List of mayors of Louisville, Kentucky

The history of Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...

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
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

and city council

City council

A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...

, 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 on the first Monday 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

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

, 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

Direct election

Direct election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person, persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are chosen depends upon the...

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

Kentucky General Assembly

The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...

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

Legislature

A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...

was given to the Board of Aldermen in 1929. Mayoral term limit

Term limit

A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...

s were set at three in 1986.

On January 6, 2003, the city of Louisville and Jefferson County

Jefferson County, Kentucky

As of the census of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of...

governments merged to form the government of Louisville Metro

Government of Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville Metro is governed by an executive dubbed the Metro Mayor as well as a city legislature dubbed the Metro Council. The second and current Metro Mayor is Greg Fischer , who entered office on January 3, 2011...

, and the office of Mayor of Louisville Metro was created.

Incorporated city

Mayor	Term Began	Term Ended	Political Party
John Bucklin John Bucklin John Carpenter Bucklin was the first mayor of the city of Louisville. His father, a merchant and sailor, was a captain in the Navy during the Revolutionary War. John Bucklin served in the Rhode Island militia, owned several ships, and married Sarah Smith in 1803...	1828	1833
John Joyes John Joyes John Joyes was the second mayor of Louisville, Kentucky. His term of office extends from 1834 - 1836. He was born in Louisville, the son of a pioneer who came to Louisville in 1783 and settled on a lot at the corner of Sixth and Main streets...	1834	1835
W. A. Cocke W. A. Cocke William A. Cocke was the third mayor of Louisville, Kentucky. His term of office was from 1836 to 1837, as mayors were then elected to one-year terms. Little is known of his early life. He was elected to the City Council in 1834, and from 1838 to 1843. Previously mayors had been selected by the...	1836	1836
Frederick A. Kaye Frederick A. Kaye Frederick A. Kaye was the fourth and sixth mayor of Louisville, Kentucky. His term of office extended from 1837–1840 and 1844 - 1846. He was the son of parents from Pennsylvania, who came to Louisville, where Frederick was born, in the late 18th century...	1837	1840	Whig Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
David L. Beatty David L. Beatty David L. Beatty was the fifth Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky serving from 1841 to 1844. He was born to early settlers in Bourbon County, Kentucky and raised by his grandparents in Jefferson County, Kentucky. At 17 he moved to Louisville to work as a machinist, and was an iron foundry foreman 3...	1841	1843
Frederick A. Kaye Frederick A. Kaye Frederick A. Kaye was the fourth and sixth mayor of Louisville, Kentucky. His term of office extended from 1837–1840 and 1844 - 1846. He was the son of parents from Pennsylvania, who came to Louisville, where Frederick was born, in the late 18th century...	1844	1846	Whig Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
William R. Vance William R. Vance William R. Vance was the seventh mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1847 to 1850. He was a Louisville attorney and member of the Whig Party elected to the state house of representatives three times and senate once during the 1830s and 1840s. During his administration, he conveyed the tract of land...	1847	1850	Whig Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
John M. Delph John M. Delph John Millbank Delph was the eighth and fourteenth mayor of Louisville, Kentucky. His terms of office extended from May 13, 1850 to April 26, 1852 and April 6, 1861 to April 4, 1863....	1850	1852
James S. Speed James S. Speed James Stephens Speed was the ninth Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky. His father, John Speed, moved to Jefferson County in about 1795 and established a farm on Salt River Rd. , about 9 miles south of Louisville...	1853	1854	Whig Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
John Barbee John Barbee John Barbee was the tenth Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1855 to 1857. He was born in Pewee Valley, Kentucky, and, after his parents died, moved to Louisville at age 14...	1855	1856	Know Nothing Know Nothing The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...
William S. Pilcher William S. Pilcher William Stanton Pilcher was the eleventh mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, serving from 1857 to 1858.Pilcher was born in Stafford County, Virginia to a wealthy manufacturing family...	1857	August 1858	Know Nothing Know Nothing The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...
Thomas W. Riley Thomas W. Riley Thomas W. Riley was the twelfth Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1858 to 1859. Riley was a prominent lawyer and member of the Whig Party, elected to the Kentucky General Assembly, serving as Speaker of the House from 1849 to 1850....	August 1858	April 1859	Whig Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
Thomas H. Crawford Thomas H. Crawford (Louisville mayor) Thomas Howell Crawford was the thirteenth Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from April 2, 1859 to April 4, 1861. He was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia...	April 1859	1860	Unionist Union (American Civil War) During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
John M. Delph John M. Delph John Millbank Delph was the eighth and fourteenth mayor of Louisville, Kentucky. His terms of office extended from May 13, 1850 to April 26, 1852 and April 6, 1861 to April 4, 1863....	1861	1862	Unionist Union (American Civil War) During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
William Kaye William Kaye William Kaye was the fourteenth Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from April 4, 1863 to April 1, 1865. He was born in Yorkshire, England to a clothing manufacturer, trained as a machinist, and came to Louisville in 1836...	1863	1864	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Philip Tomppert Philip Tomppert Philip Tomppert was the fifteenth and seventeenth Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky in 1865 and 1867 to 1868. He was born in Württemberg, Germany and immigrated to Wheeling, West Virginia in 1831, and moved to Louisville in 1837....	1865	December 28, 1865	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
James S. Lithgow James S. Lithgow James Smith Lithgow was the sixteenth Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from January 2, 1866 to February 14, 1867. He was born in Pittsburgh and apprenticed as a coppersmith there....	January 2, 1866	February 14, 1867	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Philip Tomppert Philip Tomppert Philip Tomppert was the fifteenth and seventeenth Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky in 1865 and 1867 to 1868. He was born in Württemberg, Germany and immigrated to Wheeling, West Virginia in 1831, and moved to Louisville in 1837....	February 14, 1867	1868	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Joseph H. Bunce Joseph H. Bunce Joseph H. Bunce was the eighteenth Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1869 to 1870. He was a steamboat captain until the mid-1860s, when he founded a wholesale grocery firm. Typical of Louisville steamboat captains, he lived with his family in the Portland district.A Democrat, he ran against future...	1869	March 1870	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
John G. Baxter John G. Baxter John George Baxter Jr. was the nineteenth and twenty-first mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1870 to 1872 and from 1879 to 1881, respectively...	1870	1872	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Charles D. Jacob Charles Donald Jacob Charles Donald Jacob served four terms as mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, two consecutively in 1873-78, then later in 1882-84 and 1888-90. He also served as the U.S. minister to Colombia in 1885-1886. He was a member of the Democratic Party....	1873	1878	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
John G. Baxter John G. Baxter John George Baxter Jr. was the nineteenth and twenty-first mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1870 to 1872 and from 1879 to 1881, respectively...	1879	1881	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Charles D. Jacob Charles Donald Jacob Charles Donald Jacob served four terms as mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, two consecutively in 1873-78, then later in 1882-84 and 1888-90. He also served as the U.S. minister to Colombia in 1885-1886. He was a member of the Democratic Party....	1882	1884	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
P. Booker Reed P. Booker Reed Paul Booker Reed was Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1885 to 1887. His father, William Decatur Reed was a lawyer and Kentucky Secretary of State under Governor William Owsley. P. Booker Reed studies at Centre College were interrupted by the Civil War, during which he served the Confederate Army...	1885	1887	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Charles D. Jacob Charles Donald Jacob Charles Donald Jacob served four terms as mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, two consecutively in 1873-78, then later in 1882-84 and 1888-90. He also served as the U.S. minister to Colombia in 1885-1886. He was a member of the Democratic Party....	1888	1890	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
William L. Lyons William L. Lyons William L. Lyons was mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1890 to 1891. He was educated at Highland Military Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts and first worked as a clerk for the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. In 1881 he became a senior member of his father's investment firm, which eventually...	May 12, 1890	August 1890	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Henry S. Tyler Henry S. Tyler Henry S. Tyler was Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1891 to 1896. His grandfather, Levi Tyler, was a founding father of Louisville and successful businessman. His family continued to be wealthy and owned, among other properties, Louisville's Tyler Block. Henry Tyler attended Schatlock Hall...	1891	January 14, 1896	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Robert Emmet King Robert Emmet King Robert Emmet King was mayor of Louisville, Kentucky for 17 days in 1896. He was an undertaker, and elected to the Board of Aldermen in 1894. He served as president of that body from 1895 to 1897, except during his brief term as mayor. He was appointed the mayor pro tem after Henry S. Tyler died in...	January 14, 1896	January 31, 1896 (pro tem)	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
George Davidson Todd George Davidson Todd George Davidson Todd was Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1896 to 1897. His descendants were early settlers of Kentucky, and his father, Harry Innes Todd, was a two-term sheriff of Franklin County, Kentucky as well as state prison trustee and warden. George Davidson Todd came to Louisville at age...	January 31, 1896	December 1897	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Charles P. Weaver Charles P. Weaver Charles P. Weaver was Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1897 to 1901. He attended Bryant and Stratton Commercial College. He was elected to the Louisville Board of Aldermen in 1888 and served until 1894. He served as secretary and treasurer of the Kentucky & Indiana Bridge Company from 1889...	December 1897	December 1901	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Charles F. Grainger Charles F. Grainger Charles F. Grainger was Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1901 to 1905. He became president of Grainger & Company, his family's iron foundry....	December 1901	December 1905	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Paul C. Barth Paul C. Barth Paul C. Barth was Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1905 to 1907. The son of a cabinetmaker who died when Barth was 11, he took financial responsibility for the family at an early age...	December 1905	July 1907	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Robert W. Bingham	July 1907	December 1907	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
James F. Grinstead James F. Grinstead James Fontleroy Grinstead was mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1907 to 1909. He had a common school education in Barren County, Kentucky before moving to Louisville in 1866 at the age of 21 to work in a wholesale grocery...	December 1907	December 1909	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
William O. Head William O. Head William O. Head was mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1909 to 1913.-Biography:He was on July 29, 1859 in Providence, Kentucky to John Wilson Head and Mary A. Headly. His father was a captain in the Confederate Army during the Civil War...	December 1909	December 1913	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
John H. Buschemeyer John H. Buschemeyer -Biography:He graduated from Louisville Male High School then earned a M.D. degree from the University of Louisville in 1892. He began practicing medicine in Louisville the following year....	December 1913	December 1917	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
George Weissinger Smith George Weissinger Smith George Weissinger Smith was mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, the United States from 1917 to 1921. His maternal grandfather, George Weissinger, published the Louisville Journal during the controversial tenure of George D...	December 1917	December 1921	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Huston Quin Huston Quin Huston Quin was mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1921 to 1925. He was educated in public schools in Louisville and received a law degree from the University of Louisville School of Law in 1900. He practiced law with the Louisville firm Helm & Bruce until 1908, when he became a city attorney...	December 1921	December 1925	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Arthur A. Will Arthur A. Will Arthur A. Will was Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1925 to 1927. The son of a building contractor, Will was born in the Portland neighborhood of Louisville and educated in public schools. He dropped out at age 16 to become a carpenter, and eventually founded his own construction company with his...	December 1925	June 1927	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Joseph T. O'Neal Joseph T. O'Neal Joseph Thomas O'Neal, Jr, was interim mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, from June to December 1927. His father was a respected Louisville lawyer who ran for mayor in 1905, losing in a rampantly fraudulent election to Paul C. Barth...	June 1927	December 1927	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
William B. Harrison William B. Harrison William Benjamin Harrison was mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1927 to 1933. He graduated from Louisville Male High School in 1907 and the University of Virginia School of Law in 1910. He served as a captain in the United States Army during World War I...	December 1927	December 1933	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Neville Miller Neville Miller Neville Miller was mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1933 to 1937. His father, Shackelford Miller, was Chief Justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals...	December 1933	December 1937	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Joseph D. Scholtz Joseph D. Scholtz Joseph D. Scholtz was Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1937 to 1941. He graduated from DuPont Manual High School, then Cornell University in 1912. After college he worked in his family's fruit and produce company, the Joseph Denunzio Fruit Company, eventually becoming vice president...	December 1937	December 1941	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Wilson W. Wyatt Wilson W. Wyatt Wilson Watkins Wyatt served as Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1941 to 1945 and as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky from 1959 to 1963. He was a member of the Democratic Party....	December 1941	December 1945	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
E. Leland Taylor E. Leland Taylor Edward Leland Taylor was mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1945 to 1948. He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and moved to Louisville with his family when he was 13. He graduated from Louisville Male High School and the University of Virginia, where he received a law degree in 1912. He practiced...	December 1945	February 16, 1948	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Charles R. Farnsley Charles R. Farnsley Charles Rowland Peaslee "Charlie" Farnsley , a Democrat, served as mayor of Louisville, Kentucky and as a member of the United States House of Representatives....	February 16, 1948	December 1953	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Andrew Broaddus Andrew Broaddus Andrew Broaddus was Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from December 1953 to December 1957. He was born and died in Louisville...	December 1953	December 1957	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Bruce Hoblitzell Bruce Hoblitzell Bruce Hoblitzell was mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1957 to 1961. He was born and raised in Louisville and graduated from what is now duPont Manual Magnet High School and worked as a real estate agent and businessman. He was elected sheriff of Jefferson County in 1953...	December 1957	December 1961	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
William O. Cowger William O. Cowger William O. Cowger , a Republican, served as mayor of Louisville, Kentucky and as a member of the United States House of Representatives....	December 1961	December 1965	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Kenneth A. Schmied Kenneth A. Schmied Kenneth Allen Schmied , a Republican, served as Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky.Schmied was the son of a Swiss immigrant who sold coffee door to door and later owned a furniture store. Kenneth A...	December 1965	December 1969	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Frank W. Burke Frank W. Burke Frank Welsh Burke was an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky from 1959 to 1963 and as Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1969 to 1973....	December 1969	December 1, 1973	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Harvey I. Sloane Harvey I. Sloane Harvey I. Sloane , a physician and Democrat, served two terms as Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky and also a term as county judge-executive of Jefferson County, Kentucky...	December 1, 1973	December 1, 1977	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
William B. Stansbury William B. Stansbury William Brown Stansbury was an American lawyer and politician who held the office of the Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1977 to 1982....	December 1, 1977	January 1, 1982	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Harvey I. Sloane Harvey I. Sloane Harvey I. Sloane , a physician and Democrat, served two terms as Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky and also a term as county judge-executive of Jefferson County, Kentucky...	January 1, 1982	January 1, 1986	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Jerry Abramson	January 1, 1986	January 1, 1999	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
David L. Armstrong David L. Armstrong David L. Armstrong was mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1999 to 2003.Armstrong was born in Hope, Arkansas. Prior to becoming mayor, he had served as Jefferson County Judge/Executive since 1989. He was raised in Madison, Indiana...	January 1, 1999	January 5, 2003	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

Louisville Metro

Mayor	Term Began	Term Ended	Political Party
Jerry Abramson	January 6, 2003	January 2, 2011	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Greg Fischer Greg Fischer Gregory E. Fischer is a businessman and Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky. He is a graduate of Louisville's Trinity High School and Vanderbilt University, entrepreneur, and community leader....	January 3, 2011	Present	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

History of the office

Incorporated city

Louisville Metro

See also