# List of mayors of Ponce, Puerto Rico

Deleted image removed: [[File:irizarrypabon.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Luis Irizarry Pabón, current mayor of Ponce]]
This is a list of mayors of Ponce, Puerto Rico's southern economic center, the island's second largest and second most important city.
From 1692 to 1840, the office of mayor in Ponce was filled either by local hacendados or by military officers appointed by the governor, depending on whether the political situation on Spain at the time was that of a constitutional or an absolutist government. From 1840 to 1870, mayors were oftentimes elected by the municipal council, whose members were called regidores. In 1870, political parties were created for the first time and municipal officials were elected by the people at large, and the mayor, as well as the members of the municipal council, would belong to one of the two parties active, either the Partido Liberal Reformista or the Partido Incondicional Español. With the advent of the American political system in Puerto Rico after the American invasion of 1898, the mayor was elected by popular vote, which is the system still (2019) in place.
Ponce's first mayor was Don Pedro Sánchez de Mathos, in 1692, appointed by governor Juan Robles de Lorenzana. Ponce elected its first mayor (as well as its first Municipal Assembly) on 20 September 1812. Its first elected mayor was José Ortiz de la Renta, who took office in 1812. Ortiz de la Renta occupied the post of mayor on eight occasions between 1812 and 1846.
The mayor of Ponce is Luis Irizarry Pabón, elected in 2020, from the Partido Popular Democratico and who succeeded María "Mayita" Meléndez Altieri of the Partido Nuevo Progresista. Mayita had been the first woman elected to the office of mayor by the people of Ponce in its extensive political history. She was also the first mayor of a party other than the Popular Democratic Party in Ponce since 1989, when Rafael "Churumba" Cordero Santiago won the elections and took the oath of office that same year.
Current Mayor Luis Irizarry Pabon was discharged on November 1 2023 for Corruption charges, in succession, the Vice-Mayor Marlese Sifre was appointed to be the in charge of the municipality.
Throughout the centuries the Ponce municipal heads of government listed here as "mayors" may have held titles different from the modern title of "Mayor". Some of the other titles held were Teniente a guerra, Corregidor, Alcalde mayor, Alcalde ordinario, Justicia mayor, Alcalde constitucional, Alcalde en propiedad, Alcalde real ordinario, and Comandante militar. Regardless of the titles held, the people listed here were the maximum civil authority at the municipal level. In the lists that follow, "Alcalde" refers to the Spanish colonial position attained via election by the regidores (council members) of the municipal council, and refers to someone who had both judicial and administrative functions. "Mayor", on the other hand, refers to a local executive, elected by the people, with administrative functions only.

## 18th century

Source: Eduardo Neumann Gandía, Enciclopedia de Puerto Rico, and Neysa Rodríguez Deynes.
| # | Name | In office | Position held | Political party |
| 1 | Pedro Sánchez de Mathos | 1692 – 1701 | Teniente a guerra | N/A |
| 2 | Dámaso de Toro | 1701 – 1706 | Teniente a guerra | N/A |
| 3 | Aurelio Juan Ramírez de Arellano | 1706 – 1710 | Teniente a guerra | N/A |
| 4 | Joseph de Toro | 1710 – ? | Teniente a guerra | N/A |
| 5 | Francisco Ortíz de la Renta | 1766 | Teniente a guerra | N/A |

## 19th century

Sources: Eduardo Neumann Gandía, Enciclopedia de Puerto Rico, and Neysa Rodríguez Deynes.
| # | Name | In office | Position held | Political party |
| 6 | José Benítez | 1 January 1800 – 31 December 1811 | Teniente a guerra | N/A |
| 7 | José Ortíz de la Renta | 1 January 1812 – 31 December 1813 | Alcalde constitucional | N/A |
| 8 | José de Toro | 1 January 1814 – 31 December 1814 | Teniente a guerra | N/A |
| 9 | José Ortíz de la Renta | 1 January 1815 – 2 January 1816 | Teniente a guerra | N/A |
| 10 | Alejandro Ordóñez | 3 January 1816 – 31 December 1818 | Teniente justicia mayor | N/A |
| 11 | Juan Dávila | 1 January 1819 – 31 December 1819 | Alcalde ordinario | N/A |
| 12 | Francisco Vassallo | 1 January 1820 – ca. 2 May 1820 | Comandante militar and alcalde | N/A |
| 13 | Joaquín Martínez | ca. 2 May 1820 – ca. 3 June 1820 | Alcalde ordinario | N/A |
| 14 | José de Toro | ca. 3 June 1820 – ? 1820 | Alcalde ordinario | N/A |
| 15 | José Ortíz de la Renta | ? 1820 – 31 December 1820 | Alcalde constitucional | N/A |
| 16 | José Casimiro Ortíz de la Renta | 1 January 1821 – ? | Alcalde constitucional | N/A |
| 17 | Joaquín Tellechea | ? 1821 – ? 1821 | Alcalde constitucional (interim) | N/A |
| 18 | José Casimiro Ortíz de la Renta | ? 1821 – 31 December 1821 | Alcalde constitucional | N/A |
| 19 | José Molina | 1 January 1822 – ? 1822 | Alcalde constitucional | N/A |
| 20 | José Mercado | ? 1822 – 31 December 1822 | Alcalde constitucional (interim) | N/A |
| 21 | José Ortíz de la Renta | 1 January 1823 – 31 December 1825 | Alcalde propietario | N/A |
| 22 | Tomás Pérez Guerra | 1 January 1826 – 31 December 1826 | Alcalde real ordinario | N/A |
| 23 | Julián Villodas | 1 January 1827 – 31 December 1830 | Teniente a guerra | N/A |
| 24 | Tomás de Renovales | 1 January 1831 – 31 December 1831 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 25 | Francisco Vassallo | 1 January 1832 – 31 December 1832 | Comandante militar and alcalde | N/A |
| 26 | Antonio Toro | 1 January 1833 – 31 December 1835 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 27 | Antonio Albizu | 1 January 1836 – ? 1836 | Teniente alcalde | N/A |
| 28 | Juan de Dios Conde | ? 1836 – 31 December 1836 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 29 | José Ortíz de la Renta | 1 January 1837 – 31 December 1837 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 30 | Patricio Colón | 1 January 1838 – 31 December 1838 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 31 | Juan de Dios Conde | 1 January 1839 – 31 December 1839 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 32 | Salvador de Vives | 1 January 1840 – 5 January 1842 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 33 | José Ortíz de la Renta | 6 January 1842 – 31 December 1842 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 34 | Juan Rondón | 1 January 1843 – ? 1843 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 35 | José Ortíz de la Renta | ? 1843 - 31 December 1843 | Propietario | N/A |
| 36 | Bonifacio Martínez de Baños | 1 January 1844 – 31 December 1844 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 37 | Salvador de Vives | 1 January 1844 – 24 November 1845 | Alcalde en propiedad | N/A |
| 38 | Antonio Corro | 25 November 1845 – 30 November(?) 1845 | Alcalde (interim) | N/A |
| 39 | José Zaldo | 1 December(?) 1845 – 31 December 1845 | Alcalde (interim) | N/A |
| 40 | Antonio Corro | 1 January 1846 – 31 March 1846 | Alcalde (interim) | N/A |
| 41 | José Ortíz de la Renta | 1 April 1846 – 30 June 1846 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 42 | José de Jesús Fernández | 1 July 1846 – 31 December 1846 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 43 | David Laporte | 1 January 1847 – 30 June 1847 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 44 | Francisco Romero | 1 July 1847 – 31 August 1847 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 45 | Juan Lacot | 1 September 1847 – 31 September 1848 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 46 | José María Quesada | 1 October 1848 – 31 December 1848 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 47 | Juan Prats | 1 January 1849 – 30 June 1849 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 48 | Esteban Vidal | 1 July 1849 – 30 September 1849 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 49 | Juan Prats | 1 October 1849 – 31 December 1849 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 50 | Flavius Dede | 1 January 1850 – 31 March 1850 | Alcalde | N/A |
| 51 | Coronel Antonio Fortún | 1 April 1850 – 8 January 1851 | Corregidor | N/A |
| 52 | Manuel Cedeño de Poveda | 9 January 1851 – 23 April 1851 | Corregidor | N/A |
| 53 | Guillermo Neumann | 23 April 1851 – 30 September 1851 | Corregidor | N/A |
| 54 | Coronel Vicente Julbe | 1 October 1851 – 14 February 1854 | Corregidor | N/A |
| 55 | Julio Duboc | 14 February 1854(?) – 14 March 1854(?) | Alcalde (interim) | N/A |
| 56 | Escolástico Fuentes | 14 March 1854(?) – 14 April 1854(?) | Alcalde (interim) | N/A |
| 57 | Pablo Manfredi | 14 April 1854(?) – 14 May 1854(?) | Alcalde (interim) | N/A |
| 58 | José Benito Paz Falcón | 14 May 1854(?) – 14 June 1854(?) | Alcalde (interim) | N/A |
| 59 | Antonio E. Molina | 14 June 1854(?) – 23 July 1854(?) | Alcalde (interim) | N/A |
| 60 | Coronel Félix O'Neill | 24 July 1854 – 31 August 1856 | Comandante militar | N/A |
| 61 | Pedro Juan Capó | 1 September 1856 – 31 December 1856 | Corregidor | N/A |
| 62 | Hilarión Pérez Guerra | 1 January 1857 – 11 July 1863 | Corregidor | N/A |
| 63 | Coronel Luis de Quixano y Font | 11 July 1863 – 23 June 1865 | Corregidor | N/A |
| 64 | Francisco Olazarra | 23 June 1865 – 31 December 1865 | Corregidor | N/A |
| 65 | Francisco Carreras | 1 January 1866 – 31 August 1866 | Corregidor | N/A |
| 66 | Francisco Romero | 1 September 1866 – 31 October 1866 (?) | Corregidor (interim) | N/A |
| 67 | Carlos Cabrera y Martínez | 1 November 1866 (?) – 1 December 1866 | Corregidor (interim) | N/A |
| 68 | Coronel Enrique O'Neil | 1 December 1866 – 21 January 1867 | Corregidor | N/A |
| 69 | Demetrio Santaella | 21 January 1867 – 31 December 1868 | Corregidor | N/A |
| 70 | Coronel Elicio Berriz | 1 January 1869 – 11 May 1870 | Comandante militar | N/A |
| 71 | Vicente Pérez Valdivieso | 11 May 1870 – 27 July 1871 | Alcalde | - |
| 72 | Miguel Arribas | 28 July 1871 – 31 December 1871 | Alcalde | - |
| 73 | Coronel Elicio Berriz | 1 January 1872 – 31 January 1872 (?) | Comandante militar | - |
| 74 | Francisco Arce y Romero | 1 February 1872 (?) – 28 February 1872 (?) | Corregidor (interim) | - |
| 75 | Alejandro Albizu | 1 March 1872 (?) – 26 September 1872 | Corregidor (interim) | - |
| 76 | Juan Cortada y Quintana | 27 September 1872 – 4 February 1874 | Alcalde popular | - |
| 77 | Pedro Rosalí | 4 February 1874 – 5 May 1874 | Alcalde | - |
| 78 | Rafael León y García | 5 May 1874 – 28 April 1875 | Alcalde | - |
| 79 | Coronel Serafín Donderis | 28 April 1875 – 31 March 1876 | Alcalde | - |
| 80 | Juan José Cartagena | 1 April 1876 – 4 July 1879 | Alcalde | - |
| 81 | Coronel Lucas Jiménez | 4 July 1879 – 30 April 1880 | Alcalde | - |
| 82 | Coronel José Mirelis | 1 May 1880 – 31 January 1881 | Alcalde delegado | - |
| 83 | Juan José Cartagena | 1 February 1881 – 31 October 1881 | Alcalde | - |
| 84 | Andrés Caparrós y García | 1 October 1881 – 28 September 1882 | Alcalde | - |
| 85 | Máximo de Meana y Guridi | 28 September 1882 – 31 May 1884 | Alcalde delegado | Incondicional Español |
| 86 | Rafael de Zárate y Sequera | 11 June 1884 – 16 July 1886 | Alcalde | Incondicional Español |
| 87 | Ramón Elices Montes | 16 July 1886 – 31 May 1887 | Alcalde | Incondicional Español |
| 88 | Ermelindo Salazar | 1 June 1887 – 10 July 1887 | Alcalde | - |
| 89 | Fernando Diez de Ulzurrún y Somellera | 10 July 1887 – 4 January 1888 | Alcalde | Incondicional Español |
| 90 | Juan de Ponte | 5 January 1888 – 4 April 1888 | Alcalde | Incondicional Español |
| 91 | Vicente de Soliveres y Miera | 5 April 1888 – 19 March 1889 | Alcalde | Incondicional Español |
| 92 | Miguel Rosich y Más | 8 May 1889 – 31 March 1890 | Alcalde | Liberal Reformista |
| 93 | Carlos Eusebio de Ayo | 12 April 1890 – 2 January 1893 | Alcalde | Incondicional Español |
| 94 | Comandante José de Nouvilas de Vilar | 3 January 1893 – 9 August 1894 | Comandante militar | Incondicional Español |
| 95 | Eduardo Armstrong | 10 August 1894 – 3 May 1895 | Alcalde | Liberal Reformista |
| 96 | Félix Saurí y Vivas | 13 May 1895 – 11 July 1895 | Alcalde | Incondicional Español |
| 97 | Juan José Potous | 12 July 1895 – 10 May 1896 | Alcalde | Incondicional Español |
| 98 | Comandante Luis Alvarado y González | 11 May 1896 – 28 March 1897 | Comandante militar | Incondicional Español |
| 99 | Miguel Rosich y Más | 29 March 1897 - 8 December 1897 | Alcalde | Liberal Reformista |
| 100 | Luis Gautier | 9 December 1897 – 20 June 1898 | Alcalde | - |
| 101 | Ulpiano Colóm | 8 July 1898 – 8 November 1898 | Alcalde | - |
| 102 | José Lloréns Echevarría | 8 November 1898 – 10 November 1898 | Alcalde | - |
| 103 | Luis Porrata Doria | 11 November 1898 – 12 September 1899 | Alcalde | - |
| 104 | Major Albert L. Myer | 12 September 1899 – 1899 | Comandante militar | - |

## 20th century

| # | Name | In office | Position held | Political party |
| 105 | Pedro Juan Rosaly | 23 December 1900 – 28 February 1901 | Mayor | Republican |
| 106 | José de Guzmán Benítez | 28 February 1901 – 2 January 1902 | Mayor | Republican |
| 107 | Enrique Chevalier | 2 January 1902 – 2 January 1903 | Mayor | Republican |
| 108 | Antonio Arias | 2 January 1903 – 1 January 1904 | Mayor | Republican |
| 109 | Manuel V. Domenech | 2 January 1904 – 1 January 1905 | Mayor | Republican |
| 110 | Luis P. Valdivieso | 2 January 1905 – 1 January 1906 | Mayor | Union |
| 111 | Santiago Oppenheimer | 2 January 1906 – 1 January 1907 | Mayor | Union |
| 112 | Simón Moret Gallart | 2 January 1907 – 1 January 1915 | Mayor | Union |
| 113 | Rafael Rivera Esbrí | 2 January 1915 – 1 January 1917 | Mayor | Union |
| 114 | Luis Yordán Dávila | 2 January 1917 – 1 January 1918 | Mayor | Union |
| 115 | Rodulfo del Valle | 2 January 1918 – 1 January 1921 | Mayor | Union |
| 116 | Francisco Parra Capó | 2 January 1921 – 1 January 1924 | Mayor | Popular ("El Ligao") |
| 117 | Abelardo Aguilú, Jr. | 2 January 1924 – 1 January 1925 | Mayor | Popular ("El Ligao") |
| 118 | Guillermo Vivas Valdivieso | 2 January 1925 – 2 January 1929 | Mayor | Alianza |
| 119 | Emilio Fagot | 2 January 1929 – 2 January 1933 | Mayor | Republican |
| 120 | Blas Oliveras | 2 January 1933 – 2 January 1937 | Mayor | Republican |
| 121 | José Tormos Diego | 2 January 1937 – 2 January 1941 | Mayor | Republican |
| 122 | Andrés Grillasca Salas | 2 January 1941 – 9 May 1956 | Mayor | PPD |
| 123 | José Dapena Laguna | 9 November 1956 – 1 January 1957 | Mayor | PPD |
| 124 | Carlos Juan Cintrón | 2 January 1957 – 2 January 1961 | Mayor | PPD |
| 125 | Juan Luis Boscio | 2 January 1961 – 2 January 1965 | Mayor | PPD |
| 126 | Eduardo Ruberté Bisó | 2 January 1965 – 2 January 1969 | Mayor | PPD |
| 127 | Juan H. Cintrón García | 2 January 1969 – 2 January 1973 | Mayor | PNP |
| 128 | Luis A. Morales | 2 January 1973 – 2 January 1977 | Mayor | PPD |
| 129 | José G. Tormos Vega | 2 January 1977 – 22 February 1984 | Mayor | PNP |
| 130 | José Dapena Thompson | 22 February 1984 – ?? October 1988 | Mayor | PNP |
| 131 | Iván Ayala Cádiz | December 1988 – 2 January 1989 | Mayor | PNP |
| 132 | Rafael Cordero Santiago | 2 January 1989 – 2 January 2000 | Mayor | PPD |

## 21st century

| # | Name | In office | Position held | Political party |
| 132 | Rafael Cordero Santiago | 2 January 2000 – 17 January 2004 | Mayor | PPD |
| 133 | Delis Castillo Rivera de Santiago | 17 January 2004 – 2 January 2005 | Mayor (Interim) | PPD |
| 134 | Francisco Zayas Seijo | 2 January 2005 – 2 January 2009 | Mayor | PPD |
| 135 | Maria "Mayita" Meléndez Altieri | 12 January 2009 – 11 January 2021 | Mayor | PNP |
| 136 | Luis Manuel Irizarry Pabón | 11 January 2021 – 2 November 2023 | Mayor | PPD |
| 137 | Marlese Sifre Rodríguez | 2 November 2023 – present | Mayor | PPD |

## Other mayors

Following is a list of other Ponce mayors according to Enciclopedia Puerto Rico but which are not accounted for in the 1913 historical account by Eduardo Neumann Gandía, Verdadera y Auténtica Historia de la Ciudad de Ponce: Desde sus Primitivos Tiempos hasta la Época Contemporánea. Source: Enciclopedia de Puerto Rico. Some of the names in this list (such as Tomás de Renovales, Francisco Vassallo and Antonio Toro) are listed in Neumann's book, but not for the additional time periods indicated in Enciclopedia Puerto Rico (and, thus, in the table that follows). The positions held are all generically listed as "Alcalde" as a placeholder; but, at least for some of them, based on the time periods Enciclopedia Puerto Rico states they served, likely held a title other than "Alcalde".
| # | Name | In office | Position held | Political party |
| A | Juan A. Ramírez de Arellano | 1692 | Alcalde | N/A |
| B | Tomás de Renovales | 1831 | Alcalde | N/A |
| C | Francisco Vassallo | 1832 | Alcalde | N/A |
| D | Antonio Toro | 1833 | Alcalde | N/A |
| D | Bonifacio Martínez de Baños | 1844 | Alcalde | N/A |
| E | Guillermo Oppenheimer | 1852 | Alcalde | N/A |
| F | Miguel Luchetti | 1852 | Alcalde | N/A |
| G | Pedro de Oña y García | 1853 | Alcalde | N/A |
| H | José Pelligero de Lama | 1853 | Alcalde | N/A |
| I | Eugenio López-Bustamante | 1854 | Alcalde | N/A |
| J | Leonardo de Campos | 1866 | Alcalde | N/A |
| K | Pedro Diz-Romero | 1866 | Alcalde | N/A |
| L | Francisco Arce y Romero | 1867 | Alcalde | N/A |
| M | Nicasio de Navascués y Asia | 1868 | Alcalde | N/A |
| N | Jacobo de Araoz y Balmaceda | 1868 | Alcalde | N/A |
| O | Recaredo Canejo y Custodio | 1869 | Alcalde | N/A |
| P | Manuel Vidal y González | 1871 | Alcalde | - |
| Q | Inocencio Vallenilla | 1872 | Alcalde | - |
| R | Manuel Vidal y González | 1873 | Alcalde | - |
| S | Teodoro Capó | 1873 | Alcalde | - |
| T | Juan Germán-Prats | 1874 | Alcalde | - |
| U | Rosendo Aquíles-Colón | 1880 | Alcalde | - |
| V | Ermelindo Salazar | 1880 | Alcalde | - |
| W | Rosendo Aquíles-Colón | 1881 | Alcalde | - |
| X | Salvador de Vives | 1883 | Alcalde | - |
| Y | Juan Mayoral | 1883 | Alcalde | - |
| Z | Ángel Fernández | 1893 | Alcalde | - |
| AA | Félix Saurí Vivas | 1893 | Alcalde | - |
| AB | Angel Fernández | 1897 | Alcalde | - |
| AC | Félix Saurí y Vivas | 1897 | Alcalde | - |
| AD | Luis Porrata-Doría | 1897 | Alcalde | - |

## Pre-1692 mayors

Historians Eli D. Oquendo Rodriguez (De Criadero a Partido: Ojeada a la historia de los orígenes de Ponce, 1645-1810. 2015. p. 31.) and Francisco Lluch Mora (Orígenes y Fundación de Ponce. 2006, p. 101.) allude to various other Ponce municipal magistrates in the years preceding 1692. Among them are Juan de Quiñones (Lluch Mora), and Juan Quiñones, Pedro Sanchez, Juan Joseph Ortiz, and Andres Martinez de Quiñones (Oquendo Rodriguez).