# Mayors of Atlantic City, New Jersey

Atlantic City, New Jersey, was incorporated on May 1, 1854. It is governed within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the mayor–council system of municipal government (Plan D), implemented by direct petition effective as of July 1, 1982. The Atlantic City City Council is the governing body of Atlantic City. There are nine Council members, who are elected to serve for a term of four years, one from each of six wards and three serving at-large. The City Council exercises the legislative power of the municipality for the purpose of holding Council meetings to introduce ordinances and resolutions to regulate City government. In addition, Council members review budgets submitted by the Mayor; provide for an annual audit of the city's accounts and financial transactions; organize standing committees and hold public hearings to address important issues which impact Atlantic City. Former Mayor Bob Levy created the Atlantic City Ethics Board in 2007, but the Board was dissolved two years later by vote of the Atlantic City Council. Since its incorporation in 1854, the town has had 41 mayors.

## Mayors

| # | Mayor | Term start | Term end | Terms | Party | Notes |
| 1 | Chalkley Steelman Leeds | May 1, 1854 | 1856 | 2 | None | This was his first term. |
| 2 | Richard Hackett | 1856 | 1856 | 1⁄2 | None | |
| 3 | John George Washington Avery | 1856 | 1857 | 1 | None | |
| 4 | Lewis Reed | 1857 | 1861 | 4 | None | |
| 5 | James Harper | 1861 | 1862 | 1 | None | |
| (1) | Chalkley Steelman Leeds | 1862 | 1863 | 1 | None | This was his second term. |
| 6 | Jacob Middleton | 1863 | 1865 | 2 | None | |
| 7 | Robert T. Evard | 1865 | 1866 | 1 | Republican | |
| 8 | David W. Belisle | 1866 | 1868 | 2 | Republican | |
| 9 | Lemuel G. Eldridge | 1868 | 1868 | Partial | Republican | |
| 10 | John James Gardner | 1868 | 1872 | 4 | Republican | |
| 11 | Charles Souder | 1872 | 1874 | 2 | Republican | |
| (10) | John James Gardner | 1874 | 1876 | 2 | Republican | |
| 12 | Willard Wright | 1876 | 1878 | 2 | Democratic | |
| 13 | John L. Bryant | 1878 | 1879 | 1 | Republican | |
| (12) | Willard Wright | 1879 | 1880 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 14 | Harry L. Slape | 1880 | 1881 | 1 | Republican | |
| (12) | Willard Wright | 1881 | 1882 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 15 | Charles Maxwell | 1882 | 1885 | 3 | Republican | |
| 16 | Thomas C. Garrett | 1885 | 1887 | 2 | Republican | |
| 17 | Samuel D. Hoffman | 1887 | 1891 | 4 | Republican | |
| (12) | Willard Wright | 1891 | 1894 | 3 | Democratic | |
| 18 | Franklin Pierce Stoy | 1894 | 1897 | 3 | Republican | (January 23, 1853 – July 22, 1911). He became a Councilman at Large of the local government in 1891 and, three years later, was elected chief executive. Known as the "Dandy Mayor,". He died in office in his second term of neuritis on July 22, 1911. |
| 19 | Joseph Thompson | 1897 | 1900 | 3 | Democratic | |
| (18) | Franklin Pierce Stoy † | 1900 | 1911 | 3 | Republican | He became a Councilman at Large of the local government in 1891 and, three years later, was elected chief executive. Known as the "Dandy Mayor,". He died in office in his second term of neuritis on July 22, 1911. |
| 20 | George Carmany | 1911 | 1912 | Partial | Republican | |
| 21 | Harry Bacharach | 1912 | 1912 | 1 | Republican | |
| 22 | William Riddle | 1912 | 1916 | 1 | Democratic | |
| (21) | Harry Bacharach | 1916 | 1920 | 1 | Republican | |
| 23 | Edward Lawrence Bader † | 1920 | 1927 | 2 | Republican | He died in office. |
| 24 | Anthony Ruffu, Jr. | 1927 | 1930 | 1 | Republican | |
| 25 | Joseph A. Paxson | 1930 | 1930 | Partial | Republican | |
| (21) | Harry Bacharach | 1930 | 1935 | 1 | Republican | |
| 26 | Charles D. White | 1935 | 1940 | 1 | Republican | |
| 27 | Thomas D. Taggart, Jr. | 1940 | 1944 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 28 | Joseph Altman † | 1944 | 1967 | 6 | Republican | He died in office. He served for 23 years. Joseph Altman is the longest-serving mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey. |
| 29 | Richard S. Jackson | 1967 | 1969 | Partial | Republican | |
| 30 | William Thomas Somers | 1969 | 1972 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 31 | Joseph Bradway, Jr. | 1972 | 1976 | 1 | Republican | |
| 32 | Joseph Lazarow | 1976 | 1982 | 1 1⁄2 | Republican | |
| 33 | Michael J. Matthews | 1982 | 1984 | 1⁄2 | Democratic | |
| 34 | James Leroy Usry | 1984 | 1990 | 1 1⁄2 | Republican | First African-American Mayor |
| 35 | Jim Whelan | 1990 | 2002 | 3 | Democratic | |
| 36 | Lorenzo Langford | 2002 | 2005 | 1 | Democratic | |
| 37 | Robert Levy | 2006 | 2007 | Partial | Democratic | |
| 38 | Scott Evans | 2007 | 2008 | Partial | Democratic | |
| (36) | Lorenzo Langford | 2008 | 2013 | 1 1⁄2 | Democratic | |
| 39 | Don Guardian | 2014 | 2017 | 1 | Republican | |
| 40 | Frank Gilliam | 2018 | 2019 | Partial | Democratic | Gilliam resigned as mayor on October 3, 2019, following pleading guilty to wire fraud earlier that day in Federal Court |
| 41 | Marty Small Sr. | 2019 | Present | 1 1⁄2 | Democratic | Served as Acting Mayor for an unexpired term ending on December 31, 2020. Reelected. |