Mayor of Boston

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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.[1] 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.[2]

In 1909, the Republican-controlled state legislature enacted strong-mayor charter changes it hoped would dampen the rising power of Democratic Irish Americans.[3] 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.[4] 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;[5] Curley was prevented from running for re-election twice by this law (November 1925 and November 1933). The law was repealed in 1939,[6] after Curley's political career appeared to be in decline.[7]

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.[8] 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. [9][10]

Numbering

There is no official count of Boston's mayors. The City of Boston does not number its mayors[11] 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,[12] yet his successor, Marty Walsh, was identified as the 54th.[13] The Walsh administration cited Wikipedia for its use of 54.[13]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),[13] 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.[14]

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 AmericanKN
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| AmericanKN
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.
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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.
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^KN 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).[15]

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. [11]
1845 Benson Leavitt Served as acting mayor following the death of Thomas A. Davis. [11]
1853 Benjamin L. Allen Served as acting mayor during multiple deadlocked elections. [11]
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. 		[16][17]
1905 Daniel A. Whelton Served as acting mayor following the death of Patrick Collins.
Was not a candidate in the 1905 Boston mayoral election. 		[18][19]
1945 John E. Kerrigan Served as acting mayor upon Maurice J. Tobin becoming Governor of Massachusetts.
Subsequently lost the 1945 Boston mayoral election. 		[20][21]
1947 John B. Hynes Served as acting mayor during the absence (incarceration) of James M. Curley.
Subsequently won the 1949 Boston mayoral election. 		[11][22]
1993 Thomas Menino Served as acting mayor upon Raymond Flynn becoming Ambassador to the Holy See.
Subsequently won the 1993 Boston mayoral election. 		[23][24]
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. 		[25][26]

See also

Notes

Template:Notelist

Sources

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References

Template:Reflist

Further reading

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External links

Template:Sister project

Template:BostonMA Template:BostonMayors

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ O'Neill, pp. 39–42
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Allison and Bulger, pp. 86–87
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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