# President of the Los Angeles City Council

The President of the Los Angeles City Council is the presiding officer of the Los Angeles City Council. The president presides as chair over meetings of the council and assignments to City Council committees and handles parliamentary duties like ruling motions in or out of order. The president automatically becomes an acting mayor when the mayor is out of state. Since 2020, the president has been elected at the first scheduled council meeting in January of even-numbered years.
The current president is Democrat Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who took office on September 20, 2024.

## History
### Early history

The office of the President was created with the introduction of the Los Angeles Common Council in 1850, with one of the members of the Council serving as the President. The first president of the Common Council was pioneer David W. Alexander, who was elected in 1850 before resigning a year later. In 1889, the Los Angeles City Council was created under the first city charter, though the office stayed relatively the same.

### New city charter

In 1965, the job of President Pro Tempore was created to preside during the absence of the President, with the first officer being councilman Thomas D. Shepard. Shepard presided when L. E. Timberlake became acting mayor due to mayor Sam Yorty traveling outside the country. The assistant pro tempore was created in 1977 with councilman Ernani Bernardi as the officer, who presided over meeting if both the President and the President Pro Tempore are out.
Councilman John Ferraro is the longest serving president, serving for 20 years in two terms. The first woman to be elected as the City Council president was Pat Russell, who held the title until 1987 when she was defeated in the City Council elections. The first Latino elected was Alex Padilla in 2001 after defeating incumbent Ruth Galanter; he served as acting mayor days after the 9/11 attacks as mayor James Hahn traveled out of the city. The first African-American president was Herb Wesson, who was elected in 2012 and served until 2020. The first Latina president was Nury Martinez, who was elected in 2020 and served until 2022.

## Responsibilities

* presiding over meetings of the council.
* giving assignments to City Council committees.
* handling parliamentary duties like ruling motions in or out of order.
* serving as an acting mayor for the Mayor of Los Angeles if the office is vacant.

## List of presidents (1919–present)

| No. | Portrait | Officeholder | Tenure start | Tenure end | Pro Tem. | Assistant Pro Tem. | Mayor |
| 1 | | Boyle Workman (4th–Wilshire Center) | July 7, 1919 | July 5, 1921 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Meredith P. Snyder |
| 2 | | Ralph Luther Criswell (7th–Vermont Square) | July 5, 1921 | July 1, 1923 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | George E. Cryer |
| 3 | | Boyle Workman (4th–Wilshire Center) | July 1, 1923 | June 30, 1925 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | George E. Cryer |
| 3 | | Boyle Workman (4th–Wilshire Center) | July 1, 1925 | June 30, 1927 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | George E. Cryer |
| 4 | | William G. Bonelli (14th–Eagle Rock) | July 1, 1927 | June 30, 1929 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | George E. Cryer |
| 5 | | Winfred J. Sanborn (9th–Boyle Heights) | July 1, 1929 | June 30, 1931 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | John Clinton Porter |
| 6 | | Charles H. Randall (1st–Sun Valley) | July 1, 1931 | June 30, 1933 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | John Clinton Porter |
| 7 | | Howard W. Davis (7th–Vermont Square) | July 1, 1933 | June 30, 1935 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Frank L. Shaw |
| 8 | | Robert L. Burns (4th–Wilshire Center) | July 1, 1935 | June 30, 1937 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Frank L. Shaw |
| 8 | | Robert L. Burns (4th–Wilshire Center) | July 1, 1937 | June 30, 1939 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Frank L. Shaw |
| 8 | | Robert L. Burns (4th–Wilshire Center) | July 1, 1939 | June 30, 1941 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Fletcher Bowron |
| 9 | | G. Vernon Bennett (10th–University Park) | July 1, 1941 | June 30, 1943 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Fletcher Bowron |
| 10 | | Robert L. Burns (4th–Wilshire Center) | July 1, 1943 | June 30, 1945 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Fletcher Bowron |
| 11 | | George H. Moore (15th–Wilmington) | July 1, 1945 | June 30, 1947 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Fletcher Bowron |
| 12 | | Harold A. Henry (4th–Windsor Square) | July 1, 1947 | June 30, 1949 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Fletcher Bowron |
| 12 | | Harold A. Henry (4th–Windsor Square) | July 1, 1949 | June 30, 1951 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Fletcher Bowron |
| 12 | | Harold A. Henry (4th–Windsor Square) | July 1, 1951 | June 30, 1953 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Fletcher Bowron |
| 13 | | John S. Gibson Jr. (15th–San Pedro) | July 1, 1953 | June 30, 1955 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Norris Poulson |
| 13 | | John S. Gibson Jr. (15th–San Pedro) | July 1, 1955 | June 30, 1957 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Norris Poulson |
| 13 | | John S. Gibson Jr. (15th–San Pedro) | July 1, 1957 | June 30, 1959 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Norris Poulson |
| 13 | | John S. Gibson Jr. (15th–San Pedro) | July 1, 1959 | June 30, 1961 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Norris Poulson |
| 14 | | Harold A. Henry (4th–Windsor Square) | July 1, 1961 | June 30, 1963 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Sam Yorty |
| 15 | | L. E. Timberlake (6th–Gramercy Park) | July 1, 1963 | June 30, 1965 | Office did not exist | Office did not exist | Sam Yorty |
| 15 | | L. E. Timberlake (6th–Gramercy Park) | July 1, 1965 | June 30, 1967 | Thomas D. Shepard | Office did not exist | Sam Yorty |
| 15 | | L. E. Timberlake (6th–Gramercy Park) | July 1, 1967 | June 30, 1969 | John S. Gibson Jr. | Office did not exist | Sam Yorty |
| 16 | | John S. Gibson Jr. (15th–San Pedro) | July 1, 1969 | June 30, 1971 | Billy G. Mills | Office did not exist | Sam Yorty |
| 16 | | John S. Gibson Jr. (15th–San Pedro) | July 1, 1971 | June 30, 1973 | Billy G. Mills | Office did not exist | Sam Yorty |
| 16 | | John S. Gibson Jr. (15th–San Pedro) | July 1, 1973 | June 30, 1975 | Robert J. Stevenson | Office did not exist | Tom Bradley |
| 16 | | John S. Gibson Jr. (15th–San Pedro) | July 1, 1975 | June 30, 1977 | John Ferraro | Office did not exist | Tom Bradley |
| 17 | | John Ferraro (4th–Hancock Park) | July 1, 1977 | June 30, 1979 | Joel Wachs | Ernani Bernardi | Tom Bradley |
| 17 | | John Ferraro (4th–Hancock Park) | July 1, 1979 | June 30, 1981 | Joel Wachs | Ernani Bernardi | Tom Bradley |
| 18 | | Joel Wachs (2nd–Studio City) | July 1, 1981 | June 30, 1983 | Peggy Stevenson | Ernani Bernardi | Tom Bradley |
| 19 | | Pat Russell (6th–Westchester) | July 1, 1983 | June 30, 1985 | Peggy Stevenson | Ernani Bernardi | Tom Bradley |
| 19 | | Pat Russell (6th–Westchester) | July 1, 1985 | June 30, 1987 | Joan Milke Flores | Ernani Bernardi | Tom Bradley |
| 20 | | John Ferraro (4th–Hancock Park) | July 1, 1987 | June 30, 1989 | Marvin Braude | Ernani Bernardi | Tom Bradley |
| 20 | | John Ferraro (4th–Hancock Park) | July 1, 1989 | June 30, 1991 | Marvin Braude | Joan Milke Flores | Tom Bradley |
| 20 | | John Ferraro (4th–Hancock Park) | July 1, 1991 | June 30, 1993 | Marvin Braude | Joan Milke Flores | Tom Bradley |
| 20 | | John Ferraro (4th–Hancock Park) | July 1, 1993 | June 30, 1995 | Marvin Braude | Richard Alatorre | Richard J. Riordan |
| 20 | | John Ferraro (4th–Hancock Park) | July 1, 1995 | June 30, 1997 | Joel Wachs | Mike Hernandez | Richard J. Riordan |
| 20 | | John Ferraro (4th–Hancock Park) | July 1, 1997 | June 30, 1999 | Joel Wachs | Ruth Galanter | Richard J. Riordan |
| 20 | | John Ferraro (4th–Hancock Park) | July 1, 1999 | April 17, 2001 | Ruth Galanter | Rudy Svorinich | Richard J. Riordan |
| 21 | | Ruth Galanter (6th–Venice) | April 17, 2001 | July 1, 2001 | Mark Ridley-Thomas | Rudy Svorinich | Richard J. Riordan |
| 22 | | Alex Padilla (7th–Pacoima) | July 1, 2001 | June 30, 2003 | Mark Ridley-Thomas | Cindy Miscikowski | James Hahn |
| 22 | | Alex Padilla (7th–Pacoima) | July 1, 2003 | June 30, 2005 | Cindy Miscikowski | Eric Garcetti | James Hahn |
| 22 | | Alex Padilla (7th–Pacoima) | July 1, 2005 | January 1, 2006 | Wendy Greuel | Tony Cárdenas | Antonio Villaraigosa |
| 23 | | Eric Garcetti (13th–Echo Park) | January 1, 2006 | June 30, 2007 | Wendy Greuel | Jan Perry | Antonio Villaraigosa |
| 23 | | Eric Garcetti (13th–Echo Park) | July 1, 2007 | June 30, 2009 | Wendy Greuel | Jan Perry | Antonio Villaraigosa |
| 23 | | Eric Garcetti (13th–Echo Park) | July 1, 2009 | January 2, 2012 | Jan Perry | Dennis Zine | Antonio Villaraigosa |
| 24 | | Herb Wesson (10th–Mid City) | January 2, 2012 | June 30, 2012 | Ed Reyes | Tom LaBonge | Antonio Villaraigosa |
| 24 | | Herb Wesson (10th–Mid City) | July 1, 2013 | June 30, 2015 | Mitchell Englander | Tom LaBonge | Eric Garcetti |
| 24 | | Herb Wesson (10th–Mid City) | July 1, 2015 | June 30, 2017 | Mitchell Englander | Nury Martinez | Eric Garcetti |
| 24 | | Herb Wesson (10th–Mid City) | July 1, 2017 | December 31, 2018 | Mitchell Englander | Nury Martinez | Eric Garcetti |
| 24 | | Herb Wesson (10th–Mid City) | January 15, 2019 | June 30, 2019 | Nury Martinez | Joe Buscaino | Eric Garcetti |
| 24 | | Herb Wesson (10th–Mid City) | July 1, 2019 | January 5, 2020 | Nury Martinez | Joe Buscaino | Eric Garcetti |
| 25 | | Nury Martinez (6th–Sun Valley) | January 5, 2020 | December 14, 2020 | Joe Buscaino | David Ryu | Eric Garcetti |
| 25 | | Nury Martinez (6th–Sun Valley) | December 14, 2020 | June 30, 2021 | Joe Buscaino | Vacant | Eric Garcetti |
| 25 | | Nury Martinez (6th–Sun Valley) | July 1, 2021 | September 21, 2021 | Joe Buscaino | Vacant | Eric Garcetti |
| 25 | | Nury Martinez (6th–Sun Valley) | October 1, 2021 | October 10, 2022 | Mitch O'Farrell | Vacant | Eric Garcetti |
| - | Mitch O'Farrell (13th–Echo Park) Acting President October 10 - 18, 2022 | Mitch O'Farrell (13th–Echo Park) Acting President October 10 - 18, 2022 | Mitch O'Farrell (13th–Echo Park) Acting President October 10 - 18, 2022 | Mitch O'Farrell (13th–Echo Park) Acting President October 10 - 18, 2022 | Vacant | Vacant | Eric Garcetti |
| 26 | | Paul Krekorian (2nd–Toluca Lake) | October 18, 2022 | October 25, 2022 | Mitch O'Farrell | Vacant | Eric Garcetti |
| 26 | | Paul Krekorian (2nd–Toluca Lake) | October 25, 2022 | December 12, 2022 | Curren Price | Vacant | Eric Garcetti |
| 26 | | Paul Krekorian (2nd–Toluca Lake) | December 12, 2022 | June 13, 2023 | Curren Price | Vacant | Karen Bass |
| 26 | | Paul Krekorian (2nd–Toluca Lake) | June 13, 2023 | June 20, 2023 | Vacant | Vacant | Karen Bass |
| 26 | | Paul Krekorian (2nd–Toluca Lake) | June 20, 2023 | September 20, 2024 | Marqueece Harris-Dawson | Bob Blumenfield | Karen Bass |
| 27 | | Marqueece Harris-Dawson (8th–Gramercy Park) | September 20, 2024 | December 10, 2024 | Bob Blumenfield | Vacant | Karen Bass |
| 27 | | Marqueece Harris-Dawson (8th–Gramercy Park) | December 10, 2024 | January 28, 2025 | Bob Blumenfield | Vacant | Karen Bass |
| 27 | | Marqueece Harris-Dawson (8th–Gramercy Park) | January 28, 2025 | Incumbent | Bob Blumenfield | Nithya Raman | Karen Bass |