# Mayors of Ocean City, New Jersey

The Mayor of the City of Ocean City is the head of the executive branch of government of Ocean City, New Jersey, United States.
Since Ocean City was chartered as a borough in 1884, 22 individuals have held the office of mayor. Four mayors served two or more non-consecutive terms. Gainer P. Moore was the inaugural mayor of the city, who served on three separate occasions for a total of ten years. The current mayor is Jay Gillian, who was first elected in May 2010, and re-elected in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

## History

Beginning in 1879, when the Lake Brothers founded a Christian retreat on the island, the Ocean City Association handled official business, which continued in this capacity until 1884. Based on a referendum on April 30, 1884, the borough of Ocean City was formed from portions of Upper Township, following an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 3, 1884. At this time, the town was governed by a mayor and four members of a City Council. On March 31, 1890, the borough of Ocean City was reincorporated. On March 25, 1897, Ocean City was again reincorporated, this time as a city. At this time, the City Council expanded to six members. In 1911, Ocean City switched to a city commission government, in which voters picked three commissioners, with one designated as mayor. On July 1, 1978, Ocean City switched to a mayor–council form of government, in which there are seven council members, and a directly-elected mayor.

## Mayors

| No. | Mayor | Term start | Term end | Notes |
| 1 | Gainer P. Moore | 1884 | 1890 | First mayor of borough of Ocean City |
| 2 | James E. Pryor | 1890 | 1892 | |
| 3 | Gainer P. Moore | 1892 | 1894 | Second tenure as mayor |
| 4 | Harry G. Steelman | 1894 | 1895 | Tied with Robert Fisher in the 1894 mayoral election. The City Council chose Steelman, which Fisher contested in court. |
| 5 | Robert Fisher | 1895 | 1896 | Tied with Harry G. Steelman in the 1894 mayoral election. After contesting in court, the City Council instated Fisher for the 2nd year of the two-year term. |
| 6 | Gainer P. Moore | 1896 | 1897 | Third and final tenure as mayor |
| 7 | Wesley C. Smith | 1897 | 1901 | First mayor after Ocean City incorporated as a city |
| 8 | Joseph G. Champion | 1901 | 1907 | First of three tenures as mayor. |
| 9 | Lewis M. Cresse | 1907 | 1911 | |
| 10 | Harry Headley | 1911 | 1915 | City government changed to a three-person commission, which chose Headley. |
| 11 | Joseph G. Champion | 1915 | 1931 | Second of three tenures as mayor. |
| 12 | Harry Headley | 1931 | 1935 | Second tenure as mayor. |
| 13 | Joseph G. Champion | 1935 | 1939 | Third and final tenure as mayor. |
| 14 | George D. Richards | 1939 | May 17, 1943 | Died on the last day of his term. |
| 15 | Clyde William Struble, Sr. | May 1943 | December 3, 1948 | Delegate to 1947 state constitution convention. He died in office on December 3, 1948. |
| Vacant | Vacant | December 3, 1948 | May 10, 1949 | City commission was unable to agree on replacement. Position was vacant until the next mayoral election on May 10, 1949. |
| 16 | Edward B. Bowker | 1949 | 1959 | |
| 17 | Nathaniel C. Smith | 1959 | 1963 | |
| 18 | B. Thomas Waldman | 1963 | 1967 | |
| 19 | Robert L. Sharp | 1967 | 1971 | |
| 20 | B. Thomas Waldman | 1971 | 1978 | |
| 21 | Chester A. Wimberg | 1978 | 1982 | First person elected under the newly adopted mayor–council form of city government |
| 22 | Jack Bittner | 1982 | 1986 | |
| 23 | Roy Gillian | 1986 | 1990 | |
| 24 | Nickolas J. "Chick" Trofa | 1990 | January 31, 1992 | He died of a heart attack while in office on January 31, 1992. |
| 25 | Richard Deaney | January 31, 1992 | May 12, 1992 | Appointed by City Council until a special election on May 12 |
| 26 | Henry "Bud" Knight | May 12, 1992 | 2006 | He won a special election in 1992, then served three more terms. |
| 27 | Sal Perillo | July 2006 | July 2010 | |
| 28 | Jay Gillian | July 2010 | | Current mayor of Ocean City |

## Higher offices held

The following is a list of higher public offices held by mayors, before or after their mayoral term(s).
| Mayor | Mayoral term(s) | Other offices held |
| Wesley C. Smith | 1897–1901 | New Jersey General Assembly (1895) |
| Lewis M. Cresse | 1907–1911 | New Jersey General Assembly (1901-1903) |
| Lewis M. Cresse | 1907–1911 | New Jersey Senate (1904-1906) |
| Joseph G. Champion | 1915-1931 | Cape May County Board of Freeholders (1922) |
| Nathaniel Smith | 1959-1963 | New Jersey Senate (1954-1955) |
| Jack Bittner | 1982-1986 | Cape May County Board of Freeholders |
| Roy Gillian | 1986-1990 | Cape May County Board of Freeholders (1971) |