List of mayors of Buffalo, New York


The following is a list of people who have served as mayors of the city of Buffalo in the U.S. state of New York.

List of mayors

NamePicturePartyTerm in officeElectionNotes
1Ebenezer JohnsonDemocratic-RepublicanMay 1832

March 1833
1832Doctor during the War of 1812
2Major Andre AndrewsIndependentMarch 1833

1834
1833Founding member of the first Bank of Buffalo
3Ebenezer JohnsonDemocratic-Republican1834

1835
1834
4Hiram PrattWhig1835

1836
1835
5Samuel WilkesonIndependent1836

March 14, 1837
1836
6Josiah TrowbridgeWhigMarch 14, 1837

December 21, 1837
1837
7Pierre A. BarkerIndependentDecember 21, 1837

March 13, 1838
8Ebenezer WaldenWhigMarch 13, 1838

1839
1838
9Hiram PrattWhig1839

1840
1839
10Sheldon ThompsonWhig1840

March 2, 1841
1840
11Isaac R. HarringtonWhigMarch 2, 1841

March 8, 1842
1841
12George William ClintonIndependentMarch 8, 1842

1843
1842Served as the 7th United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York
13Joseph G. MastenDemocratic1843

1844
1843
14William KetchumWhig1844

1845
1844
15Joseph G. MastenDemocratic1845

1846
1845
16Solomon G. HavenWhig1846

1847
1846
17Elbridge G. SpauldingWhig1847

1848
1847Served as New York State Treasurer from 1854–1855 and was twice elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
18Orlando AllenWhig1848

1849

----
1848
19Hiram BartonWhig1849

1850
1849
20Henry K. SmithDemocratic1850

March 4, 1851
1850
21James WadsworthDemocraticMarch 4, 1851

March 9, 1852
1851
22Hiram BartonWhigMarch 9, 1852

1853
1852
23Eli CookDemocratic1853

1855
March 1853
----
November 1853
24Frederick P. StevensDemocratic1856

1857
1855
25Timothy T. LockwoodDemocratic1858

January 2, 1860
1857
26Franklin A. AlbergerRepublicanJanuary 2, 1860

January 6, 1862
1859
27William G. FargoDemocraticJanuary 6, 1862

1866
1861
----
1863
Co-founded the modern day financial firms of American Express and Wells Fargo
28Chandler J. WellsRepublican1866

1867
1865
29William F. RogersDemocratic1868

1869
1867
30Alexander BrushRepublican1870

1873
1869
----
1872 (special)
31Lewis P. DaytonDemocratic1874

1875
1873
32Philip BeckerRepublican1876

January 7, 1878
1875
33Solomon ScheuDemocraticJanuary 7, 1878

January 1880
1877
34Alexander BrushRepublicanJanuary 1880

January 2, 1882
1879
35Grover ClevelandDemocraticJanuary 2, 1882

November 20, 1882
1881Later, elected 22nd & 24th President of the United States. The only American President to be mayor of a major city.
36Marcus M. DrakeRepublicanNovember 20, 1882

December 29, 1882
37Harmon S. CuttingDemocraticDecember 29, 1882

January 16, 1883
38John B. ManningDemocraticJanuary 16, 1883

January 6, 1884
1883 (special)
39Jonathan ScovilleDemocraticJanuary 6, 1884

1885
1883
40Philip BeckerRepublican1886

1890
1885
----
1887
41Charles F. BishopDemocratic1890

1894
1889
----
1891
42Edgar B. JewettRepublican1895

1897
1894
43Conrad DiehlDemocratic1898

1901
1897
44Erastus C. KnightRepublican1902

1905
1900
45James N. AdamDemocratic1906

1909
1905
46Louis P. FuhrmannDemocratic1910

1917
1909
----
1913
47George S. BuckRepublican1918

1921
1917
48Frank X. SchwabRepublican1922

1929
1921
----
1925
49Charles E. RoeschRepublican1930

1933
1929
50George J. ZimmermannDemocratic1934

1937
1933
51Thomas L. HollingDemocratic1938

1941
1937
52Joseph J. KellyDemocratic1942

1945
1941
53Bernard J. DowdRepublican1946

1949
1945
54Joseph MrukRepublicanJanuary 1, 1950

December 31, 1953
1949
55Steven PankowDemocraticJanuary 1, 1954

December 31, 1957
1953
56Frank A. SeditaDemocraticJanuary 1, 1958

December 31, 1961
1957
57Chester A. KowalRepublicanJanuary 1, 1962

December 31, 1965
1961
58Frank A. SeditaDemocraticJanuary 1, 1966

March 5, 1973
1965
----
1969
59Stanley M. MakowskiDemocraticMarch 5, 1973

December 31, 1977

----
1973
60James D. GriffinDemocraticJanuary 1, 1978

December 31, 1993
1977
----
1981
----
1985
----
1989
61Anthony MasielloDemocraticJanuary 1, 1994

December 31, 2005
1993
----
1997
----
2001
62Byron BrownDemocraticJanuary 1, 2006

October 15, 2024
2005
----
2009
----
2013
----
2017
----
2021
63Christopher ScanlonDemocraticOctober 15, 2024

December 31, 2025
64Sean RyanDemocraticJanuary 1, 2026

2025

History

In 1853, the charter of the city was amended to include the town of Black Rock and the city proper was divided into thirteen wards. In addition, the term of city offices, including mayor changed from a one-year term to a two-year term and was elected directly by the people.

Mayoral elections

DateCandidates
November 8, 1881Grover ClevelandMilton Beebe
15,12011,528
January 9, 1883John B. ManningRobert R. Hefford
11,0367,321
November 6, 1973Stanley M. MakowskiStewart M. LevyJohn A. WestraPatrick W. GiagnacovaIra Liebowitz
77,56924,4232,6401,147597
November 2, 1993Anthony MasielloRichard A. GrimmEugene Fahey
36,0929,2777,566
November 8, 2005Byron BrownKevin HelferJudith EinachCharles Flynn
46,61319,8533,5253,082
November 3, 2009Byron BrownMichael P. Kearns
17,728158
November 5, 2013Byron BrownSergio Rodriguez
26,12010,733
November 7, 2017Byron BrownMark J F SchroederAnita HowardTerrence RobinsonTaniqua Simmons
29,68811,4461,3571,276102
November 2, 2021Byron BrownIndia WaltonBen CarlisleJaz MilesWilliam O'Dell
38,33825,773219238