List of mayors of Wilmington, Delaware facts for kids

The mayor of Wilmington, Delaware is like the chief boss of the city government. They are in charge of making sure the city runs smoothly, following the rules set out in the city's special document called a charter. The person who will be the mayor of Wilmington starting in 2025 is John Carney.

The Mayors of Wilmington

Wilmington's first mayor, Richard H. Bayard

William G. Whiteley, the 20th mayor

Wilmington has had many leaders over the years. Before it was officially a "city" with a mayor, it was a "borough" led by someone called a Chief Burgess. Let's explore the history of these important leaders!

Early Leaders: The Borough of Wilmington

The story of Wilmington's leaders began in 1739. That's when William Penn gave Wilmington its first official charter, making it a "borough." A borough is like a town with its own local government. The leader of a borough was called a Chief Burgess. These leaders helped guide Wilmington for many years before it became a city.

The Mayors of the City of Wilmington

In 1832, Wilmington officially became a "city." This meant it got a new type of leader: the mayor! The first mayor was Richard Bayard. Over the years, many different people have served as mayor, helping Wilmington grow and change.

Mayors of Wilmington, Delaware

Rank	Image	Mayor	Start	End	Party	What they did
1		Richard Bayard	1832	1834	Whig	Wilmington became a city in 1832.
2		Nicholas Williamson	1834	1843	Whig
3		David C. Wilson	1843	1845	Whig
4		Alexander Porter	1845	1848	Whig
5		William Huffington	1848	1850	Democratic
6		Joshua Driver	1850	1851
7		Columbus Evans	1851	1852	Whig	He was an editor for a newspaper.
8		William Hemphill Jones	1852	1853		He was the first mayor chosen by popular vote.
9		John Alderdice	1853	1854		He published The Journal newspaper.
10		Heyward, James F.	1854	1855
11		William Wiggins	1855	1856
12		William Huffington	1856	1857	Democratic	Served more than one time.
13		George Sparks	1857	1858
14		Thomas Young	1858	1860
15		Vincent Glipin	1860	1863
16		John Turner	1863	1865
17		Joshua Maris	1865	1867
18		Joshua Valentine	1867	1872
19		Joshua Simms	1872	1875	Democratic
20		William G. Whiteley	1875	1878	Democratic
21		John Allmond	1878	1882
22		John Wales	1882	1885		His father was a Senator.
23		Calvin Rhoads	1885	1891	Democratic	He was a choir director.
		Sandsbury Wiley	1891	1893	Republican	The term for mayor changed to two years.
		E. G. Shortridge	1893	1894	Republican
		Charles Jefferies	1895	?	Democratic
		John Fahey	1899	?	Democratic
		George Fisher	1903	1903
		Charles Bird	1903	?	Democratic
		Horace Wilson	1905	1907	Republican
		Harrison Howell	1911	1915	Republican
		John Lawson	1919	?
		LeRoy Harvey	1921	1923?		He started the Wilmington Music School.
		William Taylor	?	1925	Republican	He was lost at sea.
		George Forrest	1923	1931		He was the first intern at Delaware Hospital.
		Frank Sparks	1931	1933	Republican
		William Speer	1933	1935	Democratic
		Walter Bacon	1935	1940	Republican	He left to become governor.
		Albert James	1941	1944	Republican	He finished Gov. Bacon's term.
		Thomas Herlihy	1945	1946	Republican	He left to become a Chief Judge.
		Joseph Wilson	1947	1949	Republican
		James Hearn	1949	1953	Republican
		August Walz	1954	1955	Republican
47		Eugene Lammot	1957	1960	Democratic	He left to become Lt. Governor.
48		John Baribarz	1961	1969	Democratic	He was mayor during the 1968 Occupation.
49		Harry Haskell	1969	1973	Republican
50		Thomas Maloney	1973	1977	Democratic
51		William McLaughlin	1977	1984	Democratic
52		Daniel Frawley	1985	1993	Democratic	A stadium is named after him: Frawley Stadium.
53		James Sills	1993	2001	Democratic	He was the first African American mayor.
54		James Baker	2001	2013	Democratic	He was the first mayor to serve three 4-year terms.
55		Dennis Williams	2013	2017	Democratic	He also served in the Delaware House of Representatives.
56		Mike Purzycki	2017	2025	Democratic	He helped make the Riverfront area much better.
57		John Carney	2025	Incumbent	Democratic	He will be the first mayor who was also a State Governor.

See also

• Timeline of Wilmington, Delaware
• List of governors of Delaware
• List of lieutenant governors of Delaware
• List of United States senators from Delaware
• List of United States representatives from Delaware