List of mayors of Charlottesville, Virginia

The Mayor of Charlottesville is the president of the City Council in Charlottesville, Virginia. Before 1888, Charlottesville was a town within Albemarle County, Virginia, and the electorate directly chose a mayor in regular elections. In 1888, Charlottesville incorporated as a city independent of the county but continued to select its mayors in the same fashion. Since 1922, however, the popular electorate has chosen a number of individuals to serve on city council - initially three, then five from 1928 to the present. From 1922 through 2006 those elections took place in May or June each even-numbered year. Beginning in 2007, council elections moved to November of odd-numbered years.[1] The elected councilors chose one of their own members to serve as leader of the council with the title of "mayor" but with no distinct legal or executive authority. The mayor presides over council meetings and occasionally plays a role as the ceremonial head of city government.

List of mayors

Popularly elected mayors (1853–1922)

(partial list)

MayorPolitical partyTerm startTerm end
Christopher L. Fowler[2][3]April 1868
T. W. Savage[3]April 1868March 1870
N. H. Massie[3]March 1870April 1870
Christopher L. Fowler[3]April 18701870
William L. Cochran[3][4]18701875?
Richard F. Harris[5]18751881
B. R. Pace[6]July 1, 1881July 1, 1883
Richard F. Harris[7][5]July 1, 18831888
Samuel Baker Woods[8]18881892
L. T. Hanckel[9][10]18921894
John Shelton Patton[11]Democratic[12]18941896
J. Samuel McCue[13]Democratic[12]1896August 31, 1900
Charles W. Allen[14]September 1, 1900August 31, 1902
J. Samuel McCueDemocraticSeptember 1, 1902August 31, 1904
George W. Olivier[15][16]September 1, 1904August 31, 1908
Elbridge G. Haden[17]September 1, 1908August 31, 1912
Alpheus V. Conway[18]September 1, 1912August 31, 1916
Elbridge G. Haden[17]September 1, 1916August 31, 1920
Benjamin E. Wheeler[19]September 1, 1920August 31, 1922

City Council chosen mayors (1922–present)

MayorPolitical partyTenure startTenure endTerms
John R. Morris[20]DemocraticSeptember 1, 1922August 31, 19241
Jury Y. BrownDemocraticSeptember 1, 1924August 31, 19303
Frederick L. WatsonDemocraticSeptember 1, 1930August 31, 19321
Frederick W. TwymanDemocraticSeptember 1, 1932August 31, 19341
W. Dandridge HadenDemocraticSeptember 1, 1934August 31, 19382
George T. HuffDemocraticSeptember 1, 1938August 31, 19401
W. Dandridge HadenDemocraticSeptember 1, 1940August 31, 19421 (3 total)
J. Emmett GleasonDemocraticSeptember 1, 1942August 31, 19441
Roscoe S. AdamsDemocraticSeptember 1, 1944August 31, 19481
Gus TebellDemocraticSeptember 1, 1948August 31, 19501
Strother F. HammDemocraticSeptember 1, 1950August 31, 19521
William R. HillDemocraticSeptember 1, 1952August 31, 19541
Sol B. WeinbergDemocraticSeptember 1, 1954August 31, 19561
Robert M. “Jack” DavisDemocraticSeptember 1, 1956August 31, 19581
Thomas J. MichieDemocraticSeptember 1, 1958August 31, 19601
Louie L. Scribner[21]DemocraticSeptember 1, 1960August 31, 19621
Bernard J. HaggertyDemocraticSeptember 1, 1962August 31, 19641
Lindsey B. MountDemocraticSeptember 1, 1964August 31, 19661
Burkett A. ReynoldsDemocraticSeptember 1, 1966August 31, 19681
Gunther "Dutch" VogtRepublicanSeptember 1, 1968August 31, 19701
Mitchell Van YahresDemocraticSeptember 1, 1970[22]July 3, 19721
Francis H. FifeDemocraticJuly 3, 1972[23]July 1, 19741
Charles H. BarbourDemocraticJuly 1, 1974[24]July 1, 19761
Nancy K. O'BrienDemocraticJuly 1, 1976[25]July 1, 19781
Laurence A. BruntonRepublicanJuly 1, 1978[26]July 1, 19801
Francis L. BuckDemocraticJuly 1, 1980July 1, 19884
Elizabeth "Bitsy" WatersDemocraticJuly 1, 1988[27]July 2, 19901
Alvin EdwardsDemocraticJuly 2, 1990[28]July 1, 19921
Tom VandeverDemocraticJuly 1, 1992[29]July 4, 19941
David ToscanoDemocraticJuly 4, 1994[30]July 1, 19961
Kay SlaughterDemocraticJuly 1, 1996[31]July 1, 19981
Virginia DaughertyDemocraticJuly 1, 1998[32]July 3, 20001
Blake CaravatiDemocraticJuly 3, 2000[33]July 1, 20021
Maurice CoxDemocraticJuly 1, 2002[34]July 1, 20041
David BrownDemocraticJuly 1, 2004[35]January 7, 20082
Dave NorrisDemocraticJanuary 7, 2008[36]January 3, 20122
Satyendra HujaDemocraticJanuary 3, 2012[37]January 4, 20162
Michael SignerDemocraticJanuary 4, 2016[38]January 2, 20181
Nikuyah WalkerIndependentJanuary 2, 2018[39]January 5, 20222
J. Lloyd Snook, IIIDemocraticJanuary 5, 2022[40]Incumbent1

Notes

Further reading