# List of mayors of Louisville, Kentucky

Elections in Kentucky :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1792
1793
1794
1798
1800
1804
1805 sp
1806
1806 sp
1811
1813
1814 sp
1815 sp
1816
1816 sp
1818
1819 sp
1820 sp
1823
1824 sp
1829
1831 sp
1835
1836
1841
1842
1842 sp
1843
1848
1849
1849 sp
1851
1851 sp
1854
1858
1859
1861 sp
1865
1867
1868 sp
1871
1872
1873 sp
1876
1879
1882
1884
1888
1890
1890 sp
1893 sp
1894
1897
1900
1902
1906
1908
1912
1914
1914 sp
1918
1920
1924
1926
1930
1930 sp
1932
1936
1938
1940 sp
1942
1944
1946 sp
1948
1950
1950 sp
1952 sp
1954
1956
1956 sp
1960
1962
1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1792
1793
1795
1797
1799
1801
1803
1804
1806
1808
1810
5th sp
1812
1813
8th sp
1814
2nd sp
1815
2nd sp
1816
1st sp
1818
1820
1821
8th sp
1822
1824
1825
3rd sp
1826
5th sp
12th sp
1827
11th sp
1828
2nd sp
1829
1831
1833
1834
5th sp
1835
1837
1839
1841
1843
1845
1847
1849
1851
1853
1854
3rd sp
1855
1857
1859
1861
1862
2nd sp
1863
1865
1866
3rd sp
5th sp
6th sp
1867
3rd sp
1868
1870
3rd sp
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
6th sp
1892
1894
9th sp
10th sp
1896
1898
1899
7th sp
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1923
7th sp
1924
9th sp
1925
3rd sp
1926
1928
1929
3rd sp
1930
2nd sp
1932
1934
1935
4th sp
1936
1937
2nd sp
1938
1940
1942
1943
4th sp
1944
1946
1948
2nd sp
9th sp
1950
1951
6th sp
1952
2nd sp
1953
2nd sp
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1971
6th sp
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
2nd sp
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
6th sp
2006
2008
2010
2012
4th sp
2014
2016
1st sp
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026 :
State government
State elections
2007
2008
2010
2011
2012
2014
2015
2016
2018
2019
2020
2022
2023
2024
2026
Gubernatorial elections
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1851
1855
1859
1863
1867
1868 sp
1871
1875
1879
1883
1887
1891
1895
1899
1900 sp
1903
1907
1911
1915
1919
1923
1927
1931
1935
1939
1943
1947
1951
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983
1987
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
2027
Secretary of State elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Attorney General elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
State Treasurer elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
State Auditor elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Agriculture Commissioner elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Senate elections
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
Special
House of Representatives elections
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
Special
Supreme Court elections
2008
2010
2012
2014
2015 sp
2016
2018
2019 sp
2020
2022
2024
2026 :
Ballot measures
2004Amendment 1
2022Amendment 2
2024Amendment 2 :
Lexington
Mayoral elections
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Louisville
Mayoral elections
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Government :
vte :
The history of Louisville, Kentucky, United States, as a city is considered to have started on February 13, 1828, the date of the first city charter. From the time of its first organization as a village, on February 7, 1781, until its incorporation as a city, it was governed by a board of trustees. At the time when its growth and commercial importance demanded the change of its government, it was chartered by the state legislature into a city of five wards and placed under the government of a mayor and city council, the latter being composed of ten members, two from each ward.

## History of the office

The first election under the Act of Incorporation took place in March 1828. All free white males who had lived in the city for at least six months prior to the election could vote, although mayors were not elected directly initially. The two top vote-getters were referred to the governor, who selected the mayor from the two, with senate approval. The early mayor was relatively weak, acting mostly as a Justice of the Peace, serving a one-year term, and lacking a vote on the City Council except to break ties.
A change to the charter in 1838 allowed for direct election of a mayor, extended the term to three years, and prevented incumbents from running for re-election. The term was reduced to two years from 1851 to 1870, then returned to three, and was finally set at four years by the Kentucky Legislature in 1894. In the early 20th century, corruption and political machines were rampant, causing mayors of both parties to be removed from office by courts. All legislative power was given to the Board of Aldermen in 1929. Mayoral term limits were set at three in 1986.
On January 6, 2003, the city of Louisville and Jefferson County governments merged to form the government of Louisville Metro, and the office of Mayor of Louisville Metro was created.

## Incorporated city

| Mayor | Term began | Term ended | Political party |
| John Bucklin | 1828 | 1833 | |
| John Joyes | 1834 | 1836 | |
| W. A. Cocke | 1836 | 1836 | Whig |
| Frederick A. Kaye | 1837 | 1840 | Whig |
| David L. Beatty | 1841 | 1843 | Democratic |
| Frederick A. Kaye | 1844 | 1846 | Whig |
| William R. Vance | 1847 | 1850 | Whig |
| John M. Delph | 1850 | 1852 | Whig |
| James Stephens Speed | 1853 | 1854 | Whig |
| John Barbee | 1855 | 1856 | Know Nothing |
| William S. Pilcher | 1857 | August 1858 | Know Nothing |
| Thomas W. Riley | August 1858 | April 1859 | Whig |
| Thomas H. Crawford | April 1859 | 1860 | Unionist |
| John M. Delph | 1861 | 1862 | Unionist |
| William Kaye | 1863 | 1865 | Democratic |
| Philip Tomppert | 1865 | December 28, 1865 | Democratic |
| James S. Lithgow | January 2, 1866 | February 14, 1867 | Democratic |
| Philip Tomppert | February 14, 1867 | 1868 | Democratic |
| Joseph H. Bunce | 1869 | March 1870 | Democratic |
| John G. Baxter | 1870 | 1872 | Democratic |
| Charles D. Jacob | 1873 | 1878 | Democratic |
| John G. Baxter | 1879 | 1881 | Democratic |
| Charles D. Jacob | 1882 | 1884 | Democratic |
| P. Booker Reed | 1885 | 1887 | Democratic |
| Charles D. Jacob | 1888 | 1890 | Democratic |
| William L. Lyons | May 12, 1890 | August 1890 | Democratic |
| Henry S. Tyler | 1891 | January 14, 1896 | Democratic |
| Robert Emmet King | January 14, 1896 | January 31, 1896 (pro tem) | Republican |
| George Davidson Todd | January 31, 1896 | December 1897 | Republican |
| Charles P. Weaver | December 1897 | December 1901 | Democratic |
| Charles F. Grainger | December 1901 | December 1905 | Democratic |
| Paul C. Barth | December 1905 | July 1907 | Democratic |
| Robert Worth Bingham | July 1907 | December 1907 | Democratic |
| James F. Grinstead | December 1907 | December 1909 | Republican |
| William O. Head | December 1909 | December 1913 | Democratic |
| John H. Buschemeyer | December 1913 | December 1917 | Democratic |
| George Weissinger Smith | December 1917 | December 1921 | Republican |
| Huston Quin | December 1921 | December 1925 | Republican |
| Arthur A. Will | December 1925 | June 1927 | Republican |
| Joseph T. O'Neal | June 1927 | December 1927 | Democratic |
| William B. Harrison | December 1927 | December 1933 | Republican |
| Neville Miller | December 1933 | December 1937 | Democratic |
| Joseph D. Scholtz | December 1937 | December 1941 | Democratic |
| Wilson W. Wyatt | December 1941 | December 1945 | Democratic |
| E. Leland Taylor | December 1945 | February 16, 1948 | Democratic |
| Charles R. Farnsley | February 16, 1948 | December 1953 | Democratic |
| Andrew Broaddus | December 1953 | December 1957 | Democratic |
| Bruce Hoblitzell | December 1957 | December 1961 | Democratic |
| William Cowger | December 1961 | December 1965 | Republican |
| Kenneth A. Schmied | December 1965 | December 1969 | Republican |
| Frank W. Burke | December 1969 | December 1, 1973 | Democratic |
| Harvey I. Sloane | December 1, 1973 | December 1, 1977 | Democratic |
| William B. Stansbury | December 1, 1977 | January 1, 1982 | Democratic |
| Harvey I. Sloane | January 1, 1982 | January 1, 1986 | Democratic |
| Jerry Abramson | January 1, 1986 | January 1, 1999 | Democratic |
| David L. Armstrong | January 1, 1999 | January 5, 2003 | Democratic |

## Louisville Metro

| Mayor | Term began | Term ended | Political party |
| Jerry Abramson | January 6, 2003 | January 2, 2011 | Democratic |
| Greg Fischer | January 3, 2011 | January 1, 2023 | Democratic |
| Craig Greenberg | January 2, 2023 | Present | Democratic |