He won against police officer Larry Turner. Todd Gloria had also served as a temporary mayor before, when he was the City Council president after Bob Filner resigned in 2013.
List of Mayors
As of July 2025, 36 different people have served as mayor. There have been 37 mayoral terms because Edwin M. Capps served two terms that were not in a row. He is counted as both the ninth and sixteenth mayor.
The mayor who served the longest was Pete Wilson, who was mayor for eleven years over three terms. This was before there were limits on how many terms a mayor could serve. The shortest term was by George P. Tebbetts, who served for less than two months. His term ended when the mayor's position was removed because the city went bankrupt. Percy J. Benbough is the only mayor who died while in office.
Two women have been elected mayor: Maureen O'Connor and Susan Golding. They served one after the other. John F. Forward Sr. and John F. Forward Jr. are the only father and son to have both been mayor. Todd Gloria is the first mayor of color, with Filipino, Latino, and Native American background. He is also the first openly gay elected mayor.
This list includes people who served as acting or interim mayor when the office was empty. These temporary mayors are not counted in the total number of official mayoral terms.
No. | Mayor | Term in office
Elections |
Party | ||
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1 | ![]() |
Joshua Bean 1818–1852 (aged 33–34) |
June 17, 1850 | January 14, 1851 | Independent |
1850 | |||||
2 | ![]() |
David B. Kurtz 1819–1898 (aged 78–79) |
January 14, 1851 | January 10, 1852 | Whig |
1851 | |||||
3 | ![]() |
George P. Tebbetts 1828–1909 (aged 80–81) |
January 10, 1852 | February 28, 1852 | Independent |
1852 | |||||
Office abolished (1852–1888) | |||||
4 | ![]() |
William Jefferson Hunsaker 1855–1933 (aged 77) |
January 3, 1888 | November 13, 1888 | Workingmen's |
1887 | |||||
— | Martin D. Hamilton 1855–1922 (aged 66–67) |
November 13, 1888 | May 6, 1889 | Republican | |
N/A | |||||
5 | ![]() |
Douglas Gunn 1841–1891 (aged 50) |
May 6, 1889 | May 4, 1891 | Republican |
1889 | |||||
6 | ![]() |
Matthew Sherman 1827–1898 (aged 70) |
May 4, 1891 | May 1, 1893 | Republican |
1891 | |||||
7 | ![]() |
William H. Carlson 1864–1937 (aged 73) |
May 1, 1893 | May 3, 1897 | Independent |
1893, 1895 | |||||
8 | ![]() |
David C. Reed 1847–1928 (aged 81) |
May 3, 1897 | May 1, 1899 | Republican |
1897 | |||||
9 | ![]() |
Edwin M. Capps 1860–1938 (aged 77) |
May 1, 1899 | May 6, 1901 | Democratic |
1899 | |||||
10 | ![]() |
Frank P. Frary 1856–1911 (aged 54) |
May 6, 1901 | May 1, 1905 | Republican |
1901, 1903 | |||||
11 | ![]() |
John L. Sehon 1862–1913 (aged 50) |
May 1, 1905 | May 6, 1907 | Democratic |
1905 | |||||
12 | ![]() |
John F. Forward Sr. 1851–1926 (aged 75) |
May 6, 1907 | May 3, 1909 | Republican |
1907 | |||||
13 | ![]() |
Grant Conard 1867–1919 (aged 52) |
May 3, 1909 | May 1, 1911 | Republican |
1909 | |||||
14 | ![]() |
James E. Wadham 1865–1930 (aged 64–65) |
May 1, 1911 | May 5, 1913 | Democratic |
1911 | |||||
15 | ![]() |
Charles F. O'Neall 1875–1929 (aged 53) |
May 5, 1913 | May 3, 1915 | Democratic |
1913 | |||||
16 | ![]() |
Edwin M. Capps 1860–1938 (aged 77) |
May 3, 1915 | May 7, 1917 | Democratic |
1915 | |||||
17 | ![]() |
Louis J. Wilde 1865–1924 (aged 58) |
May 7, 1917 | May 2, 1921 | Republican |
1917, 1919 | |||||
18 | ![]() |
John L. Bacon 1878–1961 (aged 82) |
May 2, 1921 | May 2, 1927 | Republican |
1921, 1923, 1925 | |||||
19 | ![]() |
Harry C. Clark 1883–1950 (aged 67) |
May 2, 1927 | May 4, 1931 | Republican |
1927, 1929 | |||||
20 | ![]() |
Walter W. Austin 1880–1951 (aged 70) |
May 4, 1931 | May 2, 1932 | Republican |
1931 | |||||
21 | ![]() |
John F. Forward Jr. 1876–1938 (aged 61) |
May 2, 1932 | August 2, 1934 | Republican |
1932 | |||||
22 | ![]() |
Rutherford B. Irones 1877–1948 (aged 70) |
August 2, 1934 | February 1, 1935 | Republican |
N/A | |||||
— | ![]() |
Albert W. Bennett | February 1, 1935 | May 6, 1935 | Republican |
N/A | |||||
23 | ![]() |
Percy J. Benbough 1884–1942 (aged 58) |
May 6, 1935 | November 4, 1942 | Republican |
1935, 1939 | |||||
— | Fred W. Simpson | November 4, 1942 | November 30, 1942 | Republican | |
N/A | |||||
24 | ![]() |
Howard B. Bard 1870–1954 (aged 83) |
November 30, 1942 | May 3, 1943 | Democratic |
N/A | |||||
25 | ![]() |
Harley E. Knox 1899–1956 (aged 57) |
May 3, 1943 | May 7, 1951 | Independent |
1943, 1947 | |||||
26 | ![]() |
John D. Butler 1915–2010 (aged 94) |
May 7, 1951 | May 2, 1955 | Republican |
1951 | |||||
27 | ![]() |
Charles Dail 1909–1968 (aged 59) |
May 2, 1955 | December 2, 1963 | Democratic |
1955, 1959 | |||||
28 | ![]() |
Frank Curran 1912–1992 (aged 79) |
December 2, 1963 | December 6, 1971 | Democratic |
1963, 1967 | |||||
29 | ![]() |
Pete Wilson Born 1933 (91 years old) |
December 6, 1971 | January 3, 1983 | Republican |
1971, 1975, 1979 | |||||
— | Bill Cleator 1927–1993 (aged 65) |
January 3, 1983 | May 3, 1983 | Republican | |
N/A | |||||
30 | ![]() |
Roger Hedgecock Born 1946 (79 years old) |
May 3, 1983 | December 5, 1985 | Republican |
1983, 1984 | |||||
— | ![]() |
Ed Struiksma Born 1946 (78–79 years old) |
December 5, 1985 | June 3, 1986 | Republican |
N/A | |||||
31 | ![]() |
Maureen O'Connor Born 1946 (79 years old) |
June 3, 1986 | December 7, 1992 | Democratic |
1986, 1988 | |||||
32 | ![]() |
Susan Golding Born 1945 (79 years old) |
December 7, 1992 | December 4, 2000 | Republican |
1992, 1996 | |||||
33 | ![]() |
Dick Murphy Born 1942 (82 years old) |
December 4, 2000 | July 15, 2005 | Republican |
2000, 2004 | |||||
— | ![]() |
Michael Zucchet Born 1969 (55 years old) |
July 15, 2005 | July 18, 2005 | Democratic |
N/A | |||||
— | ![]() |
Toni Atkins Born 1962 (62 years old) |
July 18, 2005 | December 5, 2005 | Democratic |
N/A | |||||
34 | ![]() |
Jerry Sanders Born 1950 (75 years old) |
December 5, 2005 | December 3, 2012 | Republican |
2005, 2008 | |||||
35 | ![]() |
Bob Filner 1942–2025 (aged 82) |
December 3, 2012 | August 30, 2013 | Democratic |
2012 | |||||
— | ![]() |
Todd Gloria Born 1978 (47 years old) |
August 30, 2013 | March 3, 2014 | Democratic |
N/A | |||||
36 | ![]() |
Kevin Faulconer Born 1967 (58 years old) |
March 3, 2014 | December 10, 2020 | Republican |
2013–2014, 2016 | |||||
37 | ![]() |
Todd Gloria Born 1978 (47 years old) |
December 10, 2020 | Incumbent | Democratic |
2020, 2024 |