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List of longest-serving mayors in the United States

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Some of the longest-serving mayors in the United States are listed according to their length of service in that currently or has served in that part of the state or legislative office. The office of mayor is the highest ranking local official and responsibilities may vary from ceremonial (see weak mayor) to full-time responsibility for city operations (see strong mayor).

Current serving mayors

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A list of mayors still in office and ordered by their length of continuous service in that office. (If there is a break in their service, then this length is measured from their return to the office.)

The longest-serving current mayor of one of the 50 largest cities in the United States is Jean Stothert, who has been mayor of Omaha since June 10, 2013.

Years Name Municipality Notes
49 years, 255 days Margaret M. Doud Mackinac Island, Michigan Entered office on April 14, 1975.[1]
48 years, 355 days Robert Heidenescher Dupont, Ohio Entered office on January 5, 1976.[2]
48 years, 238 days William D. Tate Grapevine, Texas Entered office on May 1, 1973. Served May 1, 1973 – May 1, 1985 and May 1, 1988–present[3]
47–48 years Lamar Scroggs Oakwood, Georgia Entered office in 1976.[4]
47–48 years Harold Rainwater Wilmore, Kentucky Entered office in 1976.[5]
48 years, 359 days Rutledge B. Leland, III McClellanville, South Carolina Entered office in 1976.[6]
47 years, 48 days Robert Chatfield Prospect, Connecticut Entered office on November 7, 1977.
46–47 years Phil Williams McLemoresville, Tennessee Entered office in 1977.[7] He is the longest serving mayor in Tennessee history.
44–45 years Marvin Johnson Independence, Minnesota Entered office in 1979.
42–43 years Mary Hawkins Butler Madison, Mississippi Entered office in 1981.
43 years, 235 days Jeffery D. Schielke Batavia, Illinois Entered office on May 4, 1981.[8]
43 years, 238 days Gerald R. Bennett Palos Hills, Illinois Entered Office in 1981 [9]
43 years, 172 days Mark Anthony McClure Danville, West Virginia Entered office on July 6, 1981.
42 years, 54 days James V. Bender Jr Pollocksville, North Carolina Entered office on November 1, 1982.
41 years, 359 days William "Bill" McIntosh Moultrie, Georgia Entered office in 1983.
39 years, 233 days Duane Dawson Milan, Illinois Entered office on May 6, 1985.[10]
38–39 years Louie Davis Waldo, Florida Entered office in 1985.
38 years Dennis M. Clough Westlake, Ohio Entered office in 1986.[11]
37 years, 144 days Carlos López Rivera Dorado, Puerto Rico Entered office on August 3, 1987.
34 years, 49 days Dr. Ravi Bhasker Socorro, New Mexico Entered office on November 6, 1990.
34 years, 177 days Richard Turner Weehawken, New Jersey Entered office July 1, 1990[12]
33 years, 359 days James M. Cahill New Brunswick, New Jersey Entered office on January 1, 1991.[13]
31 years, 359 days J. Christian Bollwage Elizabeth, New Jersey Entered office on January 1, 1993.[14]
30 years, 357 days Dean J. Mazzarella Leominster, Massachusetts Entered office on January 3, 1994.

Former mayors

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A list of mayors in order of their total length of service. (If there is a break in their service, then this length is measured as the sum of their terms.)

Years Name Municipality Notes
63 years, 73 days Hilmar Moore Richmond, Texas Served from September 22, 1949, until his death on December 4, 2012.[15]
61 years, 111 days John H. Land Apopka, Florida Served from January 1, 1950, to January 1, 1968, and from January 1, 1971, to April 22, 2014.
60 years Charles E. Long Booneville, Kentucky Served from 1958 until his death on August 3, 2019.[16]
58 years, 233 days Robert Linn Beaver, Pennsylvania Served from January 2, 1946, to August 22, 2004.
60 years, 339 days Bruce Arnold Valparaiso, Florida Served from January 21, 1964, until his death on February 23, 2017.
56 years Paul Jurko Yankee Lake, Ohio Served from November, 1931 until his death on March 1, 1988.
54 years, 270 days Robert L. Butler Marion, Illinois Served from May 6, 1963[17] until his resignation on January 31, 2018.[18]
52 years Gerald Calabrese Cliffside Park, New Jersey Served from 1961 to 1963 and 1965 to 2015.[19][20]
52 years Frank Caliper Colp, Illinois Served from 1935 until his death on March 28, 1987.
52 years, 0 days John M. Coyne Brooklyn, Ohio Served from 1948 to January 2000.[21][Notes 1]
51 years, 102 days Donald Stephens Rosemont, Illinois First Mayor of Rosemont. Served from village's incorporation in 1956 to 2007.
51 years, 361 days Robert M. Blais Lake George, New York Served from April 5, 1971, to April 1, 2023.[22][23]
51 years, 182 days Dock Hulett Gabbert Derma, Mississippi Served from July 1, 1969, to December 30, 2020.[24]
50 years, 298 days Leonard Scarcella Stafford, Texas Served from September 4, 1969, until his death on June 28, 2020.[25]
50 years, 0 days Leonard T. Connors Surf City, New Jersey Served from 1966 to January 5, 2016.
48 years, 352 days Frank E. Rodgers Harrison, New Jersey Served from September 4, 1946, to August 22, 1995.
48 years, 19 days Randall Wise Niceville, Florida Served from August, 1972 until his death on January 20, 2020.
48 years John Lewis Gay Berea, Kentucky Served from 1910 to 1958.
47 years, 11 months Frank Kelly Collingdale, Pennsylvania Served from 1970 until his death on November 22, 2018.
47 years, 115 days Nicholas B. Blase Niles, Illinois Served from May 2, 1961, until his resignation on August 25, 2008.[26]
47 years, 104 days Milt Kramer Manchester, Iowa Served from September 19, 1974, to January 1, 2022.
43 years, 275 days Noel B. Cummings Hodgkins, Illinois Served from 1979 until his formal retirement was announced on Oct. 3, 2022 at the age of 95.[27]
46 years, 364 days H. Ford Gravitt Cumming, Georgia Served from January 1, 1971, to December 31, 2017.
46 years, 222 days Joseph Sieb Norridge, Illinois Served from November 14, 1951, until his death on June 23, 1998.[28]
44 years Charles "Sonny" Penhale Helena, Alabama Served from 1968 to 2012.[29]
44 years Thomas M. Tartt Livingston, Alabama Served from 1980 to February 22, 2024.
44 years Gerald H. Thompson Fitzgerald, Georgia Served from January 1, 1968, to January 1, 2012.
43–44 years Richard A. Mola Elmwood Park, New Jersey Served from 1972 until his death in 2016.[30]
43 years, 0 days Paul W. Cassidy Parma Heights, Ohio Served from January, 1958 to January, 2001.[31]
42 years, 0 days Tom Reid Pearland, Texas Served from 1978 to 1990 and 1993 to May, 2020.
42–43 years Gary W. Starr Middleburg Heights, Ohio Entered office in 1981.
41 years, 146 days Erastus Corning II Albany, New York Served from January 2, 1942, to May 28, 1983.
41 years, 239 days Harold Wayne Ford Galva, KS Served from June 6, 1977, to January 31, 2019. He was the longest serving mayor of Galva, KS.[32]
41 years Glenn L. Sisco Kinnelon, New Jersey Served from 1969 to 2010.[33]
40 years George C. Clanton Tappahannock, Virginia Served from 1948 to 1988
40 years, 27 days Joseph P. Riley Jr. Charleston, South Carolina Served from December 15, 1975, to January 11, 2016.[34]
39–40 years Louis Bay 2nd Hawthorne, New Jersey Served from 1947 to 1987.
39 years, 363 days William W. Dickinson Jr. Wallingford, Connecticut Served from January 2, 1984, to December 31, 2023.
39 years, 100 days John Ferrero City of Industry, California Served from Industry's incorporation in 1957 till his death on September 26, 1996.[35]
37–38 years James Eagan Florissant, Missouri Served from 1963 to 2000.
36 years Ross Aragon Pagosa Springs, Colorado Served from 1978 to 2014
36 years Randall Ramsey Parma, Missouri Served from 1962 to 1974 and from 1991 to 2015.[36]
35 years, 362 days Orville L. Hubbard Dearborn, Michigan Served from 1942 to 1978.
35 years, 54 days Edward J. Zabrocki Tinley Park, Illinois Served from May 1, 1981, until his resignation in June, 2016.
34–35 years Willis Conner Dexter, Missouri Served for about 35 years.[37]
34–35 years Glendel Stephenson Mebane, North Carolina Served from 1975 to 1983 and 1993 to 2019.[38][39]
33 years, 10 months David W. Smith Newark, California Served from March 1978 to December 2011[40][41]
33 years, 3 months Joseph Barabe Mellen, Wisconsin Served from April 1987 to April 2001 and April 2003 to July 2022
33 years Richard A. Nowack Oak Grove, Illinois Served from May 1978 until his death on September 20, 2011.[42]
33 years Joseph Smith East Newark, New Jersey Served from 1987 to 2020[43]
32 years Anthony Vacco Evergreen Park, Illinois Served from 1969 to 2001.
32 years Shawn Hogan Hornell, New York Served from 1985 to 2017.
32 years Kenneth J. Sims Euclid, Ohio Served from 1938 until his retirement in June 1970[44]
31 years, 6 months James A. Anzaldi Clifton, New Jersey Entered office July 1, 1990 and left office on December 31, 2022[45][46]
30 years, 33 days Frank Hague Jersey City, New Jersey Served from 1917 to 1947.
30 years Richard Homrighausen Dover, Ohio Served from 1992 until his suspension from office in May 2022
30 years Emmett Dofner Jr. McClelland, Iowa Served from 1987 until his death on May 2, 2017.[47]
29 years, 354 days Daniel R. Brooks North College Hill, Ohio Served from January 1, 1984, until his resignation on December 21, 2013[48]
29 years, 201 days Dr. LeRoy G. Suire Erath, Louisiana Served from 1961 to 1990.
29 years, 39 days Willie Oswalt Lake City, Georgia Served from 1989 to 2018.
28 years, 321 days Arnold Klentz West Allis, Wisconsin Served from April 18, 1944, until his death on March 5, 1973.[49][50][Notes 2]
28 years, 150 days Don Plusquellic Akron, Ohio Served from January 1, 1987, until his resignation on May 31, 2015.
28 years, 4 days James Brainard Carmel, Indiana Served from January 1, 1996 to January 4, 2024
28 years Paul Amico Secaucus, New Jersey Served from 1964 to 1992.[51]
28 years Henry Clark Stephenville, Texas Served from 1928 to 1956.[52]
28 years, 0 days Henry Maier Milwaukee, Wisconsin Served from 1960 to 1988.[53]
28 years Walter A. Scott Jackson, Mississippi Served from 1917 to 1945.[54]
28 years Thomas Gerard Dunn Elizabeth, New Jersey 1964 to 1992. Longest-serving mayor of a city of more than 100,000 people.[55]
28 years George H. Lysle McKeesport, Pennsylvania Served from 1914 to 1942.[56]
27 years, 364 days Stephen R. Reed Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Served from 1982 to 2010.
27 years, 0 days Don Robart Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Served from 1986 to 2013.
26 years, 30 days Miguel A. Pulido Santa Ana, California Served from 1994 to 2020.
26 years Manuel Lamela Abreu Quebradillas, Puerto Rico Served from 1918 to 1944.
24 Years Timothy Hanna Appleton, Wisconsin Served From 1996 to 2020.
23 Years John W. Preece Delbarton, West Virginia Served from 1997 to 2019, was reelected in 2023, but passed away during his term[57]

Notes

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  1. ^ The date of inauguration for Mayor John Coyne is not clear. It is clear that his successor, Kenneth Patton, took office in January 2000. References appear to confuse the 1999 election defeat with the day he left office. Most references state that he served 52 years, some from 1947–1999, a few from 1948 to 1999, and others from 1948 to 2000.
  2. ^ Both sources agree that Klentz was inaugurated in 1944; West Allis gives a date of April 18. West Allis inaccurately gives Klentz's death date as March 1971, whereas the contemporary source cited gives it as March 5, 1973.

References

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  1. ^ Atkins, Harry (April 9, 1975). "Tradition Followed, But Also Broken in Mackinac". The Lewiston Daily Sun. Lewiston, Maine. p. 11. Retrieved December 2, 2023 – via Google News Archive.
  2. ^ "New Mayor Takes Over at Dupont". Defiance Crescent News. Defiance, Ohio. January 8, 1976. p. 12. Retrieved December 3, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.
  3. ^ "Mayor – William D. Tate | Grapevine, TX – Official Website". www.grapevinetexas.gov. Retrieved 2018-05-07.
  4. ^ "Mayor Scroggs holds top post for over 45 years". AccessWDUN. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  5. ^ A RESOLUTION honoring Wilmore Mayor Harold Rainwater as the longest-serving mayor in Kentucky (PDF) (Resolution 2318). House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. 16 April 2016.
  6. ^ Rutledge B. Leland III (House Resolution 4821). South Carolina General Assembly. 1 February 2018.
  7. ^ "McLemoresville Officials Administered Oath of Office". The Mckenzie Banner.
  8. ^ Staff (September 7, 2022). "Batavia Government Center to be named for Mayor Jeff Schielke". Shaw Local News Network. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2023. When he first took office on May 4, 1981, Schielke was the youngest mayor in Batavia's history at age 32.
  9. ^ "Mayor Bennett's Biography".
  10. ^ "Milan Gets New Officials". The Rock Island Argus. Rock Island, Illinois. May 7, 1985. p. 7. Retrieved April 11, 2024 – via NewspaperArchive.
  11. ^ "Mayor Dennis M. Clough Biography | Westlake, OH - Official Website". www.cityofwestlake.org. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  12. ^ NJ.com, Kathryn Brenzel | NJ Advance Media for (July 26, 2015). "25 years of Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner". nj.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ "Mayors Office | New Brunswick, NJ". www.cityofnewbrunswick.org.
  14. ^ "Our Mayor | Elizabeth, NJ". www.elizabethnj.org.
  15. ^ "15 mayors in major cities that have served as long – or longer – than Cleveland's Frank Jackson". cleveland. November 9, 2017.
  16. ^ "Charles E. Long – View Obituary & Service Information". Charles E. Long Obituary.
  17. ^ "Marion City Council Takes Office Today". The Southern Illinoisan. May 6, 1963. p. 3. Retrieved December 2, 2023 – via Newspaper Archive.
  18. ^ Halstead, Marilyn (December 1, 2017). "Marion Mayor Bob Butler says he will retire Jan. 31". The Southern Illinoisan. Archived from the original on December 29, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  19. ^ "Man Believed to Be New Jersey's Longest-Serving Mayor Dies", Associated Press, April 13, 2015.[dead link‍]
  20. ^ "Hundreds gather at funeral for Gerry Calabrese, N.J.'s longest serving mayor – News – NorthJersey.com". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  21. ^ Iallonardo, Tony (November 15, 1999). "U.S. Has New "Longest-Serving Mayor". United States Conference of Mayors. Archived from the original on 2009-04-13. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  22. ^ Arnold, Chad (April 7, 2021). "Blais celebrates 50 years as Lake George mayor". Adirondack Daily Enterprise. Retrieved December 3, 2023. It was April 5, 1971 when he presided over his first Village Board meeting, shortly after taking his oath of office as mayor.
  23. ^ DeCamilla, Jana (April 8, 2023). "Mayor Perry: Ushering in a new era of Lake George Village". The Post-Star. Retrieved December 3, 2023. He (Perry) began his new position on April 1, after serving on the Lake George Village Board of Trustees
  24. ^ Moore, William (December 31, 2020). "State's longest serving mayor dies from COVID-19 complications". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Tupelo, Mississippi.
  25. ^ Smith, Tierra (June 29, 2020). "Mayor of Stafford, the longest-serving mayor in the nation, dies at 79". KPRC.
  26. ^ Schneider, Andrew (2012). Nick Blase: The Prince of Niles, Illinois. Charleston, SC: The History Press. ISBN 9781609495497.
  27. ^ "The Village of Hodgkins Communicator (Fall 2022 yet to be released on website. Hardcopy was sent to residents on Oct 3, 2022)". Village of Hodgkins, Illinois.
  28. ^ "Village History | Village of Norridge".
  29. ^ Etheredge, Alec (2021-01-22). "'He bled Helena': Former Helena Mayor Sonny Penhale dies at 89". Shelby County Reporter. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  30. ^ "Richard Mola Obituary (2016) – Elmwood Park, NJ – The Record/Herald News". www.legacy.com.
  31. ^ Segall, Grant (July 11, 2013). "Mayor Paul W. Cassidy led Parma Heights for 43 years: news obituary". Cleveland Plain Dealer.
  32. ^ "Wayne Ford Obituary 2019".
  33. ^ Fagan, Matt (January 4, 2017), Former mayor appointed to vacant Kinnelon Council seat, North Jersey, retrieved October 13, 2023
  34. ^ Seabrook, Andrea (January 19, 2008), Charleston Mayor Reflects on 30 Years in Office, NPR, retrieved April 29, 2015
  35. ^ "Legacy of Fallen Mayor Reverberates in Industry's Name". Los Angeles Times. September 28, 1996. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  36. ^ "Tiny Missouri Town Plagued By Resignations After Electing First Black Mayor". NBC. April 21, 2015.
  37. ^ "Missouri Obituary and Death Notice Archive". Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  38. ^ "Glendel Stephenson, Mayor – City of Mebane". cityofmebane.com. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  39. ^ Williams, Jessica. "Stephenson to retire after 35 years as Mebane's mayor". The Times-News. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  40. ^ "David W Smith City Hall- Newark, CA - People-Named Places on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com.
  41. ^ "Longest Standing Mayor Bids Newark Farewell".
  42. ^ "Richard A. Nowack Obituary". www.newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  43. ^ "Grilo takes over for Hudson's longest-serving mayor". New Jersey Globe. January 5, 2020.
  44. ^ Williams, John (2010-06-24). "Sims – Leader and shaper of today's Euclid". Euclid Observer. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  45. ^ Rimbach, Jean. "New Clifton leaders make it official", The Record,July 2, 1990. Accessed December 18, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "Promising to guide Clifton in unity through what many say will be its toughest years yet, new Mayor James Anzaldi and his six council colleagues were sworn to office Sunday in a ceremony attended by more than 600 residents. The two-term councilman was named mayor by unanimous vote of the council during a small meeting that was later reenacted for the public."
  46. ^ Fagan, Matt. "Clifton's longest-serving mayor, James Anzaldi, not seeking reelection", The Record, August 31, 2022. Accessed December 18, 2023. "It appears that Clifton may get its first new mayor in 32 years.... He was first elected mayor by council colleagues in 1990, and he has remained the top vote-getter in every subsequent election."
  47. ^ "Emmett E. Dofner Jr. Obituary – Visitation & Funeral Information". www.cutleroneill.com. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
  48. ^ Evans, Brad (December 17, 2013), North College Hill mayor resigns unexpectedly, retrieved December 18, 2020
  49. ^ Muchka, Albert (2003). West Allis. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing. p. 57. ISBN 0-7385-3183-9.
  50. ^ "Fond Du Lac Reporter Newspaper Archives March 06, 1973 Page 8". newspaperarchive.com. 6 March 1973. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  51. ^ "Paul Amico, a longtime Secaucus mayor, dies at 103". usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
  52. ^ "Obituary for Henry Clark (Aged 77)". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 1959-08-28. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  53. ^ "Maier Ends 28 Years As Milwaukee's Mayor on April 21, 1988". chicagotribune.com. 21 April 1988. Retrieved 2021-06-19.
  54. ^ "Hattiesburg American from Hattiesburg, Mississippi on June 28, 1963 · 2". Newspapers.com. 28 June 1963. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  55. ^ Smothers, Ronald (13 February 1998). "Thomas Dunn, 76, Longtime Elizabeth Mayor". New York Times. Retrieved 2023-10-15. Thomas G. Dunn...had served as mayor of the largely working-class city for 28 years, but he was defeated in his own party's primary in June 1992. Still, his tenure earned him the distinction as the nation's longest-serving mayor of a city of more than 100,000 people.
  56. ^ "MAYOR LYSLE obit". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 1947-09-25. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
  57. ^ "Delbarton Mayor John Preece to be remembered in funeral services". WV MetroNews. 2023-12-19. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
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