Mayor of Philadelphia

The mayor of Philadelphia is the chief executive of the government of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> as stipulated by the Charter of the City of Philadelphia. The current mayor of Philadelphia is Cherelle Parker, who is the first woman to hold the position.

History

18th century

The first mayor of Philadelphia was Humphrey Morrey, who was appointed to the position by William Penn, the founder of the city and the colonial-era Province of Pennsylvania, which became the state of Pennsylvania following the American Revolutionary War. Penn subsequently appointed Edward Shippen under the city charter of 1701. The Philadelphia City Council then elected Shippen to a second term. Subsequent mayors, who held office for one year, were elected by the Philadelphia City Council. The initial mayors of Philadelphia were not compensated and candidates sometimes objected strongly to being selected to the position, sometimes choosing even to pay a fine rather than serve in the position.

In 1704, alderman Griffith Jones was elected but declined to serve, for which he was fined twenty pounds. In 1706, Thomas Story, also an alderman, was similarly fined for refusing office.

In 1745, Abraham Taylor, a Philadelphia alderman, was fined thirty pounds for refusing to assume the office. The city council then elected Joseph Turner, who also refused and was likewise fined.<ref name="History">John Thomas Scharf, Thompson Westcott, History of Philadelphia, 1609–1884, Lippincott, Phila., 1884.</ref> Others who refused election included Richard Hill (1717), Issac Norris (1722), John Mifflin, and Alexander Stedman. In other cases, William Coxe pleaded illness (1758), Samuel Mifflin (1761), William Coxe and Daniel Benezet (1762), and John Barclay and George Roberts (1792). Robert Wharton declined in 1800 and 1811, and ended up 14 one-year terms, making him the most-often-elected (16 times, including refusals) and longest-serving (14 years) mayor in Philadelphia history.<ref>Committee of Seventy's Historical List of Philadelphia Mayors Template:Webarchive</ref>

In 1747, at the request of retiring Mayor William Attwood, Council resolved to institute an annual salary of 100 pounds for the office.<ref name="History" /> The same year, Anthony Morris secretly fled to Bucks County to avoid being notified of his election as the city's mayor. When he could not be located after three days of searching, a new election was scheduled, and Attwood was reelected to a second term.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

19th century

In 1826, the Philadelphia City Council altered its protocols for electing a mayor, permitting any Philadelphia citizen to run for the office. Beginning in 1839, mayors were elected by popular vote. If no candidate won a majority of the popular vote, then the joint Councils (Select and Common) determined the winner between the two leading candidates. John Swift was the first mayor to be elected directly by the people in the 1840 Philadelphia mayoral election.

The term of office for the mayor was extended to two years in 1854, to three years in 1861, and to four years in 1885. The Act of 1885 also prohibited mayors from succeeding themselves.<ref name="Inquirer">Template:Cite news</ref>

20th century

The consecutive term limitation for mayor was lifted in the 1940s, which permitted incumbent Bernard Samuel to run for reelection. In 1951, the city's Home Rule Charter established a two-term limit for Philadelphia mayors.<ref name="Inquirer"/> The term limit is consecutive, not lifetime.

The mayor of Philadelphia has been held by Democrats for over seven decades, since 1952. The only Republican who has been competitive in the general election for mayor since then was Sam Katz, who came within half a percentage point of being the first Republican mayor of Philadelphia elected in 1999.

List of Mayors

Parties

Colonial mayors elected by the Common Council

Template:Abbr	Mayor	Term start	Term end	Mayorship	TermTemplate:Sfn
1	Humphrey Morrey	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	1	1
2	Edward Shippen I	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	2	2
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		3
3	Anthony Morris I	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	3	4
4	Griffith Jones	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	4	5
5	Joseph Willcox	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	5	6
6	Nathan Stanbury	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	6	7
7	Thomas Masters	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	7	8
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		9
8	Richard Hill	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	8	10
9	William Carter	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	9	11
10	Samuel Preston	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	10	12
11	Jonathan Dickinson	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	11	13
12	George Roach	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	12	14
(8)	Richard Hill	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	13	15
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		16
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		17
(11)	Jonathan Dickinson	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	14	18
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		19
13	William Fishbourn	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	15	20
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		21
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		22
14	James Logan	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	16	23
15	Clement Plumsted	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	17	24
16	Isaac Norris	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	18	25
17	William Hudson	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	19	26
18	Charles Read	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	20	27
19	Thomas Lawrence I	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	21	28
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		29
20	Thomas Griffitts	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	22	30
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		31
21	Samuel Hasell	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	23	32
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		33
(20)	Thomas Griffitts	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	24	34
(19)	Thomas Lawrence I	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	25	35
22	William Allen	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	26	36
(15)	Clement Plumsted	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	27	37
(20)	Thomas Griffitts	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	28	38
23	Anthony Morris II	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	29	39
24	Edward Roberts	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	30	40
(21)	Samuel Hasell	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	31	41
(15)	Clement Plumsted	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	32	42
25	William Till	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	33	43
26	Benjamin Shoemaker	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	34	44
27	Edward Shippen III	Template:Dts	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	35	45
28	James Hamilton	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	36	46
29	William Attwood	Template:Dts	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	37	47
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		48
30	Charles Willing	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	38	49
(19)	Thomas Lawrence I	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	39	50
31	William Plumsted	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	40	51
32	Robert Strettell	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	41	52
(26)	Benjamin Shoemaker	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	42	53
(19)	Thomas Lawrence I	Template:Dts	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	43	54
(30)	Charles Willing	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	44	55
		Template:Dts	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn		56
(31)	William Plumsted	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	45	57
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		58
33	Attwood Shute	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	46	59
		Template:Dts	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn		60
34	Thomas Lawrence II	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	47	61
35	John Stamper	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	48	62
(26)	Benjamin Shoemaker	Template:Dts	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	49	63
36	Jacob Duché	Template:Dts	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	50	64
37	Henry Harrison	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	51	65
38	Thomas Willing	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	52	66
(34)	Thomas Lawrence II	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	53	67
39	John Lawrence	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	54	68
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		69
40	Isaac Jones	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	55	70
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		71
41	Samuel Shoemaker	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	56	72
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		73
42	John Gibson	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	57	74
		Template:Dts	Template:Dts		75
43	William Fisher	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	58	76
44	Samuel Rhoads	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	59	77
45	Samuel Powel	Template:Dts	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	60	78

Post-independence mayors elected by the common council

Template:Abbr	Mayor		Term start	Term end	Party<ref name="Inquirer"/>	Mayorship	TermTemplate:Sfn
(45)	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Samuel Powel	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Federalist	61	79
46	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Samuel Miles	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Federalist	62	80
47	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	John Barclay	Template:Dts	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	Federalist	63	81
48	rowspan="5" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Matthew Clarkson	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Federalist	64	82
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	83
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	84
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	85
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	86
49	rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Hilary Baker	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Federalist	65	87
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	88
50	rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Robert Wharton	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Federalist	66	89
	Template:Dts		Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	90
51	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	John Inskeep	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	FederalistTemplate:Efn	67	91
52	rowspan="4" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Matthew Lawler	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic- Republican	68	92
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	93
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	94
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	95
(51)	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	John Inskeep	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Federalist	69	96
(50)	rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Robert Wharton	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Federalist	70	97
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	98
53	rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	John Barker	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic- Republican	71	99
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	100
(50)	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Robert Wharton	Template:Dts	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	Federalist	72	101
54	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Michael Keppele	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic- Republican	73	102
(53)	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	John Barker	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic- Republican	74	103
55	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	John Geyer	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic- Republican	75	104
(50)	rowspan="5" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Robert Wharton	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	FederalistTemplate:Sfn	76	105
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	106
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	107
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	108
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	109
56	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	James N. Barker	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic- RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	77	110
(50)	rowspan="4" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Robert Wharton	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	FederalistTemplate:Sfn	78	111
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	112
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	113
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	114
57	rowspan="4" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Joseph Watson	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	National Republican	79	115
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	116
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	117
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	118
58	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	George M. Dallas	Template:Dts	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	Democrat	80	119
59	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Benjamin W. Richards	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	81	120
60	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	William Milnor	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	National Republican	82	121
(59)	rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Benjamin W. Richards	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	83	122
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	123
61	rowspan="6" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	John Swift	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Whig	84	124
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	125
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	126
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	127
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	128
	Template:Dts		Template:Dts	129
62	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Isaac Roach	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	85	130

Mayors chosen by popular election

Template:Abbr		Image	Mayor	Term start	Term end	Party	Mayorship	TermTemplate:Sfn
(61)	rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:John-Swift-Mayor-of-Philadelphia-e1486412581340 (1).jpg	John Swift	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Whig	86	131
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	132
63	rowspan="3" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:John Morin Scott, 1789-1858.(page 242 crop).jpg	John M. Scott	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Whig	87	133
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	134
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	135
64	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Albrect Bernhard Uhle (1847-1930), Portrait of Peter McCall (1809-1880) (cropped).jpg	Peter McCall	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Whig	88	136
(61)	rowspan="4" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:John-Swift-Mayor-of-Philadelphia-e1486412581340 (1).jpg	John Swift	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Whig	89	137
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	138
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	139
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	140
65	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Joel Jones (1795–1860).png	Joel Jones	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	DemocraticTemplate:Efn	90	141
66	rowspan="4" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Charles Gilpin (3x4).png	Charles Gilpin	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Whig	91	142
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	143
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	144
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	145

Mayors elected following the Act of Consolidation

Template:Abbr		Image	Mayor	Term start	Term end	Party	Mayorship	TermTemplate:Efn
67	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Robert T. Conrad.jpg	Robert T. Conrad	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	WhigTemplate:Efn	92	146
68	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Richard Vaux portrait photograph (1).jpg	Richard Vaux	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	93	147
69	rowspan="3" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Alexander Henry (1).jpg	Alexander Henry	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Republican	94	148
	Template:Dts			Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	149
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	150
70	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Portrait of Morton McMichael from Men of the Century, 1896.png	Morton McMichael	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Republican	95	151
71	style="background: Template:Party color;"|		Daniel M. Fox	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	96	152
72	rowspan="3" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:William Stokley.jpg	William S. Stokley	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Republican	97	153
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	154
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	155
73	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Samuel George King.jpg	Samuel G. King	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	98	156
74	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:William Burns Smith.jpg	William B. Smith	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Republican	99	157
75	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Edwin H. Fitler (Philadelphia Mayor).jpg	Edwin H. Fitler	Template:Dts	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	Republican	100	158
76	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Edwin S Stuart 1909.jpg	Edwin S. Stuart	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Republican	101	159
77	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:CharlesFWarwick.tif	Charles F. Warwick	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Republican	102	160
78	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Samuel Ashbridge.jpg	Samuel H. Ashbridge	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Republican	103	161
79	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Mayor John Weaver (1).png	John Weaver	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Republican	104	162
80	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:John Edgar Reyburn (Pennsylvania Congressman Philadelphia Mayor).jpg	John E. Reyburn	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Republican	105	163
81	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Portrait of Rudolph Blankenburg.jpg	Rudolph Blankenburg	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	KeystoneTemplate:Efn	106	164
82	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Thomas B. Smith at Franklin's Grave, Phila Pa.jpg	Thomas B. Smith	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Republican	107	165
83	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:J. Hampton Moore LCCN2014708567.jpg	J. Hampton Moore	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Republican	108	166
84	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:City of Philadelphia Mayor, W. Freeland Kendrick.jpg	W. Freeland Kendrick	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Republican	109	167
85	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Harry Arista Mackey (cropped).jpg	Harry A. Mackey	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Republican	110	168
(83)	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:J. Hampton Moore LCCN2014708567.jpg	J. Hampton Moore	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Republican	111	169
86	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Samuel Davis Wilson - Washington (1).jpg	Samuel D. Wilson	Template:Dts	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	Republican	112	170
87	style="background: Template:Party color;"|		George Connell	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Republican	113	171
88	style="background: Template:Party color;"|		Robert E. Lamberton	Template:Dts	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	Republican	114	172
89	rowspan="3" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Mayor Bernard-Samuel.jpg	Bernard Samuel	Template:Dts	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	Republican	115	173
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	174
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	175

Mayors elected under the Home Rule Charter of 1951

Template:Abbr		Image	Mayor	Term start	Term end	Party	Mayorship	TermTemplate:Efn
90	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Joseph S. Clark Jr. 1957.jpg	Joseph S. Clark Jr.	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	116	176
91	rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Richardson Dilworth 1947 Edit.jpg	Richardson Dilworth	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	117	177
	Template:Dts			Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	178
92	rowspan="3" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:James H. J. Tate 1962 (a).jpg	James Tate	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	118	179
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	180
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	181
93	rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Frank Rizzo 1972 (1).jpg	Frank Rizzo	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	119	182
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	183
94	style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:William J. Green III (PA Mayor).png	William J. Green III	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	120	184
95	rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Wilson Goode (1).jpg	Wilson Goode	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	121	185
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	186
96	rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Mayor Ed Rendell (cropped).jpg	Ed Rendell	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	122	187
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	188
97	rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:John F Street.jpg	John F. Street	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	123	189
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	190
98	rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Michael Nutter (cropped).jpg	Michael Nutter	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	124	191
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	192
99	rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	File:Jim Kenney (2019) (cropped).jpg	Jim Kenney	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Democratic	125	193
	Template:Dts			Template:Dts	194
100	style="background: Template:Party color;" |	File:Councilmember Cherelle Parker.jpg	Cherelle Parker	Template:Dts	Template:Dtsincumbent	Democratic	126	195

See also

• History of Philadelphia
• Timeline of Philadelphia

Sources

Template:Refbegin Books

• Template:Cite book

Websites

• {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }} Official Philadelphia Government list Template:Refend

External links

• Office of the Mayor