List of mayors of Savannah, Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of Savannah
Incumbent Van R. Johnson since January 1, 2020
Style	The Honorable
Term length	4 years, no term limits
Inaugural holder	John Houstoun
Formation	1790
Salary	$78,898

The mayor is the most important elected leader in Savannah, Georgia. This person is in charge of the city government. Since Savannah became a city in 1789, there have been 67 different mayors.

In 1958, people voted to change the mayor's term from two years to four years. This means mayors now serve for four years before the next election. Mayoral elections happen every four years and are non-partisan, meaning candidates don't run as members of a specific political party.

Who Are Savannah's Mayors?

Savannah has a long history of mayors, each helping to shape the city. Some mayors served during important times, like after the American Civil War. Others made history by being the first of their kind to hold the office.

Important Mayors in Savannah's History

Here are some of the mayors who made a big impact on Savannah:

• 

  Mayor Edward Clifford Anderson served after the Civil War.
• 

  Mayor Julius Curtis Lewis Jr. was the first Republican mayor in a long time.
• 

  Mayor Floyd Adams Jr. was Savannah's first African-American mayor.

A Look at Savannah's Leaders Over Time

The table below shows a list of Savannah's mayors, from the very first one to the current mayor. It also shows when they served and their political party.

#	Portrait	Mayor	Term Start	Term End	Terms		Party	Notes
1		John Houstoun	1790	1791	1		None
2		Thomas Gibbons	1791	1792	1		None
3		Joseph Habersham	1792	1793	1		None
4		William Stephens	1793	1794	1		None
(2)		Thomas Gibbons	1794	1795	1		None
(4)		William Stephens	1795	1796	1		None
5		John Noel	1796	1797	1		None
6		John Glen	1797	1798	1		None
7		Matthew McAllister	1798	1799	1		Democratic-Republican
(2)		Thomas Gibbons	1799	1801	2		Democratic-Republican
8		David B. Mitchell	1801	1802	1		Democratic-Republican
9		Charles Harris	1802	1804	2		Democratic-Republican
(5)		John Noel	1804	1807	3		Democratic-Republican
10		William Davies	1807	1807	1⁄2		Democratic-Republican
(9)		Charles Harris	1807	1808	1⁄2		Democratic-Republican
11		John Williamson	1808	1809	1		Democratic-Republican
12		William Bulloch	1809	1811	2		Democratic-Republican
13		Thomas Mendenhall Jr.	1811	1811	1⁄2		Democratic-Republican
(12)		William Bulloch	1811	1812	1⁄2		Democratic-Republican
14		George Jones	1812	1814	2		Democratic-Republican
(7)		Matthew McAllister	1814	1815	Partial		Democratic-Republican
15		Thomas Charlton	1815	1817	2 1⁄2		Democratic-Republican
16		James Wayne	1817	1819	2		Democratic-Republican
(15)		Thomas Charlton	1819	1821	1 1⁄2		Democratic-Republican
17		James Morrison	1821	1824	3 1⁄2		Democratic-Republican
18		William Daniell	1824	1826	2		Jacksonian
19		Joseph W. Jackson	1826	1828	2		Jacksonian
20		William T. Williams	1828	1830	2		Democratic
21		William Waring	1830	1832	2		Democratic
22		George W. Owens	1832	1833	Partial		Democratic
(20)		William T. Williams	1833	1834	1 1⁄2		Democratic
23		William Gordon	1834	1836	1 1⁄2		Democratic
24		William Cuyler	1836	1836	1⁄2		Democratic
25		John Nicoll	1836	1837	1		Democratic
26		Matthew H. McAllister	1837	1839	1 1⁄2		Democratic
27		Robert M. Charlton	1839	1841	2 1⁄2		Democratic
(20)		William T. Williams	1841	1842	1		Democratic
28		Richard Arnold	1842	1843	1		Whig
(20)		William T. Williams	1843	1844	1		Democratic
29		Richard Wayne	1844	1845	1		Democratic
30		Henry Burroughs	1845	1848	3		Whig
(29)		Richard Wayne	1848	1851	3		Democratic
(28)		Richard Arnold	1851	1852	1		Whig
(29)		Richard Wayne	1852	1853	1		Democratic
31		John Elliott Ward	1853	1854	1		Democratic
32		Edward C. Anderson	1854	1856	2		American
33		James Screven	1856	1857	1		Democratic
(29)		Richard Wayne †	1857	1858	Partial		Democratic
34		Thomas Turner	1858	1859	1 1⁄2		Democratic
(28)		Richard Arnold	1859	1860	1		American
35		Charles Jones	1860	1861	1		Democratic (Southern)
36		Thomas Purse	1861	1862	1		Democratic (Southern)
37		Thomas Holcombe	1862	1863	1		Democratic (Southern)
(28)		Richard Arnold	1863	1865	1		Democratic (Southern)
(32)		Edward C. Anderson	1865	1869	4		Democratic
38		John Screven	1869	1873	4		Democratic
(32)		Edward C. Anderson	1873	1877	2		Democratic
39		John Wheaton	1877	1883	3		Democratic
40		Rufus E. Lester	1883	1889	3		Democratic
41		John Schwarz	1889	1891	1		Democratic
42		John McDonough	1891	1895	2		Democratic
43		Herman Myers	1895	1897	1		Democratic
44		Peter Meldrim	1897	1899	1		Democratic
(43)		Herman Myers	1899	1907	4		Democratic
45		George Tiedeman	1907	1913	3		Democratic
46		Richard Davant †	1913	1915	1 1⁄2		Democratic
47		Wallace Pierpont	1915	1919	1 1⁄2		Democratic
48		Murray Stewart	1919	1923	2		Democratic
49		Paul Seabrook	1923	1925	1		Democratic
50		Robert Hull †	1925	1927	1 1⁄2		Democratic
51		Thomas Hoynes	1927	1929	1⁄2		Democratic
52		Gordon Saussy	1929	1931	1 1⁄2		Democratic
(51)		Thomas Hoynes	1931	1933	1⁄2		Democratic
53		Thomas Gamble	1933	1937	2		Democratic
54		Robert M. Hitch	1937	1939	1		Democratic
(53)		Thomas Gamble †	1939	1945	3 1⁄2		Democratic
55		Peter Roe Nugent	1945	1947	1 1⁄2		Democratic
56		John G. Kennedy	1947	1949	1		Democratic
57		Olin Fulmer	1949	1955	3		Democratic
58		Lee Mingledorff, Jr.	1955	1960	3		Democratic	First elected to a two-year term where he served from January 24, 1955 until January 21, 1957. Relected to a second two-year term beginning January 21, 1957. In 1958, the city shifted to a four-year mayoral term and a special election was held. Mingledorff won re-election to a 4-year term running from October 6, 1958 to October 1, 1962. He resigned prematurely on August 1, 1960 with the remainder of his term completed by vice-mayor Maclean.
59		Malcolm R. Maclean	1960	1966	2		Democratic
60		J.C. Lewis, Jr.	1966	1970	1		Republican
61		John Rousakis	1970	1992	5		Democratic	First Greek-American mayor
62		Susan Weiner	1992	1996	1		Republican	First female mayor
63		Floyd Adams, Jr.	1996	2004	2		Democratic	First African-American mayor
64		Otis Johnson	2004	2012	2		Democratic
65		Edna Jackson	2012	2016	1		Democratic	First African-American female mayor
66		Eddie DeLoach	2016	2020	1		Republican
67		Van R. Johnson	2020	Incumbent	1		Democratic

See also

• Savannah, Georgia
• Timeline of Savannah, Georgia
• Garden City, Georgia
• List of mayors of Garden City, Georgia
• List of mayors of Atlanta
• List of mayors of Augusta, Georgia
• List of mayors of Columbus, Georgia
• List of mayors of Macon, Georgia