# List of mayors of Wilmington, Delaware

The mayor of Wilmington is the chief executive of the government of Wilmington, Delaware, as stipulated by the charter. The current mayor of Wilmington is John Carney

## City of Wilmington

Mayors of Wilmington, Delaware :
| Rank | Mayor | Start | End | Party | Note |
| 1 | Richard Bayard | 1832 | 1834 | Whig | Wilmington incorporated in 1832. |
| 2 | Nicholas Williamson | 1834 | 1843 | Whig | |
| 3 | David C. Wilson | 1843 | 1845 | Whig | |
| 4 | Alexander Porter | 1845 | 1848 | Whig | |
| 5 | William Huffington | 1848 | 1850 | Democratic | |
| 6 | Joshua Driver | 1850 | 1851 | | |
| 7 | Columbus Evans | 1851 | 1852 | Whig | Editor of the Delaware Republican. |
| 8 | William Hemphill Jones | 1852 | 1853 | | First mayor elected by popular vote. |
| 9 | John Alderdice | 1853 | 1854 | | Publisher of The Journal. |
| 10 | Heyward, James F. | 1854 | 1855 | | |
| 11 | William Wiggins | 1855 | 1856 | | |
| 12 | William Huffington | 1856 | 1857 | Democratic | Non-continuous terms. |
| 13 | George Sparks | 1857 | 1858 | | |
| 14 | Thomas Young | 1858 | 1860 | | |
| 15 | Vincent Glipin | 1860 | 1863 | | |
| 16 | John Turner | 1863 | 1865 | | |
| 17 | Joshua Maris | 1865 | 1867 | | |
| 18 | Joshua Valentine | 1867 | 1872 | | |
| 19 | Joshua Simms | 1872 | 1875 | Democratic | |
| 20 | William G. Whiteley | 1875 | 1878 | Democratic | |
| 21 | John Allmond | 1878 | 1882 | | |
| 22 | John Wales | 1882 | 1885 | | Son of Senator John Wales. |
| 23 | Calvin Rhoads | 1885 | 1891 | Democratic | Choir director |
| | Sandsbury Wiley | 1891 | 1893 | Republican | Term changed to two years, Saturday election in June. |
| | E. G. Shortridge | 1893 | 1894 | Republican | |
| | Charles Jefferies | 1895 | ? | Democratic | |
| | John Fahey | 1899 | ? | Democratic | |
| | George Fisher | 1903 | 1903 | | |
| | Charles Bird | 1903 | ? | Democratic | |
| | Horace Wilson | 1905 | 1907 | Republican | |
| | Harrison Howell | 1911 | 1915 | Republican | |
| | John Lawson | 1919 | ? | | |
| | LeRoy Harvey | 1921 | 1923? | | Founded Wilmington Music School. |
| | William Taylor | ? | 1925 | Republican | Lost at Sea |
| | George Forrest | 1923 | 1931 | | First intern at Delaware Hospital. |
| | Frank Sparks | 1931 | 1933 | Republican | |
| | William Speer | 1933 | 1935 | Democratic | |
| | Walter Bacon | 1935 | 1940 | Republican | Resigned when elected governor. |
| | Albert James | 1941 | 1944 | Republican | Filled term of Gov. Bacon. |
| | Thomas Herlihy | 1945 | 1946 | Republican | Resigned when appointed Chief Judge of Municipal Court. |
| | Joseph Wilson | 1947 | 1949 | Republican | |
| | James Hearn | 1949 | 1953 | Republican | |
| | August Walz | 1954 | 1955 | Republican | |
| 47 | Eugene Lammot | 1957 | 1960 | Democratic | Resigned when elected Lt. Gov. Election Tues. in Nov. |
| 48 | John Baribarz | 1961 | 1969 | Democratic | 1968 Occupation |
| 49 | Harry Haskell | 1969 | 1973 | Republican | |
| 50 | Thomas Maloney | 1973 | 1977 | Democratic | |
| 51 | William McLaughlin | 1977 | 1984 | Democratic | |
| 52 | Daniel Frawley | 1985 | 1993 | Democratic | Stadium named after. |
| 53 | James Sills | 1993 | 2001 | Democratic | First African American Mayor |
| 54 | James Baker | 2001 | 2013 | Democratic | First 3-Term Mayor with 4-year terms |
| 55 | Dennis Williams | 2013 | 2017 | Democratic | Served in the Delaware House of Representatives |
| 56 | Mike Purzycki | 2017 | 2025 | Democratic | Spearheaded successful Riverfront redevelopment |
| 57 | John Carney | 2025 | Incumbent | Democratic | First Mayor to previously serve as State Governor |

## Borough of Wilmington

Chief Burgesses of Wilmington, Delaware :
| Rank | Chief Burgess | Year | Note |
| 1 | Shipley, William | 1739 | William Penn granted charter on November 16, 1739. |
| 2 | Way, Joseph | 1742 | |
| 3 | Shipley, William | 1743 | 2nd non-consecutive term. |
| 4 | Hannum, Robert | 1744 | |
| 5 | Peters, Joseph | 1745 | |
| 6 | Stapler, John | 1748 | Stapler Park named after |
| 7 | Few, James | 1750 | |
| 8 | Littler, Joshua | 1751 | |
| 9 | Stapler, John | 1752 | 2nd non-consecutive term. |
| 10 | Littler, Joshua | 1753 | 2nd non-consecutive term. |
| 11 | Littler, Joshua | 1754 | 3rd term. |
| 12 | Dawes, Edward | 1755 | |
| 13 | Stapler, John | 1756 | 3rd non-consecutive term. |
| 14 | Gilpin, Thomas | 1757 | |
| 15 | Stapler, John | 1758 | 4th non-consecutive term. |
| 16 | McKinly, John | 1759 | |
| 17 | Dawes, Edward | 1762 | |
| 18 | Lea, John | 1764 | Lea Blvd. named after. |
| 19 | Way, Joseph | 1765 | |
| 20 | McKinly, John | 1767 | |
| 21 | Bennet, Joseph | 1770 | Bennet Street named after. |
| 22 | McKinly, John | 1771 | |
| 23 | Robinson, Nicholas | 1774 | |
| 24 | McKinly, John | 1775 | |
| 25 | Bennett, Joseph | 1777 | |
| 26 | Stidham, Joseph | 1778 | |
| 27 | Broom, Jacob | 1783 | Broom Street named after. |
| 28 | Kean, Thomas | 1784 | |
| 29 | Broom, Jacob | 1785 | |
| 30 | Gibbson, James | 1786 | |
| 31 | Way, Thomas | 1788 | |
| 32 | Shallcross, Joseph | 1790 | Shallcross Avenue named after. |
| 33 | Bush, David | 1792 | |
| 34 | Broom, Jacob | 1794 | |
| 35 | Brynberg, Peter | 1796 | |
| 36 | Warner, Joseph | 1798 | |
| 37 | Tilton, Hehemiah | 1799 | |
| 38 | Brobson, James | 1801 | |
| 39 | Hendrickson, Isaac | 1802 | |
| 40 | Brobson, James | 1803 | |
| 41 | Lea, James | 1806 | |
| 42 | Dixon, Isaac | 1807 | |
| 43 | Brobson, James | 1808 | |