| Joyce Craig | |
| Office: | 56th Mayor of Manchester |
| Term Start: | January 2, 2018 |
| Term End: | January 2, 2024 |
| Predecessor: | Ted Gatsas |
| Successor: | Jay Ruais |
| Birth Place: | Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Spouse: | Michael Craig |
| Children: | 3 |
| Education: | University of New Hampshire (BA) |
Joyce Craig is an American politician who served as the 56th mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire.[1] She was the first female mayor of the city, having been elected in 2017.[2] [3]
In May 2023, Craig formed an exploratory committee for a potential bid for governor in the 2024 election.[4] She announced her bid for the Democratic nomination on July 12.[5]
Craig's first political campaign came in 2007, when she was elected to the Manchester School Board. In 2009, she was elected to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, where she represented Ward 1 from January 3, 2010 to January 3, 2016, until her first campaign for mayor in 2015, which she narrowly lost.[6] Craig finished second in the nonpartisan blanket primary, thus advancing to face incumbent mayor Ted Gatsas in the general election, where she lost in a recount by 64 votes.[7]
In 2017, Craig again challenged Gatsas, this time finishing first in the nonpartisan blanket primary and defeating Gatsas in the general election 53% to 46%. In doing so, Craig became the first woman ever elected as mayor of Manchester.[3]
Craig was sworn in as the 56th mayor of Manchester on January 5, 2018, promising in her inauguration to focus on improving school quality, combating the opioid epidemic, and promoting the creation of high-tech jobs in the city. On March 16, 2023, Craig announced that she would not seek a fourth term as mayor.[8]
Joyce and her husband, attorney Michael Craig, have three children, William, Sarah, and Kathryn.[9]