Paducah, Kentucky

Paducah, Kentucky

Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...

 formed from a mixed settlement of Native Americans and White Settlers along the confluence of the Tennessee River and Ohio River. The town was incorporated in 1830 and chartered as a city in 1856. The city is governed by an elected Mayor that is assisted by elected City Commissioners. The following is a list of mayors of Paducah, Kentucky from the charter date thru to the present.

History of the office

The first election to take place under the Act of Incorporation took place in 1857 resulting in the first Mayor of Paducah, Jesse H. Gardner, taking the office. The office has been under 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...

 since its beginning and each incumbent resides in office for four (previously two) years before the next election.

Incorporated city

Mayor	Term Began	Term Ended	Political Party
Jesse H. Gardner	1857	1859
John W. Sauner	1859	1863
John G. Fisher	1863	1867
John W. Sauner	1867	1871
Meyer Weil	1871	1875
John G. Fisher	1875	1877
Meyer Weil	1877	1881
Charles Reed	1881	1889
Joseph H. Johnson	1889	1891
David A. Yeiser, Sr.	1891	1897
James M. Lang	1897	1901
David A. Yeiser, Sr.	1902	1907
James P. Smith	1908	1911
Thomas N. Hazelip	1912	1915
Ernest Lackey	1916	1916	Democrat
Frank N. Burns	1916	1919	Democrat
F. W. Katterjohn	1920	1924	Democrat
Jacob N. Bailey	1924	1928	Democrat
Ernest Lackey	1928	1932	Democrat
Edward G. Scott	1932	1936	Democrat
Edgar T. Washburn	1936	1940	Democrat
Pierce E. Lackey	1940	1944	Democrat
Wayne C. Seaton	1944	1948	Democrat
Gene Peak	1948	1949	Democrat
Stuart Johnston	1949	1952	Democrat
Robert C. Cherry	1952	1956	Democrat
George G. Jacobs	1956	1960	Democrat
Robert C. Cherry	1960	1964	Republican
Thomas W. Wilson	1964	1968	Republican
Robert C. Cherry	1968	1972	Democrat
Dolly McNutt	1972	1976	Democrat
William S. Murphy	1976	1980	Democrat
John K. Penrod	1980	1984	Democrat
Joe Viterisi	1984	1988	Republican
Gerry B. Montgomery	1988	1996	Democrat
Albert Jones	1996	2000	Democrat
William F. Paxton William F. Paxton William F. Paxton III, better known to his friends as Bill, is a conservative politician who is the current serving Mayor of Paducah, KY. Before his current term as the Mayor of Paducah, Paxton served a portion of an elected term from 1998 as a City Commissioner.-Early life:Paxton studied at...	2000	Present	Republican