The mayor is the highest elected official in Savannah, Georgia . Since its incorporation in 1789, the city has had 67 mayors.[ 2] [ 3] On May 27, 1958, the term for mayor was extended from two years to four years by popular vote and with approval of the state government.[ 4] Election for mayor is held every four years, and is held as a non-partisan election.
Mayor Edward Clifford Anderson (1865–1869, 1873–1877) was the first mayor after the Civil War . Mayor Julius Curtis Lewis Jr. (1966–1970) was the first Republican mayor and the first non-Democratic mayor since the Civil War. Mayor Floyd Adams Jr. (1996–2003) was the first African-American mayor of Savannah. # Portrait Mayor Term start Term end Terms Party Notes 1 John Houstoun 1790 1791 1 None 2 Thomas Gibbons 1791 1792 1 None 3 Joseph Habersham 1792 1793 1 None 4 William Stephens 1793 1794 1 None (2) Thomas Gibbons 1794 1795 1 None (4) William Stephens 1795 1796 1 None 5 John Noel 1796 1797 1 None 6 John Glen 1797 1798 1 None 7 Matthew McAllister 1798 1799 1 Democratic-Republican (2) Thomas Gibbons 1799 1801 2 Democratic-Republican 8 David B. Mitchell 1801 1802 1 Democratic-Republican 9 Charles Harris 1802 1804 2 Democratic-Republican (5) John Noel 1804 1807 3 Democratic-Republican 10 William Davies 1807 1807 1 ⁄2 Democratic-Republican (9) Charles Harris 1807 1808 1 ⁄2 Democratic-Republican 11 John Williamson 1808 1809 1 Democratic-Republican 12 William Bulloch 1809 1811 2 Democratic-Republican 13 Thomas Mendenhall Jr. 1811 1811 1 ⁄2 Democratic-Republican (12) William Bulloch 1811 1812 1 ⁄2 Democratic-Republican 14 George Jones 1812 1814 2 Democratic-Republican (7) Matthew McAllister 1814 1815 Partial Democratic-Republican 15 Thomas Charlton 1815 1817 2 1 ⁄2 Democratic-Republican 16 James Wayne 1817 1819 2 Democratic-Republican (15) Thomas Charlton 1819 1821 1 1 ⁄2 Democratic-Republican 17 James Morrison 1821 1824 3 1 ⁄2 Democratic-Republican 18 William Daniell 1824 1826 2 Jacksonian 19 Joseph W. Jackson 1826 1828 2 Jacksonian 20 William T. Williams 1828 1830 2 Democratic 21 William Waring 1830 1832 2 Democratic 22 George W. Owens 1832 1833 Partial Democratic (20) William T. Williams 1833 1834 1 1 ⁄2 Democratic 23 William Gordon 1834 1836 1 1 ⁄2 Democratic 24 William Cuyler 1836 1836 1 ⁄2 Democratic 25 John Nicoll 1836 1837 1 Democratic 26 Matthew H. McAllister 1837 1839 1 1 ⁄2 Democratic 27 Robert M. Charlton 1839 1841 2 1 ⁄2 Democratic (20) William T. Williams 1841 1842 1 Democratic 28 Richard Arnold 1842 1843 1 Whig (20) William T. Williams 1843 1844 1 Democratic 29 Richard Wayne 1844 1845 1 Democratic 30 Henry Burroughs 1845 1848 3 Whig (29) Richard Wayne 1848 1851 3 Democratic (28) Richard Arnold 1851 1852 1 Whig (29) Richard Wayne 1852 1853 1 Democratic 31 John Elliott Ward 1853 1854 1 Democratic 32 Edward C. Anderson 1854 1856 2 American 33 James Screven 1856 1857 1 Democratic (29) Richard Wayne † 1857 1858 Partial Democratic 34 Thomas Turner 1858 1859 1 1 ⁄2 Democratic (28) Richard Arnold 1859 1860 1 American 35 Charles Jones 1860 1861 1 Democratic (Southern) 36 Thomas Purse 1861 1862 1 Democratic (Southern) 37 Thomas Holcombe 1862 1863 1 Democratic (Southern) (28) Richard Arnold 1863 1865 1 Democratic (Southern) (32) Edward C. Anderson 1865 1869 4 Democratic 38 John Screven 1869 1873 4 Democratic (32) Edward C. Anderson 1873 1877 2 Democratic 39 John Wheaton 1877 1883 3 Democratic 40 Rufus E. Lester 1883 1889 3 Democratic 41 John Schwarz 1889 1891 1 Democratic 42 John McDonough 1891 1895 2 Democratic 43 Herman Myers 1895 1897 1 Democratic 44 Peter Meldrim 1897 1899 1 Democratic (43) Herman Myers 1899 1907 4 Democratic 45 George Tiedeman 1907 1913 3 Democratic 46 Richard Davant † 1913 1915 1 1 ⁄2 Democratic 47 Wallace Pierpont 1915 1919 1 1 ⁄2 Democratic 48 Murray Stewart 1919 1923 2 Democratic 49 Paul Seabrook 1923 1925 1 Democratic 50 Robert Hull † 1925 1927 1 1 ⁄2 Democratic 51 Thomas Hoynes 1927 1929 1 ⁄2 Democratic 52 Gordon Saussy 1929 1931 1 1 ⁄2 Democratic (51) Thomas Hoynes 1931 1933 1 ⁄2 Democratic 53 Thomas Gamble 1933 1937 2 Democratic 54 Robert M. Hitch 1937 1939 1 Democratic (53) Thomas Gamble † 1939 1945 3 1 ⁄2 Democratic 55 Peter Roe Nugent 1945 1947 1 1 ⁄2 Democratic 56 John G. Kennedy 1947 1949 1 Democratic 57 Olin Fulmer 1949 1955 3 Democratic 58 Lee Mingledorff, Jr. 1955 1960 3 Democratic First elected to a two-year term where he served from January 24, 1955 until January 21, 1957. Relected to a second two-year term beginning January 21, 1957. In 1958, the city shifted to a four-year mayoral term and a special election was held. Mingledorff won re-election to a 4-year term running from October 6, 1958 to October 1, 1962. He resigned prematurely on August 1, 1960 with the remainder of his term completed by vice-mayor Maclean. 59 Malcolm R. Maclean 1960 1966 2 Democratic 60 J.C. Lewis, Jr. 1966 1970 1 Republican 61 John Rousakis 1970 1992 5 Democratic First Greek-American mayor 62 Susan Weiner 1992 1996 1 Republican First female mayor 63 Floyd Adams, Jr. 1996 2004 2 Democratic First African-American mayor 64 Otis Johnson 2004 2012 2 Democratic 65 Edna Jackson 2012 2016 1 Democratic First African-American female mayor 66 Eddie DeLoach 2016 2020 1 Republican 67 Van R. Johnson 2020 Incumbent 1 Democratic
Notes † Deceased/murdered in office.
"The Hostess City of the South "