# List of mayors of Durham, North Carolina

The Mayor of Durham is the chief executive of the government of the city of Durham, North Carolina. The current mayor is Leonardo Williams, who assumed office in 2023.
Elections in North Carolina :
Federal government
U.S. President
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
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
Dem
Rep
2012
2016
Dem
2020
Dem
Rep
2024
Dem
Rep
U.S. Senate
1789
1792
1795
1798
1799
1800
1804
1805 (sp)
1806
1810
1812
1814 (sp)
1815 (sp)
1816
1816 (sp)
1818
1822
1825
1846 (sp)
1828
1828 (sp)
1829
1829 (sp)
1830
1835
1836
1836 (sp)
1840 (sp)
1841
1843
1847
1849
1854 (sp)
1855
1858 (sp)
1861
1868
1872
1872 (sp)
1876
1879
1883
1884
1889
1890
1894
1894 (sp)
1897
1901
1903
1907
1909
1913
1914
1918
1920
1924
1926
1930
1932
1932 (sp)
1936
1938
1942
1944
1948
1948 (sp)
1950
1950 (sp)
1954
1954 (sp)
1956
1958 (sp)
1960
1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1986 (sp)
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
U.S. House of Representatives
1790
1791
1793
1795
sp:4
1796
sp:4
1798
sp:10
1800
1801
sp:8
1802
sp:8
1803
1804
1805
sp:5
1806
sp:10
1808
sp:7
1810
1813
sp:3
1815
1816
sp:6
sp:8
1817
1818
sp:7
sp:11
1819
1821
sp:4
1823
1825
sp:2
1826
sp:8
1827
1829
sp:5
sp:10
1831
1833
1835
1837
1839
1841
1843
1845
1847
1849
1851
1853
1855
1857
1858
sp:8
1859
1865
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1928
1930
1934
1938
1940
1942
1946
1948
1950
1952
1956
1958
1960
sp:12
1968
1972
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
sp:1
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
sp:12
2016
2018
9
2019
sp:3
sp:9
2020
2022
2024 :
State executive
Gubernatorial elections
1803
1804
1805
1806
1807
1808
1809
1810
1810
1812
1813
1814
1815
1816
1817
1818
1819
1820
1821
1822
1823
1824
1825
1826
1827
1828
1829
1830
1831
1832
1833
1834
1835
1836
1838
1840
1842
1844
1846
1848
1850
1852
1854
1856
1858
1860
1862
1864
1865
1866
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
Lieutenant Governor elections
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Attorney General elections
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Council of State elections
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Secretary of State elections
1940
1944
2024 :
State legislature
State Senate elections
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
State House elections
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State judiciary
Judicial elections
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
Ballot measures
2012Amendment 1 :
Mayoral elections
Charlotte mayoral elections
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2022
Cary mayoral elections
2011
2015
2019
2023
Durham mayoral elections
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2021
2023
Fayetteville mayoral elections
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2022
Greensboro mayoral elections
2011
2013
2015
2017
2022
Raleigh mayoral elections
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2022
2024
Winston-Salem mayoral elections
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2016
2020 :
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The first mayor of Durham was tobacco merchant J. W. Cheek who was elected in 1869, although the position was originally known as "magistrate of police" up until 1871, when the title was changed to "mayor" during the tenure of W. J. H. Durham. Mayoral elections were held yearly until 1895, when they were changed to be held every other year.
| # | Name | Term in office | Length of Service | Party affiliation | Previous office |
| 1 | J. W. Cheek | August 1869 – May 1, 1871 | ~1 year, 260 days | | |
| 2 | W. J. H. Durham | May 1, 1871 – September 18, 1871 | 141 days | | |
| Acting | R. F. Morris | September 18, 1871 – May 16, 1872 | 242 days | | |
| 3 | E. J. Parrish | May 16, 1872 – May 6, 1873 | 355 days | | |
| Acting | Julian Carr (1845 – 1924; aged 78) | May 6, 1873 – May 17, 1873 | 11 days | | |
| 4 | W. J. H. Durham | 1873 – 1877 | 4 years | | Mayor of Durham, North Carolina (1871) |
| 5 | Doctor Claiborn Parrish (1807 – 1883; aged 76) | 1877 – 1880 | 3 years | | |
| 6 | Isaac Newton Link (Unknown – 1895) | 1880 – 1881 | 1 year | | |
| 7 | Doctor Claiborn Parrish (1807 – 1883; aged 76) | 1881 – 1882 | 1 year | | Mayor of Durham, North Carolina (1877–1880) |
| 8 | Edward Carney Hackney (1856 – 1903; aged 46) | May 2, 1882 – May 8, 1883 | 1 year, 6 days | | |
| 9 | Doctor Claiborn Parrish (1807 – 1883; aged 76) | May 8, 1883 – July 1883 (Died in office) | ~ 2 months | | Mayor of Durham, North Carolina (1881–1882) |
| Acting | W. T. Lipscomb | August 7, 1883 – May 6, 1884 | 273 days | | |
| 10 | J. F. Freeland | May 6, 1884 – May 8, 1888 | 4 years, 2 days | | |
| 11 | W. J. Christian | May 8, 1888 – May 6, 1890 | 1 year, 363 days | | |
| 12 | M. A. Angier | May 6, 1890 – May 3, 1893 | 2 years, 363 days | | |
| 13 | T. L. Peay | May 3, 1893 – May 8, 1894 | 1 years, 5 days | | |
| 14 | Isaac Newton Link (Unknown – 1895) | May 8, 1894 – January 5, 1895 (Died in office) | 242 days | | Mayor of Durham, North Carolina (1880–1881) |
| Acting | J. W. Carlton | January 5, 1895 – May 7, 1895 | 122 days | | |
| 15 | T. L Peay | May 7, 1895 – May 1897 | 2 years | | Mayor of Durham, North Carolina (1893–1894) |
| 16 | Moses Ellis McCown (1849 – 1925; aged 75) | unknown – 1903 | | | |
| 17 | J. F. Freeland | 1903 – 1905 | 2 years | | Mayor of Durham, North Carolina (1884–1888) |
| 18 | Paul Cameron Graham | 1905 – 1909 | 4 years | | |
| 19 | W. J. Griswold | 1909 – 1911 | 2 years | | Durham City Council (1905 – 1907) |
| 20 | Willis J. Brogden | 1911 – 1915 | 4 years | | |
| 21 | Benjamin S. Skinner | 1915 – 1917 | 2 years | | Durham City Council (1913 – 1915) |
| 22 | M. E. Newsom | 1917 – 1921 | 4 years | | Durham City Council (1913 – 1917) |
| 23 | John Moore Manning (1857 – 1933; aged ~76) | 1921 – 1931 | 10 years | | Durham City Council (1919 – 1921) |
| 24 | Delos Sorrell | 1931 – 1933 | 2 years | | |
| 25 | William Frederick Carr (1881 – 1956; aged 75) | 1933 – 1949 | 16 years | | Durham City Council (1917 – 1933) |
| 26 | Dan Edwards (1914 – 2001; aged 87) | 1949 – 1951 | 2 years | | North Carolina Representative from Durham County (1947–1949) |
| 27 | Emanuel J. Evans (1907 – 1997; aged 89) | 1951 – 1963 | 12 years | Democratic | |
| 28 | Wense Grabarek (1919 – 2019; aged 100) | 1963 – 1971 | 8 years | Democratic | Durham City Council (1957–1961) |
| 29 | James Hawkins (1925 – 2010; aged 85) | 1971 – 1975 | 4 years | | Durham City Council (1959–1967) |
| 30 | Wade Cavin (1916 – 1997; aged 81) | 1975 – 1979 | 4 years | | Durham City Council (1969–1975) |
| 31 | Harry E. Rodenhizer, Jr (1927 – 2007; aged 80) | 1979 – 1981 | 2 years | Republican | Durham Public School Board |
| 32 | Charles Markham (1938 – 2010; aged 83) | 1981 – 1985 | 4 years | | |
| 33 | Wib Gulley (born 1948; aged 73) | 1985 – 1989 | 4 years | Democratic | Durham Board of Adjustment (1983–1985) |
| 34 | Chester L. Jenkins (c. 1938 – 2009; aged ~71) | 1989 – 1991 | 2 years | Democratic | Durham City Council (1981–1989) |
| 35 | Harry E. Rodenhizer, Jr (1927 – 2007; aged 80) | 1991 – 1993 | 2 years | Republican | Mayor of Durham, North Carolina (1979–1981) |
| 36 | Sylvia Kerckhoff (born 1926; aged 95) | 1993 – 1997 | 4 years | | Durham City Council |
| 37 | Nick Tennyson (born 1950; aged 71) | 1997 – 2001 | 4 years | Republican | |
| 38 | Bill Bell (born in 1941; aged 80) | 2001 – December 5, 2017 | 16 years | Democratic | Durham County Board of Commissioners (1996–2000) |
| 39 | Steve Schewel (born in 1951; aged 70) | December 5, 2017 – December 6, 2021 | 4 years | Democratic | Durham City Council (2011–2017) |
| 40 | Elaine O'Neal | December 6, 2021 – December 4, 2023 | 2 Years | Democratic | North Carolina Superior Court (2011-2018) |
| 41 | Leonardo Williams | December 4, 2023 | | Democratic | Durham City Council (2021-2023) |