View source for List of mayors of Washington, D.C.

{{Short description|None}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{ElectionsDC}}
Below is a list of '''mayors of [[Washington, D.C.]],''' and associated political entities.

== History of offices ==
The federal district of the United States was first designated by the amended [[Residence Act]] of 1790.  That Act designated that the President could appoint three commissioners to locate, define and survey an area not exceeding ten miles square as the capital district, following the Constitutional mandate to do so.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774–1875; text of Residence Act dated July 16 1790 |publisher=US Gov't Library of Congress |page=130 |url=https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=001/llsl001.db&recNum=253 |access-date=11 January 2019}}</ref>  From 1791 to 1802 the District was managed by that three-member Board of Commissioners of the Federal City as listed below.

With the passage of the [[District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801]], the District was brought under the direct political control of Congress.  The Board of Commissioners was dissolved.  That Act made no provision for an executive for the District as a whole.  The District consisted of five political subdivisions:  three cities with their own municipal governments, and two rural counties.  The pre-existing city of [[Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)|Georgetown]] and its mayors are listed below.  The pre-existing city of [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]],  Virginia, had its own [[List of mayors of Alexandria, Virginia|list of mayors]] before, during and after its inclusion in the District.  And the new City of Washington was chartered shortly after the District, in 1802.  Its mayors also appear below.  The rural county west of the Potomac, formerly Virginia, was [[Alexandria County]].  Finally to the east and outside the cities, formerly Maryland, lay [[Washington County, D.C.]]  (Both counties were governed by levy courts made of providentially appointed Justices of the Peace, whose members do not appear below. Prior to 1802, those Justices of the Peace were appointed by the governors of Maryland and Virginia, after which they were appointed by the President until they were abolished in 1871).

In 1846, Alexandria County and the City of Alexandria [[Retrocession (District of Columbia)#Virginia retrocession|returned to Virginia]], leaving the District with two independent cities and one county.

In 1871, with the [[District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871|District of Columbia Organic Act]], those three subdivisions within the District were unified into a single government, whose chief executive was a territorial Governor.  As listed below, only two served before this office was abolished in 1874, and replaced with a temporary three-member Board of Commissioners appointed by the President. The board was made permanent in 1878 and this system continued until 1967, when it was replaced by a single mayor-commissioner and city council appointed by the President.  Finally, in 1974, the [[District of Columbia Home Rule Act]] allowed for District residents to elect their own mayor.

Currently, the [[Mayor of the District of Columbia]] is popularly elected to a four-year term with no term limits. Even though District of Columbia is not a state, the district government also has certain state-level responsibilities, making some of the mayor's duties analogous to those of [[List of current United States governors|United States governors]]. The current mayor of the District of Columbia is [[Muriel Bowser]], a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]], who has served in the role since January 2, 2015.

The lists on this page include all of the chief executives of the District of Columbia in their various forms.

===Commissioners of the Federal City (1791–1802)===
The 1790 Act for establishing the temporary and permanent seat of the Government of the United States, Act of March 3, 1791, 1 Stat. 214, set up a board of three commissioners to survey and define the territory of the Federal City, and to purchase land for development and oversee the construction of all federal buildings. Some reports name Thomas Johnson as the chairman of the Board of Commissioners, but it appears there was no chair, even if Johnson acted in the manner of a chair. The commission had very little to do with the municipal regulation of the District and when their board was dissolved their powers were transferred to the "Superintendent", "Commissioner to Superintend Public Buildings" and the "Chief Engineer of the United States Army." The local public affairs were instead governed by a Levy Court made up of Justices of the Peace who, until passage of the [[District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801|Organic Act of 1801]] were commissioned by the governors of Virginia (for Arlington County) and Maryland (for Prince George's and Montgomery County – the north part of the District remained part of these counties until 1801), and in the Federal city their powers were transferred to the Mayor and local government.<ref name="TindallOrigin">{{cite book |last1=Tindall |first1=William |title=Origin and Government of the District of Columbia |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |page=6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gHVCAAAAIAAJ |access-date=27 April 2022 |language=en}}</ref> During this time [[William Thornton]], [[Robert Bowie]], [[Daniel Carroll]], and [[Robert Brent]] were some of the men who served on the Levy Court of Prince George's County.<ref name="Bryan">{{cite book |last1=Bryan |first1=W. B. |title=A History of the Nation's Capitol |date=1914 |page=422 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofnationa01brya}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! # !! Image !! Member !! Term began !! Term ended !! State !! Political party
|-
| 1 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] ||  [[David Stuart (Virginia politician)|David Stuart]] || January 22, 1791 || September 12, 1794 || [[Virginia]] || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
| 2 || [[File:Thomas Johnson (governor).jpeg|75px]] || [[Thomas Johnson (jurist)|Thomas Johnson]] || January 22, 1791 || August 23, 1794 || [[Maryland]] || [[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|- 
| 3 || [[File:Daniel Carroll (NYPL b12349185-425114) (cropped).jpg|75px]] ||  [[Daniel Carroll]] || March 4, 1791 || May 21, 1795 || [[Maryland]] || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
| 4 || [[File:Augustus (i.e. Gustavus) Scott, member of the Continental Congress, from Maryland (NYPL b12349185-420090) (cropped).jpg|75px]] || [[Gustavus Scott]] || August 23, 1794 || December 25, 1800 || [[Maryland]] || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
| 5 || [[File:Gilbert Stuart, William Thornton, 1804, NGA 1119.jpg|75px]] || [[William Thornton]] || September 12, 1794 || July 1, 1802 || [[Pennsylvania]] || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|- 
| 6 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[Alexander White (Virginia)|Alexander White]] || May 21, 1795 || July 1, 1802 || [[Virginia]] || [[Federalist Party|Pro-Administration]]
|- 
| 7 || [[File:William Cranch (cropped).jpg|75px]] || [[William Cranch]] || January 14, 1801 || March 3, 1801 || [[Massachusetts]] || [[Federalist Party|Federalist]]
|- 
| 8 || [[File:Portrait of Tristram Dalton, 1st US Senator from Massachusetts.jpg|75px]] || [[Tristram Dalton]] || March 10, 1801 || July 1, 1802 || [[Massachusetts]] || [[Federalist Party|Pro-Administration]]
|-
| colspan="7" style="text-align: center;" | '''Source:'''<ref name="books.google.com">{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gHVCAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA210 |title=Origin and Government of the District of Columbia |access-date=2 February 2017 |last1=Tindall |first1=William |year=1903 }}</ref>
|- 
|}

===Mayors of the City of Washington (1802–1871)===
The persons listed below are the mayors of the now-defunct City of Washington, which was officially granted a formal government in 1802. The Mayor of Washington had authority over city services, appointments, and local tax assessments; however, the duties of the mayor mostly consisted of requesting appropriations from Congress to finance the city. From 1802 to 1812, the mayor was appointed by the [[President of the United States]]. Between 1812 and 1820, the city's mayors were then selected by a city council. From 1820 to 1871 the mayor was popularly elected. The present-day boundaries of the "Old City" were [[Rock Creek (Potomac River)|Rock Creek]] to the west, [[Florida Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Florida Avenue]] to the north, and the [[Anacostia River]] to the east and south.

Starting in March 1801 the County of Washington, which included the city (or corporation) of Washington and the city of Georgetown, was governed by a Levy Court, of unfixed number, made up of Justices of the Peace chosen by the President. It was one of these Justice of the Peace appointments, made in the 24 hours between the passage of the Organic Act of 1801 and the end of John Adams' term that became the subject of [[Marbury v. Madison]]. In 1804, the Levy Court lost the power to tax the residents of Washington City, but in 1808 the city was required to contribute to the revenue of the county and in 1826 the Levy Court lost the power to tax those in Georgetown.<ref name="Bryan"/> An 1812 law fixed the number of judges to seven, two from east of Rock Creek but outside of Washington City, two from west of Rock Creek but outside of Georgetown and three from Georgetown, with none from Washington City until an 1848 law added four members from the city. Even when the City of Washington was not represented on the Levy Court, they were still required to contribute to the costs of the county, except for bridges and roads outside its boundaries. The court was again changed in 1863 when it was reduced to nine members, three from the city of Washington, one from Georgetown, and five from county lands outside the city. The Levy Court was disbanded in 1871 with the Mayor when congress consolidated all the remaining governments in DC. Some of the more prominent members of the Levy Court include [[Thomas Corcoran (mayor)|Thomas Corcoran]], John Cox, [[George Washington Riggs|George W. Riggs]], and [[Sayles Jenks Bowen|Sayles J. Bown]]<ref name="TindallOrigin"/>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Image !! Mayor<ref name=CHSrecords>{{cite journal|last=Larner|first=John B.|title=List of Principal Municipal Authorities of the Cities of Washington, Georgetown, and the District of Columbia|journal=Records of the Columbia Historical Society|year=1920|volume=23|pages=180–7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WFW1gSS0MhAC}}</ref> !! Term began !! Term ended !! Political party
|-
| [[File:RobertBrent.jpg|75px]] || [[Robert Brent]] || June 1, 1802 || June 8, 1812 || [[Democratic-Republican Party]]
|-
| [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[Daniel Rapine]] || June 8, 1812 || June 14, 1813 || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
| [[File:James Heighe Blake.jpg|75px]] || [[James H. Blake]] || June 14, 1813 || June 9, 1817 || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
| [[File:Mayor orr.jpg|75px]] || [[Benjamin G. Orr]] || June 9, 1817 || June 14, 1819 || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
| [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[Samuel Nicholas Smallwood|Samuel N. Smallwood]] || June 14, 1819 || June 14, 1822 || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
| [[File:ThomasCarbery (cropped).png|75px]] || [[Thomas Carbery]] || June 14, 1822 || June 14, 1824 || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
| [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[Samuel Nicholas Smallwood|Samuel N. Smallwood]] || June 14, 1824 || September 30, 1824 || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
| [[File:Gen. Weightman, C.S.A - NARA - 526634 (cropped) (cropped).jpg|75px]] || [[Roger C. Weightman]] || October 4, 1824 || June 11, 1827 || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
| [[File:Joseph gales.jpg|75px]] || [[Joseph Gales, Jr.|Joseph Gales]] || June 11, 1827 || June 14, 1830 || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
| [[File:John Peter Van Ness (Gilbert Stuart).jpg|75px]] || [[John Peter Van Ness]] || June 14, 1830 || June 9, 1834 || [[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]]
|-
| [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[William A. Bradley]] || June 9, 1834 || June 13, 1836 || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
| [[File:Peter Force by Mathew Brady c1858, detail (cropped).jpg|75px]] || [[Peter Force]] || June 13, 1836 || June 8, 1840 || [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig Party]]
|-
| [[File:William Winston Seaton - Brady-Handy (cropped).jpg|75px]] || [[William Winston Seaton]] || June 8, 1840 || June 10, 1850 || [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig Party]]
|-
| [[File:Walter Lenox.png|75px]] || [[Walter Lenox]] || June 10, 1850 || June 14, 1852 || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
| [[File:JohnWMaury.jpg|75px]] || [[John Walker Maury|John W. Maury]] || June 14, 1852 || June 12, 1854 || [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| [[File:JohnTTowers.jpg|75px]] ||  [[John T. Towers]] || June 12, 1854 || June 9, 1856 || [[Know Nothing]]
|-
| [[File:William B. Magruder.png|75px]] || [[William B. Magruder]] || June 9, 1856 || June 14, 1858 || Anti-Know-Nothing-Party
|-
| [[File:JamesGBerret.jpg|75px]] || [[James G. Berret]] || June 14, 1858 || August 26, 1861 || [[Democratic Party (United States)|Anti-Know-Nothing-Party]],
[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| [[File:Mayor Wallach of Washington D.C - NARA - 529273 (cropped) (cropped).jpg|75px]] || [[Richard Wallach]] || August 26, 1861 || June 8, 1868 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| [[File:SaylesJBowen.jpg|75px]] || [[Sayles Jenks Bowen|Sayles J. Bowen]] || June 8, 1868 || June 7, 1870 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| [[File:WEBB(1892) p417 - Emery, Matthew G.jpg|75px]] || [[Matthew Gault Emery|Matthew G. Emery]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Washington Election Yesterday |work=Baltimore American and Commercial Advertiser |date=June 7, 1870 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nWxBAAAAIBAJ&pg=2447,5459689&dq=washington+emery&hl=en }}</ref> || June 7, 1870 || February 28, 1871 || [[United States Republican Party|Republican]]
|-
| colspan="5" style="text-align: center;" | '''Source:'''<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Clark |first=Allen C. |date=1916 |title=The Mayors of the Corporation of Washington: Thomas Carbery |journal=Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. |volume=19 |pages=61–62 |jstor=40067058}}</ref>
|}

===Mayors of Georgetown (1790–1871)===
From 1751 to 1789, Georgetown was governed by Commissioners who were either appointed by an act of Maryland or were elected by the other commissioners to fill vacancies. in 1790 the government was changed to include a Mayor, a Recorder, Aldermen and a Common Council.  During this time it was governed by nineteen different commissioners.<ref name="Executives">{{cite journal|last1=Tindall|first1=William|title=The Executives and Voters of Georgetown, District of Columbia|journal=Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C.|date=1922|volume=24|pages=89–117|jstor=40067161}}</ref>

Georgetown was a town in [[Maryland]] until 1801, when it became a municipality within the District of Columbia. From 1802 until 1871, mayors of Georgetown were elected to one-year terms, with no term limits.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ecker|first=Grace Dunlop|title=A Portrait of Old Georgetown|publisher=Garrett & Massie|year=1933|page=8}}</ref> Like the City of Washington and Washington County, Georgetown's local government ceased to exist in 1871, when Congress merged the three entities into the single District government.<ref>{{cite news |title=New Government in Columbia |work=The New York Times |date=January 21, 1871 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1871/01/21/78756350.pdf }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! # !! Image !! Mayor<ref name=CHSrecords /> !! Term began !! Term ended
|-
|  1 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[Robert Peter]]|| 1790 || 1791
|-
|  2 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[Thomas Beale (Georgetown mayor)|Thomas Beale]]|| 1791 || 1792
|-
|  3 || [[File:Uriah Forrest (cropped).jpg|75px]] || [[Uriah Forrest]] || 1792 || 1793
|-
|  4 || [[File:John Threlkeld Portrait.jpg|75px]] ||  [[John Threlkeld]] || 1793 || 1794
|-
|  5 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[Pedro Casenave]] || 1794 || 1795
|-
|  6 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || Thomas Turner || 1795 || 1796
|-
|  7 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[Daniel Reintzel]] || 1796 || 1797
|-
|  8 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[Lloyd Beall]]|| 1797 || 1799
|-
|  9 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[Daniel Reintzel]] || 1799 || 1804
|-
| 10 || [[File:Charles Peale Polk, Thomas Corcoran, c. 1802-1810, NGA 176396.jpg|75px]] || [[Thomas Corcoran (mayor)|Thomas Corcoran]] || 1805 || 1806
|-
| 11 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[Daniel Reintzel]] || 1806 || 1807
|-
| 12 || [[File:Charles Peale Polk, Thomas Corcoran, c. 1802-1810, NGA 176396.jpg|75px]] || [[Thomas Corcoran (mayor)|Thomas Corcoran]] || 1808 || 1810
|-
| 13 || [[File:David Wiley circa 1768- 1813.jpg|75px]] || [[David Wiley (mayor)|David Wiley]] || 1811 || 1812
|-
| 14 || [[File:Charles Peale Polk, Thomas Corcoran, c. 1802-1810, NGA 176396.jpg|75px]] || [[Thomas Corcoran (mayor)|Thomas Corcoran]] || 1812 || 1813
|-
| 15 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[John Peter (mayor)|John Peter]]|| 1813 || 1818
|-
| 16 || [[File:Profile Portrait of Henry Foxall.png|75px]] || [[Henry Foxall]] || 1819 || 1820
|-
| 17 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[John Peter (mayor)|John Peter]]|| 1821 || 1822
|-
| 18 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[John Cox (mayor)|John Cox]]|| 1823 || 1845
|-
| 19 || [[File:Portrait of Henry Addison (cropped).jpg|75px]] || [[Henry Addison (mayor)|Henry Addison]] || 1845 || 1857
|-
| 20 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[Richard R. Crawford]]|| 1857 || 1861
|-
| 21 || [[File:Portrait of Henry Addison (cropped).jpg|75px]] || [[Henry Addison (mayor)|Henry Addison]] || 1861 || 1867
|-
| 22 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[Charles D. Welch]]|| 1867 || 1869
|-
| 23 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || [[Henry M. Sweeney]]|| 1869 || 1871
|}

===Governors of the District of Columbia (1871–1874)===
In 1871, Congress created a territorial government for the entire District of Columbia, which was headed by a governor appointed by the President of the United States to a four-year term. Due to alleged mismanagement and corruption, including allegations of contractors bribing members of the District legislature to receive contracts,<ref>{{cite news |title=Bribes Paid by Contractors |work=The New York Times |date=March 29, 1974 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1874/03/29/79066515.pdf }}</ref> the territorial government was discontinued in 1874.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! # !! Image !! colspan="2"|Governor<ref name=CHSrecords /> !! Term began !! Term ended !! Political party
|-
| 1 || [[File:HD cookeHDc.jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Henry D. Cooke]] || February 28, 1871 || September 13, 1873 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| 2 || [[File:Alexander-Robey-Shepherd.jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Alexander Robey Shepherd|Alexander R. Shepherd]]<ref>{{cite news |title=The District of Columbia Governorship |work=The New York Times |date= September 13, 1873 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1873/09/14/79046894.pdf }}</ref> || September 13, 1873 || June 20, 1874 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|}

===Commissioners of the District of Columbia (1874–1878)===
From 1874 to 1878 the District was administered by a three-member, temporary Board of Commissioners with both legislative and executive authority, all appointed by the President. They were assisted by an engineer (Captain [[Richard L. Hoxie]]). The law made no provision for a President to this board of temporary Commissioners, and none was ever elected, but Commissioner Dennison acted in that capacity at all board meetings he attended.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! # !! Image !! colspan="2"|Member !! Term began !! Term ended !! Political party
|-
| 1 || [[File:William Dennison, Jr.jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[William Dennison (Ohio governor)|William Dennison]] || July 1, 1874 || July 1, 1878 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| 2 || [[File:HTBlow.jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Henry T. Blow]] || July 1, 1874 || December 31, 1874 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|- 
| 3 || [[File:John_Henry_Ketcham.jpg|75px]] || style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[John H. Ketcham]] || July 3, 1874 || June 30, 1877 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| 4 || [[File:Seth L. Phelps.jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Seth Ledyard Phelps]] || January 18, 1875 || June 30, 1878 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| 5 || [[File:1868LeadingMenBryan (1).jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Thomas Barbour Bryan]] || December 3, 1877 || July 1, 1878 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| colspan="7" style="text-align: center;" | '''Source:'''<ref name="books.google.com"/>
|- 
|}

===Presidents of the Board of Commissioners (1878–1967)===
In 1878, the Board of Commissioners was made permanent and re-organized. From 1878 to 1967, the District was administered by this new three-member Board of Commissioners with both legislative and executive authority, all appointed by the President. The board comprised one [[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]], one [[United States Republican Party|Republican]], and one [[civil engineer]] with no specified party. The three Commissioners would then elect one of their number to serve as president of the board. While not quite analogous to the role of a mayor, the president of the board was the district's Chief Executive.

{{legend|#E6E6AA|Denotes an ''[[acting (law)|Acting]] President''|border=black}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! # !! Image !! colspan="2"|President<ref>{{cite web|last=Gilmore|first=Matthew|title=Who were the Commissioners of the District, 1874–1967?|url=http://www.h-net.org/~dclist/engcomm.html|work=H-DC|publisher=Humanities & Social Sciences Online|access-date=30 November 2011|date=July 2001}}</ref> !! Term began !! Term ended !! Political party
|-
| 1 || [[File:Seth L. Phelps.jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Seth Ledyard Phelps]] || July 1, 1878 || November 29, 1879 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|- 
| 2 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Josiah Dent]] || November 29, 1879 || July 17, 1882 || [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| 3 || [[File:Joseph R. West - cwpbh 03614 (cropped).jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Joseph Rodman West]] || July 17, 1882 || March 29, 1883 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| 4 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[James Barker Edmonds]] || March 29, 1883 || January 1, 1886 || [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| 5 || [[File:WEBB(1892)_p828_-_Webb,_William_B.jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[William Benning Webb]] || January 1, 1886 || May 21, 1889 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| 6 || [[File:J. W. Douglass.png|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[John Watkinson Douglass]] || May 21, 1889 || March 1, 1893 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| 7 || [[File:WEBB(1892) p170 - Ross, John W.jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[John Wesley Ross]] || March 1, 1893 || June 1, 1898 || [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| 8 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[John Brewer Wight]] || June 1, 1898 || May 9, 1900 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| 9 || [[File:Henry Brown Floyd MacFarland.png|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Henry Brown Floyd MacFarland]] || May 9, 1900 || January 24, 1910 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| 10 || [[File:Cuno, (10-11-23) LCCN2016848091 (cropped).jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Cuno Hugo Rudolph]] || January 24, 1910 || February 28, 1913 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| 11 || [[File:Oliver P. Newman in 1913.png|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Oliver Peck Newman]] || February 28, 1913 || October 9, 1917 || [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| 12 || [[File:Louis Brownlow 1938.png|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Louis Brownlow]] || October 9, 1917 || September 17, 1920 || [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
|  || [[File:KUTZ, C.W. GENERAL LCCN2016856406 (cropped).jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Independent (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Charles Willauer Kutz]] || style="background: #E6E6AA;"| September 17, 1920 || style="background: #E6E6AA;"| September 25, 1920 || [[Independent politician#United States|Independent]]
|-
| 13 || [[File:John Thilman Hendrick.png|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[John Thilman Hendrick]]|| September 25, 1920 || March 4, 1921 || [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| 14 || [[File:Cuno, (10-11-23) LCCN2016848091 (cropped).jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Cuno Hugo Rudolph]] || March 15, 1921 || December 4, 1926 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| 15 || [[File:Proctor L. Dougherty, (3x4 cropped).jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Proctor Lambert Dougherty]] || December 4, 1926 || April 10, 1930 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| 16 || [[File:REICHELDERFER, L. DOCTOR LCCN2016862622 (cropped).jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party  (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Luther Halsey Reichelderfer]] || April 10, 1930 || November 16, 1933 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| 17 || [[File:HAZEN, MELVIN C. LCCN2016856963 (cropped).tif|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Melvin Hazen|Melvin Colvin Hazen]] || November 16, 1933 || July 15, 1941 || [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
|rowspan=2 | 18
|rowspan=2 | [[File:John Russel Young (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2  style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" | 
|rowspan=2 | [[John Russell Young (DC Commissioner)|John Russell Young]]
|style="background: #E6E6AA;" | July 15, 1941 
|style="background: #E6E6AA;" | July 29, 1941
|rowspan=2 | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| July 29, 1941
| June 2, 1952
|-
| 19 || [[File:F. Joseph Donohue (1961).jpg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[F. Joseph Donohue]] || June 2, 1952 || April 6, 1953 || [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| 20 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Samuel Spencer (DC Commissioner)|Samuel Spencer]] || April 6, 1953 || April 6, 1956 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| 21 || [[File:No image.svg|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Robert Enoch McLaughlin|Robert E. McLaughlin]] || April 6, 1956 || July 27, 1961 || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| 22 || [[File:Walter N. Tobriner (DC 1).png|75px]] || style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp; || [[Walter Nathan Tobriner]] || July 27, 1961 || November 7, 1967 || [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| colspan="7" style="text-align: center;" | '''Source:'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dclibrary.org/washingtoniana-2/faqs/commissioners.html |title=DCPL: MLK: Washingtoniana Division: FAQs: DC Commissioners |access-date=6 October 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927220928/http://www.dclibrary.org/washingtoniana-2/faqs/commissioners.html |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref>
|}

===Mayor-Commissioner (1967–1975)===
In 1967, President [[Lyndon Johnson]] presented to Congress a plan to reorganize the District's government.<ref name= ponders>{{cite news |title= Johnson Orders New D.C. Rule: Hill Has 60 Days To Act on Plan, But Can't Alter It |first= Elsie |last= Carper |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= June 2, 1967 |page= A1 |id= {{ProQuest|143089272}} }}</ref> The three-commissioner system was replaced by a government headed by a single mayor-commissioner, an assistant mayor-commissioner, and a nine-member district council, all appointed by the president.<ref name= ponders/> The mayor-commissioner and his assistant served four-year terms,<ref name=how>{{cite news |title= How the District Will Be Run Under Single Head, Council |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= August 10, 1967 |page= A1 |id= {{ProQuest|143177148}} }}</ref> while the councilmembers served three-year terms.<ref name= ponders/> While the council was officially nonpartisan, no more than six of Councilmembers could be of the same political party.<ref name= how/> Councilmembers were expected to work part-time.<ref name= ponders/> All councilmembers and either the mayor-commissioner or his assistant was required to have been a resident of the District of Columbia for the three years preceding appointment.<ref name= how/> All must be District residents while serving their terms in office.<ref name= how/>

Council members had the quasi-legislative powers of the former Board of Commissioners, approving the budget and setting real estate tax rates.<ref name= ponders/> The mayor-commissioner could, without any Congressional approval, consolidate District agencies and transfer money between agencies, powers that the preceding Board of Commissioners had not possessed since 1952.<ref>{{cite news |title= Reorganization Plan Redistributes Current Powers |first= Robert G. |last= Kaiser |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= June 2, 1967 |page= A7 |id= {{ProQuest|143135451}} }}</ref> The mayor-commissioner could veto the actions of the council, but the council could override the veto with a three-fourths vote.<ref name= ponders/>

Despite a push by many Republicans and conservative Democrats in the House of Representatives to reject Johnson's plan, the House of Representatives accepted the new form of government for the District by a vote of 244 to 160.<ref>{{cite news |title= House Accepts New D.C. Rule |first1= Elsie |last1= Carper |first2= Peter |last2= Milius |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= August 10, 1967 |page= A1 |id= {{ProQuest|143033620}} }}</ref> Johnson said that the new District government would be more effective and efficient.<ref name= ponders/>

[[Walter E. Washington]] was appointed the first mayor-commissioner, and Thomas W. Fletcher was appointed the first assistant mayor-commissioner.<ref name= confirms>{{cite news |title= Senate Confirms Council: White House Oath Taking Likely for 9
|first= Robert L. |last= Asher |newspaper= The Washington Post|date= November 2, 1967 |page= A1 |id= {{ProQuest|143013366}} }}</ref> The first Council appointments were Chairman John W. Hechinger, Vice Chairman [[Walter E. Fauntroy]], Stanley J. Anderson, Margaret A. Haywood, [[John Nevius|John A. Nevius]], William S. Thompson, J.C. Turner, [[Polly Shackleton]], and Joseph P. Yeldell.<ref name= confirms/>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! # !! colspan=2 | Mayor-Commissioner<ref name=CHSrecords /> !! Term start !! Term end !! Party
|-
| ! style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" | {{color|white|1}} || [[File:Walterwashington.jpg|75px]] || [[Walter Washington]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-oct-28-me-washington28-story.html|title=Walter Edward Washington, 88; Mayor of D.C. Prevented Big Riots|website=Los Angeles Times|date=October 28, 2003|access-date=June 14, 2019}}</ref> || November 7, 1967 || January 2, 1975 || [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|}

===Mayors of the District of Columbia (1975–present)===
{{Main|Mayor of the District of Columbia}}
{{See also|District of Columbia home rule}}

Since 1975, the District has been administered by a popularly elected mayor and district council.

; Parties
{{legend2|{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}|[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (7)|border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
! #
! colspan="2" | [[Mayor of the District of Columbia|Mayor]]
! Term of office
! Party
! Term
! Previous office
|-
! style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" | {{color|white|1}} 
| {{Css Image Crop|Image = Walterwashington.jpg|bSize = 125|Location = center}}
| style="width: 16%;" | '''[[Walter Washington]]'''<ref name="mayors">{{cite web|url=https://os.dc.gov/page/mayors-district-columbia-home-rule|title=Mayors of the District of Columbia Since Home Rule|website=DC.gov|access-date=June 14, 2019}}</ref><br /><small>(1915–2003)</small>
| <span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">January 2, 1975</span><br/>–<br/><span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">January 2, 1979</span>
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 1<br /><small>([[District of Columbia mayoral election, 1974|1974]])</small>
| [[List of mayors of the District of Columbia#Mayor-Commissioner .281967.E2.80.931975.29|Mayor-Commissioner of the District of Columbia]]
|-
! rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" | {{color|white|2}}
| rowspan=3| {{Css Image Crop|Image = Marion Barry, 1996 in Washington, D.C (cropped).jpg|bSize = 125|Location = center}}
| rowspan=3 style="width: 16%;" | '''[[Marion Barry]]'''<ref name="mayors" /><br /><small>(1936–2014)</small>
| rowspan=3| <span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">January 2, 1979</span><br/>–<br/><span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">January 2, 1991</span>
| rowspan=3| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2<br /><small>([[District of Columbia mayoral election, 1978|1978]])</small>
| rowspan=3| Member of the [[Council of the District of Columbia]]<br/>from the at-large district<br/><small>(1975–1979)</small>
|-
| 3<br /><small>([[District of Columbia mayoral election, 1982|1982]])</small>
|-
| 4<br /><small>([[District of Columbia mayoral election, 1986|1986]])</small>
|-
! style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" | {{color|white|3}}
| {{Css Image Crop|Image = Mayor Sharon Pratt.jpg|bSize = 125|Location = center}}
| style="width: 16%;" | '''[[Sharon Pratt|Sharon Pratt Kelly]]<ref name="mayors" />'''<ref>Elected as "Sharon Pratt Dixon," but remarried in December 1991.</ref><br /><small>(born 1944)</small>
| <span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">January 2, 1991</span><br/>–<br/><span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">January 2, 1995</span>
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 5<br /><small>([[District of Columbia mayoral election, 1990|1990]])</small>
| Treasurer of the [[Democratic National Committee]]<br/><small>(1985–1989)</small>
|-
! style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" | {{color|white|4}}
| {{Css Image Crop|Image = Marion Barry, 1996 in Washington, D.C (cropped).jpg|bSize = 125|Location = center}}
| style="width: 16%;" | '''[[Marion Barry]]'''<ref name="mayors" /><br /><small>(1936–2014)</small>
| <span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">January 2, 1995</span><br/>–<br/><span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">January 2, 1999</span>
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 6<br /><small>([[District of Columbia mayoral election, 1994|1994]])</small>
| Member of the [[Council of the District of Columbia]]<br/>from [[Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.#Ward 8|Ward 8]]<br/><small>(1993–1995)</small>
|-
! rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" | {{color|white|5}}
| rowspan=2| {{Css Image Crop|Image = Mayor Williams Anthony.jpg|bSize = 125|Location = center}}
| rowspan=2 style="width: 16%;" | '''[[Anthony A. Williams]]<ref name="mayors" />'''<br /><small>(born 1951)</small>
| rowspan=2| <span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">January 2, 1999</span><br/>–<br/><span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">January 2, 2007</span>
| rowspan=2| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 7<br /><small>([[District of Columbia mayoral election, 1998|1998]])</small>
| rowspan=2| D.C. Chief Financial Officer<br/><small>(1995–1998)</small>
|-
| 8<br /><small>([[District of Columbia mayoral election, 2002|2002]])</small>
|-
! style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" | {{color|white|6}}
| {{Css Image Crop|Image = Adrian Fenty, 2006.jpg|bSize = 125|Location = center}}
| style="width: 16%;" | '''[[Adrian Fenty]]'''<ref name="mayors" /><br /><small>(born 1970)</small>
| <span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">January 2, 2007</span><br/>–<br/><span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">January 2, 2011</span>
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 9<br /><small>([[District of Columbia mayoral election, 2006|2006]])</small>
| Member of the [[Council of the District of Columbia]]<br/>from [[Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.#Ward 4|Ward 4]]<br/><small>(2001–2007)</small>
|-
! style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" | {{color|white|7}}
| {{Css Image Crop|Image = Vincentgray.jpg|bSize = 125|Location = center}}
| style="width: 16%;" | '''[[Vincent C. Gray]]'''<ref name="mayors" /><br /><small>(born 1942)</small>
| <span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">January 2, 2011</span><br/>–<br/><span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">January 2, 2015</span>
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 10<br /><small>([[District of Columbia mayoral election, 2010|2010]])</small>
| Chairman of the [[Council of the District of Columbia]]<br/><small>(2007–2011)</small>
|-
! rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" | {{color|white|8}}
| rowspan=3| {{Css Image Crop|Image = Mayor Bowser Headshot hi (cropped) (cropped).jpg|bSize = 125|Location = center}}
| rowspan=3 style="width: 16%;" | '''[[Muriel Bowser]]'''<ref name="mayors" /><br /><small>(born 1972)</small>
| rowspan=3| <span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">January 2, 2015</span><br/>–<br/><span class="date" style="white-space: nowrap;">Incumbent</span>
| rowspan=3| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 11<br><small>([[District of Columbia mayoral election, 2014|2014]])</small>
| rowspan=3 | Member of the [[Council of the District of Columbia]]<br>from [[Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.#Ward 4|Ward 4]]<br/><small>(2007–2015)</small>
|-
| 12<br><small>([[District of Columbia mayoral election, 2018|2018]])</small>
|-
| 13<br><small>([[District of Columbia mayoral election, 2022|2022]])</small>
|}

==Succession==
{{main|Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Washington, D.C.}}

==See also==
{{portal|United States}}
* [[Timeline of Washington, D.C.]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website|http://mayor.dc.gov/}}
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010331105135/http://dc.gov/index.asp |date=March 31, 2001 |title=Mayor of the District of Columbia}}

{{Leaders of the District of Columbia}}
{{Lists of US Governors}}
{{District of Columbia}}

[[Category:Mayors of Washington, D.C.| 01]]
[[Category:Mayors of places in the District of Columbia| 01]]<!--1846 to 1871-->
[[Category:Lists of mayors of places in the District of Columbia|Washington, DC]]
[[Category:Lists of people from Washington, D.C.|Mayors]]
[[Category:Constitutional officers of the District of Columbia|Mayors, List]]
[[Category:Lists of state governors of the United States|District of Columbia]]