Mayor of Boston

The mayor of Boston is the head of the municipal government in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Boston has a mayor–council government. Boston's mayoral elections are nonpartisan (as are all municipal elections in Boston), and elect a mayor to a four-year term; there are no term limits. The mayor's office is in Boston City Hall, in Government Center.

The current mayor of Boston is Michelle Wu.

History

Prior to 1822, there was no mayor of Boston, because Boston was incorporated as a town. In Massachusetts, a town is typically governed by a town meeting, with a board of selectmen handling regular business. Boston was the first community in Massachusetts to receive a city charter, which was granted in 1822.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Under the terms of the new charter, the mayor was elected annually. In June 1895, the charter was amended, and the mayor's term was increased to two years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1909, the Republican-controlled state legislature enacted strong-mayor charter changes it hoped would dampen the rising power of Democratic Irish Americans.<ref>O'Neill, pp. 39–42</ref> Adopted by public vote in the November 1909 general election, changes included extending the mayoral term to four years, and making the post formally non-partisan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The reforms did not have the intended effect; the first mayor elected under the new charter was Democrat John F. Fitzgerald ("Honey Fitz"), and every mayor since Republican Malcolm Nichols (1926–1930) has been known to be a Democrat.

In a bid to temper the rising power of James Michael Curley, the state legislature in 1918 passed legislation barring the mayor of Boston from serving consecutive terms in office;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Curley was prevented from running for re-election twice by this law (November 1925 and November 1933). The law was repealed in 1939,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> after Curley's political career appeared to be in decline.<ref>Allison and Bulger, pp. 86–87</ref>

Another charter change was enacted in 1949, partly in response to Curley's fourth term (1946–1950), during which he served prison time for crimes committed in an earlier term. Changes included adding a preliminary election to narrow the field to two mayoral candidates in advance of the general election, changing the Boston City Council from having 22 members (one from each city ward) to having nine members (elected at-large), and giving the council ability to override some mayoral vetoes.<ref name=cc1949>Template:Cite news</ref> These changes went into effect in 1951, resulting in the first term of John B. Hynes being shortened to two years.

From 1951 through 1991, Boston mayoral elections were held the year before presidential elections (e.g. mayoral election in 1951, presidential election in 1952). Starting in 1993, due to the election held following Raymond Flynn's appointment as United States Ambassador to the Holy See, Boston mayoral elections are held the year following presidential elections (e.g. presidential election in 1992, mayoral election in 1993).

Salary

In June 2018, the council voted to increase the salary of the mayor to $207,000, effective after the mayoral election of November 2021 (term starting in January 2022); this increased the salary of councillors to $103,500, effective after the council elections of November 2019 (terms starting in January 2020). In October 2022, the council voted to increase the salary of the mayor to $250,000. <ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Valencia>Template:Cite news</ref>

Numbering

There is no official count of Boston's mayors. The City of Boston does not number its mayors<ref name=bostonDOTgov>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and numbering has been inconsistent over time. For example, Thomas Menino was referred to as the 47th mayor at the time he was sworn in,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> yet his successor, Marty Walsh, was identified as the 54th.<ref name=ryan>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Walsh administration cited Wikipedia for its use of 54.<ref name=ryan/>Template:Efn That numbering scheme counted persons who served as elected mayors and counted those who served non-consecutive terms more than once (for example, James Michael Curley served four non-consecutive terms and was counted four times),<ref name=ryan/> however, for reasons that are unclear, Leonard R. Cutter, who served as acting mayor in late 1873, was also included in the count. Kim Janey, who became acting mayor in March 2021, referred to herself as the 55th mayor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Template:Visible anchor of mayors

Mayor		Term		In office			Party
		Start	End	Terms won	Duration
File:John Phillips by William Hoogland 5210004 015 001 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	May 1, 1822	May 1, 1823	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Federalist
File:Josiah Quincy 5210004 015 002 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	May 1, 1823	January 5, 1829	6	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Federalist
File:Harrison Gray Otis by Chester Harding, 1833, oil on canvas, from the National Portrait Gallery - NPG-7700056A 2 (1).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 5, 1829	January 2, 1832	3	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Federalist
File:Charles Wells 5210004 015 004 (1).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 2, 1832	January 6, 1834	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Whig
File:Theodore Lyman, Jr. 5210004 015 005 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 6, 1834	January 4, 1836	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Samuel T. Armstrong 5210004 015 006 (3x4).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 4, 1836	January 1, 1837	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Whig
File:Samuel A. Eliot 5210004 015 007 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 1, 1837	January 6, 1840	3	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Whig
File:Jonathan Chapman 5210004 015 008 (3x4).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 6, 1840	January 2, 1843	3	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Whig
File:Martin Brimmer 5210004 015 009 (3x4).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 2, 1843	January 6, 1845	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Whig
File:3x4.svg	Template:Sortname Template:Double dagger	January 6, 1845	February 27, 1845	Template:Sort	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Whig
File:Thomas A . Davis 1 5210004 015 010 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Dagger	February 27, 1845	November 22, 1845	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Native American{{#if:KN|KN|[1]}}
File:3x4.svg	Template:Sortname Template:Double dagger	November 22, 1845	December 11, 1845	Template:Sort	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Whig
File:Josiah Quincy 5210004 015 011 (3x4).jpg	Template:Sortname	December 11, 1845	January 1, 1849	3	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Whig
File:John P. Bigelow 5210004 015 012 (3x4).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 1, 1849	January 5, 1852	3	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Whig
File:Benjamin Seaver 5210004 015 013 (3x4).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 5, 1852	January 2, 1854	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Whig
File:Jerome V. C. Smith by E. Billings 5210004 015 014 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 2, 1854	January 7, 1856	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	American{{#if:KN|KN|[2]}}
File:Alexander H. Rice 5210004 015 015 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 7, 1856	January 4, 1858	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Independent
File:Frederic W. Lincoln Jr. 5210004 015 016 (3x4b).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 4, 1858	January 7, 1861	3	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Republican
File:Joseph Wightman 5210004 015 017 (3x4).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 7, 1861	January 5, 1863	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Frederic W. Lincoln Jr. 5210004 015 016 (3x4b).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 5, 1863	January 7, 1867	4	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Republican
File:Otis Norcross 5210004 015 018 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 7, 1867	January 6, 1868	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Republican
File:Nathaniel B. Shurtleff 5210004 015 019 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 6, 1868	January 2, 1871	3	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:William Gaston 5210004 015 020 (3x4).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 2, 1871	January 6, 1873	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Henry L. Pierce - Brady-Handy.jpg	Template:Sortname	January 6, 1873	November 29, 1873	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	None
File:Leonard R. Cutter 5210004 015 022 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Double dagger	November 29, 1873	January 5, 1874	Template:Sort	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Samuel C. Cobb 5210004 015 023 (3x4).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 5, 1874	January 1, 1877	3	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	None
File:Frederick O. Prince 5210004 015 024 (3x4b).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 1, 1877	January 7, 1878	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Henry L. Pierce - Brady-Handy.jpg	Template:Sortname	January 7, 1878	January 6, 1879	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Republican
File:Frederick O. Prince 5210004 015 024 (3x4b).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 6, 1879	January 2, 1882	3	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Samuel A. Green 5210004 015 025 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 2, 1882	January 1, 1883	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Republican
File:Albert Palmer 5210004 015 026 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 1, 1883	January 7, 1884	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Augustus P. Martin 5210004 015 027 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 7, 1884	January 5, 1885	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Republican
File:Hugh O'Brien 5210004 015 028 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 5, 1885	January 7, 1889	4	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Thomas Norton Hart (a).png	Template:Sortname	January 7, 1889	December 31, 1890	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Republican
File:Nathan Matthews Jr. 5210004 015 030 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 1, 1891	January 7, 1895	4	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Edwin Upton Curtis (1861–1922) (3x4a).png	Template:Sortname	January 7, 1895	January 6, 1896	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Republican
Mayoral term increased to two years. {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
File:Josiah Quincy 5210004 015 032 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 6, 1896	January 1, 1900	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Thomas Norton Hart (a).png	Template:Sortname	January 1, 1900	January 6, 1902	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Republican
File:Mayor PA Collins (2).png	Template:Sortname Template:Dagger	January 6, 1902	September 13, 1905	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Daniel A. Whelton 5210004 015 034 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Double dagger	September 15, 1905	January 1, 1906	Template:Sort	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:J.F. Fitzgerald LCCN2014714230 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 1, 1906	January 6, 1908	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:George A. Hibbard 5210004 015 035 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 6, 1908	February 7, 1910	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Republican
Mayoral term increased to four years. {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
File:J.F. Fitzgerald LCCN2014714230 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	February 7, 1910	February 2, 1914	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:CURLEY, JAMES MICHAEL. REP. FROM MASSACHUSETTS, 1911-1914 LCCN2016865259 (3x4a).jpg	Template:Sortname	February 2, 1914	February 4, 1918	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:AndrewJamesPeters.jpg	Template:Sortname	February 4, 1918	February 6, 1922	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:James Michael Curley in 1922 (2).png	Template:Sortname	February 6, 1922	January 4, 1926	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Malcolm E. Nichols former Mayor of Boston (2).png	Template:Sortname	January 4, 1926	January 6, 1930	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Republican
File:James Michael Curley (6082770554) 2.jpg	Template:Sortname	January 6, 1930	January 1, 1934	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Frederick William Mansfield (2).png	Template:Sortname	January 1, 1934	January 3, 1938	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Maurice J. Tobin (3).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 3, 1938	January 4, 1945	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:JohnKerrigan ca1930s Boston CityCouncil (1).png	Template:Sortname Template:Double dagger	January 4, 1945	January 7, 1946	Template:Sort	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:James Michael Curley (6082770554) 2.jpg	Template:Sortname	January 7, 1946	January 2, 1950	1	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:John B. Hynes (10926270034) (1).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 2, 1950	January 4, 1960	3	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Mayor John F. Collins (13242881633) (4).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 4, 1960	January 1, 1968	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Boston Mayor Kevin H White (2).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 1, 1968	January 2, 1984	4	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Mayor Raymond L. Flynn (9501942333) (1).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 2, 1984	July 12, 1993	3	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Mayor Thomas M. Menino (15649592926) (2).jpg	Template:Sortname	July 12, 1993	January 6, 2014	5	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Secretary Marty Walsh official portrait (1a).jpg	Template:Sortname	January 6, 2014	March 22, 2021	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Kim Janey 52903219186 ea4bae1a12 o (1).jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Double dagger	March 22, 2021	November 16, 2021	—	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
File:Michelle Wu 53455940403 bd5ebc2ca6 o (2).jpg	Template:Sortname	November 16, 2021	Incumbent	1	Template:Age in years and months	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic

Template:Dagger died in office
Template:Double dagger acting mayor only
^KN{{#if:| }} Native American Party and American Party were formal names of the "Know Nothing" movement.

Mayors serving non-consecutive terms

Mayor	Start of first term	End of final term	In office			Party
			Terms won	Duration
Template:Sortname	January 4, 1858	January 7, 1867	7	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Republican
Template:Sortname	January 6, 1873	January 6, 1879	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Republican
Template:Sortname	January 1, 1877	January 2, 1882	4	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
Template:Sortname	January 7, 1889	January 7, 1902	3	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Republican
Template:Sortname	January 5, 1906	February 2, 1914	2	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic
Template:Sortname	February 2, 1914	January 2, 1950	4	Template:Sort	bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Democratic

Acting mayors

File:ThomasMenino.jpg

Thomas Menino, longest-serving mayor of Boston

Boston's city charter stipulates that the City Council president serves as acting mayor whenever the mayor is absent from the city, unable to serve, or the office is vacant. An acting mayor cannot make permanent appointments, and can only perform urgent tasks "not admitting of delay" (which is somewhat open to interpretation).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The following individuals served as acting mayor during a vacancy in the office.

Year	Name	Explanation	Ref.
1845	William Parker	Served as acting mayor during multiple deadlocked elections.	<ref name=bostonDOTgov/>
1845	Benson Leavitt	Served as acting mayor following the death of Thomas A. Davis.	<ref name=bostonDOTgov/>
1853	Benjamin L. Allen	Served as acting mayor during multiple deadlocked elections.	<ref name=bostonDOTgov/>
1873	Leonard R. Cutter	Served as acting mayor following Henry L. Pierce's election to Congress. Was not a candidate in the 1873 Boston mayoral election.	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1905	Daniel A. Whelton	Served as acting mayor following the death of Patrick Collins. Was not a candidate in the 1905 Boston mayoral election.	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1945	John E. Kerrigan	Served as acting mayor upon Maurice J. Tobin becoming Governor of Massachusetts. Subsequently lost the 1945 Boston mayoral election.	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1947	John B. Hynes	Served as acting mayor during the absence (incarceration) of James M. Curley. Subsequently won the 1949 Boston mayoral election.	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1993	Thomas Menino	Served as acting mayor upon Raymond Flynn becoming Ambassador to the Holy See. Subsequently won the 1993 Boston mayoral election.	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2021	Kim Janey	Served as acting mayor upon Marty Walsh becoming United States Secretary of Labor. Eliminated in preliminary stage of the 2021 Boston mayoral election.	<ref name=JaneyIn>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

• Timeline of Boston
• List of elections in Massachusetts
• List of members of the Boston City Council
• List of mayors of Roxbury, Massachusetts
• List of mayors of Charlestown, Massachusetts
• List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States

Sources

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

Further reading

• Template:Cite book
• {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

External links

• Lists of Mayors of Boston at The Political Graveyard