# List of mayors of Pittsburgh

The mayor of Pittsburgh is the chief executive of the government of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, as stipulated by the Charter of the City of Pittsburgh.
Prior to the 1816 city charter, the Borough of Pittsburgh had its council elect a chief burgess among themselves. After the borough was rechartered as a city, its first seven mayors were selected in a similar fashion as the chief burgesses had been under borough council. It was not until Mayor Samuel Pettigrew in the 1830s that general elections of popular vote were conducted among all the city's voters to determine who would hold the mayor's office. Pettigrew was both the last mayor selected by council and the first generally elected mayor of Pittsburgh. From 1901 to 1903 the state legislature took control of the city on the grounds of corruption by former Mayor William J. Diehl with the passage of the so-called "ripper bill" and appointed the unelected "recorders" Joseph Brown and Adam Brown, who were answerable only to the state government. Since 1903, all mayors have been popularly elected. The mayor as of January 2022 is Democrat Ed Gainey.

## Chief burgesses (1794–1813)

| No. | Chief Burgess | Term | Party | Notes |
| 1 | George Robinson | 1794–c. 1800 | | Arrested on orders from President George Washington for rebel activity during the Whiskey Rebellion. |
| 2 | John Park | 1800–1801 | | |
| 3 | Dr. George Stevenson | 1801–1802 | | |
| 4 | Isaac Craig | 1802–1803 | Federalist | |
| 5 | James O'Hara | 1803–1804 | Federalist | Formerly 6th Quartermaster General of the United States Army and Revolutionary War veteran. |
| 6 | General Pressley Neville | 1804–1805 | | Revolutionary War veteran. |
| 7 | General John Wilkins | c. 1805–c. 1812 | | Formerly 7th and last Quartermaster General of the U.S. Army |
| 8 | William Steele | 1812–1813 | | |

## Mayors (since 1816)

| No. | Mayor | Term | Party | Notes | Opposition |
| 1 | Ebenezer Denny # | 1816–1817 | Federalist | First "appointed" mayor after city charter, resigned from office with health concerns, Revolutionary War veteran. | |
| 2 | John Darragh | 1817–1825 | Federalist | Appointed by City Council, formerly president of the bank of Pittsburgh. | |
| 3 | John M. Snowden | 1825–1828 | Democratic-Republican, Jacksonian | Appointed by City Council, formerly president of the bank of Pittsburgh and county treasurer, edited the Pittsburgh Mercury. | |
| 4 | Magnus Miller Murray | 1828–1830 | Jacksonian, Democrat | Appointed by City Council | |
| 5 | Matthew B. Lowrie | 1830–1831 | Anti-Masonic | Appointed by City Council, brother was a U.S. Senator and son became Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. | |
| 6 | Magnus Miller Murray | 1831–1832 | Democrat | Appointed by City Council | |
| 7 | Samuel Pettigrew | 1832–1836 | Democrat | Appointed by City Council, later won the first mayoral election | |
| 7 | Samuel Pettigrew | 1832–1836 | Jackson and Clay (1834–35) | Appointed by City Council, later won the first mayoral election | |
| 7 | Samuel Pettigrew | 1832–1836 | Democratic and Workingmen's (1835–36) | Appointed by City Council, later won the first mayoral election | |
| 8 | Dr. Jonas R. McClintock | 1836–1839 | Democrat (1836–37) | Elected mayor at the age of 28, became the first man to assume the office from a general election. Later led a Union company in the American Civil War. | |
| 8 | Dr. Jonas R. McClintock | 1836–1839 | City (1837–38) | Elected mayor at the age of 28, became the first man to assume the office from a general election. Later led a Union company in the American Civil War. | |
| 8 | Dr. Jonas R. McClintock | 1836–1839 | City Improvement (1838–39) | Elected mayor at the age of 28, became the first man to assume the office from a general election. Later led a Union company in the American Civil War. | |
| 9 | William Little | 1839–1840 | Independent | | |
| 10 | William W. Irwin | 1840–1841 | Whig (and Anti-Masonic) | Elected to congress and appointed United States Ambassador to Denmark after leaving office. | |
| 11 | James Thomson | 1841–1842 | Whig | | |
| 12 | Alexander Hay | 1842–1845 | Whig (1842–43) | After office he was commander in the Mexican War, and captain in the Civil War. | |
| 12 | Alexander Hay | 1842–1845 | Volunteer (1843–44) | After office he was commander in the Mexican War, and captain in the Civil War. | |
| 12 | Alexander Hay | 1842–1845 | Independent/Volunteer (1844–45) | After office he was commander in the Mexican War, and captain in the Civil War. | |
| 13 | William J. Howard | 1845–1846 | Whig | Longtime president of the "Guardians of the Poor", forerunner of the Salvation Army | |
| 14 | William Kerr | 1846–1847 | Democrat | | |
| 15 | Gabriel Adams | 1847–1849 | Whig | After office was appointed state judge | |
| 16 | John Herron | 1849–1850 | Whig | Before office was a captain in the Mexican War, hero of the Siege of Veracruz. | |
| 17 | Joseph Barker | 1850–1851 | People's and Anti-Catholic | Elected while in jail for inciting anti-Catholic and anti-Masonic riots. The itinerant preacher was released to serve his one-year mayoral term. Barker repeatedly sought re-election, but failed. Later, he was decapitated when he got too close to a train. |
| 18 | John B. Guthrie | 1851–1853 | Democrat | Father of future mayor George W. Guthrie, served in Mexican War, was the longtime Customs Collector for Pittsburgh | |
| 19 | Robert M. Riddle | 1853–1854 | Whig | Formerly Postmaster of Pittsburgh, edited the Commercial Journal | |
| 20 | Ferdinand E. Volz | 1854–1856 | Whig (1854–55) | Oversaw cholera epidemic response | |
| 20 | Ferdinand E. Volz | 1854–1856 | Whig-Democratic fusion (anti-Know Nothing) (1855–56) | Oversaw cholera epidemic response | |
| 21 | William Bingham | 1856–1857 | American | | |
| 22 | Henry A. Weaver | 1857–1860 | Republican | After office served as U.S. Collector of Revenue for Pittsburgh | |
| 23 | George Wilson | 1860–1862 | Republican | Formerly Pittsburgh Public Schools Director | |
| 24 | Benair C. Sawyer | 1862–1864 | Republican | After office moved to Colorado then to California making a fortune in mining | |
| 25 | James Lowry, Jr. | 1864–1866 | Union City | | |
| 26 | William C. McCarthy | 1866–1868 | Republican | Formerly a legend as a City fire fighter and commander, during administration ended the police practice of assuring "All is Well" on the hour, later served as city controller. | |
| 27 | James Blackmore | 1868–1869 | Workingmen's | Formerly Chief Clerk of City | |
| 28 | Jared M. Brush | 1869–1872 | Republican | Formerly city councilor, served as a minister during the Civil War. | |
| 29 | James Blackmore | 1872–1875 | Democrat | Formerly Chief Clerk of City | |
| 30 | William C. McCarthy | 1875–1878 | Republican | Formerly a legend as a Pittsburgh Fire Fighter and commander, during administration ended the police practice of assuring "All is Well" on the hour, later served as city controller. | |
| 31 | Robert Liddell | 1878–1881 | Democrat | Before and after office was a brewer and liquor dealer. | Miles S. Humphreys |
| 32 | Robert W. Lyon | 1881–1884 | Democrat | Earned two Purple Hearts in the Civil War, oil businessman before being elected, worked in a steel mill after leaving office. | Miles S. Humphreys |
| 33 | Andrew Fulton | 1884–1887 | Republican | Former city councilman; temporarily retired to breed horses in Colorado; later served as county director of the Division of Weights and Measures | Robert Liddell |
| 34 | William McCallin | 1887–1890 | Republican | Former County Coroner and County Sheriff | Bernard J. McKenna |
| 35 | Henry I. Gourley | 1890–1893 | Republican | Former city councilman; became city clerk after office | John H. Bailey |
| 36 | Bernard J. McKenna | 1893–1896 | Democrat | Former city councilman and firefighter | John S. Lambie & F.C. Beinhauer |
| 37 | Henry P. Ford | 1896–1899 | Republican | Industrialist, with interests in knife manufacturing. | George W. Guthrie |
| 38 | William J. Diehl # | 1899–1901 | Republican | Former Deputy Sheriff; impeached on corruption charges | John C. O'Donnell |
| 39 | Adam M. Brown | 1901 | Republican | Former Court of Common Pleas judge; California Gold Rush speculator; earned the nickname of "Major" due to his military service | non-elected |
| 40 | Joseph O. Brown † | 1901–1903 | Republican | Former Allegheny County Prothonotary and city Director of Public Safety; died in office of a heart attack | non-elected |
| 41 | William B. Hays | 1903–1906 | Citizens / Democrat | Industrialist, with interests in coal and lumber | John C. Haymaker |
| 42 | George W. Guthrie | 1906–1909 | Democrat | Attorney; son of former mayor John B. Guthrie; served as United States Ambassador to Japan after office. | Alexander M. Jenkinson |
| 43 | William A. Magee | 1909–1914 | Republican | Former Allegheny County Assistant District Attorney and city councilman | |
| 44 | Joseph G. Armstrong | 1914–1918 | Republican | Former city councilman and Allegheny County Coroner; nicknamed "Joe the Builder" for his extensive public works projects | Stephen G. Porter |
| 45 | Edward V. Babcock | 1918–1922 | Republican | Former city councilman; later served as Allegheny County Commissioner; personally purchased 4,000 acres (16 km$^2$) for county parklands. Purchased thousands of acres of south Florida timberland, estate sold to the state for conservation in the 1990s. | William A. Magee |
| 46 | William A. Magee | 1922–1926 | Republican | Former City Council President | William N. McNair |
| 47 | Charles H. Kline # | 1926–1933 | Republican | Former State Representative and State Senator; convicted in 1932 by jury on 49 counts of corruption, but charges later overturned on appeal; resigned due to party pressure over corruption charges | James F Malone, Tom Dunn |
| 48 | John S. Herron | 1933–1934 | Republican | Former City Council President | non-elected |
| 49 | William N. McNair # | 1934–1936 | Democrat | Idealistic attorney; commended for his honesty, but criticized for his inability to get along with city council or the bureaucracy; arrested in 1935 for failing to authorize the return of a fine to an illegal gambler whose conviction had been overturned; resigned due to political infighting | John Herron |
| 50 | Cornelius D. Scully | 1936–1946 | Democrat | Former City Council President | Bob Waddell |
| 50 | Cornelius D. Scully | 1936–1946 | Democrat | Former City Council President | Harmar Denny |
| 51 | David L. Lawrence # | 1946–1959 | Democrat | Named one of the all-time 50 greatest American mayors; elected governor in 1958; former Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman, Secretary of the Commonwealth, and U.S. Collector of Revenue; considered a "king maker" by Democratic Party Conventions due to his crafting of compromise candidates of U.S. Presidents Truman and the Kennedy/Johnson tickets. | Bob Waddell |
| 51 | David L. Lawrence # | 1946–1959 | Democrat | Named one of the all-time 50 greatest American mayors; elected governor in 1958; former Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman, Secretary of the Commonwealth, and U.S. Collector of Revenue; considered a "king maker" by Democratic Party Conventions due to his crafting of compromise candidates of U.S. Presidents Truman and the Kennedy/Johnson tickets. | Tice Ryan |
| 51 | David L. Lawrence # | 1946–1959 | Democrat | Named one of the all-time 50 greatest American mayors; elected governor in 1958; former Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman, Secretary of the Commonwealth, and U.S. Collector of Revenue; considered a "king maker" by Democratic Party Conventions due to his crafting of compromise candidates of U.S. Presidents Truman and the Kennedy/Johnson tickets. | Leo Kane |
| 51 | David L. Lawrence # | 1946–1959 | Democrat | Named one of the all-time 50 greatest American mayors; elected governor in 1958; former Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman, Secretary of the Commonwealth, and U.S. Collector of Revenue; considered a "king maker" by Democratic Party Conventions due to his crafting of compromise candidates of U.S. Presidents Truman and the Kennedy/Johnson tickets. | John Drew |
| 52 | Thomas Gallagher | 1959 | Democrat | Former State Representative and City Council President; became mayor at age 75 | non-elected |
| 53 | Joseph M. Barr | 1959–1970 | Democrat | Former State Senator | Will Crehan |
| 53 | Joseph M. Barr | 1959–1970 | Democrat | Former State Senator | Vince Rovitto |
| 54 | Peter F. Flaherty # | 1970–1977 | Democrat | Former city councilman; resigned after he was appointed Deputy U.S. Attorney General by President Carter; Democratic nominee for governor in 1978, and for U.S. Senate in 1974 and 1980, losing all three races by close margins | John Tabor |
| 54 | Peter F. Flaherty # | 1970–1977 | "Fusion" Democrat | Former city councilman; resigned after he was appointed Deputy U.S. Attorney General by President Carter; Democratic nominee for governor in 1978, and for U.S. Senate in 1974 and 1980, losing all three races by close margins | Unopposed |
| 55 | Richard Caliguiri † | 1977–1988 | Independent Democrat | Former City Council President; won 1978 election as an independent, after initially deciding not to run due to a lack of support from party leaders; died in office from amyloidosis | Tom Foerster & Vince Cosetti |
| 55 | Richard Caliguiri † | 1977–1988 | Democrat | Former City Council President; won 1978 election as an independent, after initially deciding not to run due to a lack of support from party leaders; died in office from amyloidosis | Fred Goehringer |
| 55 | Richard Caliguiri † | 1977–1988 | Democrat | Former City Council President; won 1978 election as an independent, after initially deciding not to run due to a lack of support from party leaders; died in office from amyloidosis | Henry Sneath |
| 56 | Sophie Masloff | 1988–1994 | Democrat | Former City Council President; began her career in Pittsburgh politics as a Court secretary in 1938 at age 18 | Uncontested |
| 57 | Thomas J. Murphy, Jr. ♥ | 1994–2006 | Democrat | Former State Representative; lectures internationally on cities as a senior fellow at Washington, DC–based Urban Land Institute | Duane Darkins & Kathy Matta |
| 57 | Thomas J. Murphy, Jr. ♥ | 1994–2006 | Democrat | Former State Representative; lectures internationally on cities as a senior fellow at Washington, DC–based Urban Land Institute | Harry Frost |
| 57 | Thomas J. Murphy, Jr. ♥ | 1994–2006 | Democrat | Former State Representative; lectures internationally on cities as a senior fellow at Washington, DC–based Urban Land Institute | James Carmine |
| 58 | Bob O'Connor † | 2006 | Democrat | Former City Council President; died in office from a brain tumor. | Joe Weinroth & Titus North |
| 59 | Luke Ravenstahl ♥ | 2006–2014 | Democrat | Former City Council President; became mayor at age 26, making him the youngest mayor of a top 100 city. | Mark DeSantis |
| 59 | Luke Ravenstahl ♥ | 2006–2014 | Democrat | Former City Council President; became mayor at age 26, making him the youngest mayor of a top 100 city. | Dok Harris & Kevin Acklin |
| 60 | Bill Peduto ♥ | 2014–2022 | Democrat | Former city councilman | Joshua Wander |
| 60 | Bill Peduto ♥ | 2014–2022 | Democrat | Former city councilman | Unopposed |
| 61 | Ed Gainey ♥ | 2022–present | Democrat | Former state representative; became the first African-American mayor of the city | Tony Moreno |
† Died in office; # Resigned from office ; ♥ Still living

## Longest tenures

* 13 years (1946–1959) – David L. Lawrence
* 12 years (1994–2006) – Thomas J. Murphy, Jr.
* 11 years and 1 month (1977–1988) – Richard Caliguiri
* 10 years and 1 month (1959–1970) – Joseph M. Barr
* 9 years and 3 months (1936–1946) – Cornelius D. Scully
* 8 years and 9 months (1909–1914, 1922–1926) – William A. Magee
* 8 years (2014–2022) – Bill Peduto
* 7 years and 11 months (1817–1825) – John Darragh
* 7 years and 4 months (2006–2014) – Luke Ravenstahl
* 7 years and >3 months (1970–1977) – Peter F. Flaherty
* 7 years and <3 months (1926–1933) – Charles H. Kline
The listed terms are rounded to the nearest month.