| Post: | Mayor |
| Body: | Ventura |
| Incumbent: | Joe Schroeder |
| Insignia: | VenturaSeal.jpg |
| Insigniacaption: | Seal of Ventura |
| Incumbentsince: | December 12, 2022 |
| First: | Walter Scott Chaffee |
| Formation: | 1866 |
| Termlength: | 2 years |
This is a list of mayors of Ventura, California, beginning with Ventura's incorporation as a city in 1866.
The individual who had the longest tenure in office was Charles W. Petit, who served as mayor for years from 1953 to 1969. When Petit left office, he was, at age 87, the oldest mayor in the United States. Prior to Petit, the mayor with the longest tenure was John S. Collins, who held the position for 14 years from 1890 to 1904.
The first woman to serve as mayor was Harriet Kosmo Henson, who served two terms from 1978 to 1982. Since that time, three other women have served as mayor: Christy Weir (2007–2009), Cheryl Heitmann (2013–2015) & Sofia Rubalcava (2020-2022).
The current mayor is Joe Schroeder, who assumed the position in December 2022.
| Name | Term | Notes | Sources | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walter Scott Chaffee[1] | 4/2/1866–1/2/1867 | Chaffee was born in 1835 in Madison County, New York. He moved to Ventura in 1860 and, in 1863, he opened a general merchandise and hardware store at Main and Palm Streets. The city was incorporated on April 2, 1866. The initial board of trustees first board of trustees included Chaffee, Angel G. Escandon (who represented the area in the California Legislature), and Juan Camarillo. Chafee died in 1894. | [2] [3] | |
| 2 | Ysidro Obiols | 1/2/1867–4/22/1867 | Born c. 1822. Obiols ran a hotel, saloon and stage depot in Ventura. In 1866, upon the incorporation of Ventura, he became the city's first justice of the peace. In January 1867, he became the second president of the city's board of trustees. | [4] | |
| 3 | Fernando Tico Jr. | 4/22/1867–5/18/1868 | Born 1836, son of the recipient of a Spanish land grant referred to as Rancho Ojai | ||
| 4 | Angel Gonzales Escandon | 5/18/1868–10/10/1869 | Born 1833; died 1884. He also represented Ventura in the California Legislature. | ||
| 5 | Jesse Allen Shaw | 11/10/1869–4/4/1870 | Born 1827 in Rupert, Vermont; father of Selwyn Shaw. Died 1919 in Ventura. | ||
| 6 | C. H. Bailey | 4/4/1870–2/25/1871 | Merchant born in Massachusetts c. 1827. | ||
| 7 | Lemuel Clarke McKeeby | 2/25/1871–11/3/1873 | Born in New York City in 1825. Moved to Ventura in October 1866 and was one of the organizers of the Bank of Ventura. Died 1913. | [5] | |
| 8 | E. M. Jones | 11/3/1873–3/25/1874 | |||
| 9 | P. V. McCarty | 3/25/1874–9/10/1874 | |||
| 10 | William Ayres | 9/10/1874–3/18/1876 | |||
| 11 | Angel S. Escandon[6] | 3/18/1876–1/7/1878 | |||
| 12 | Henry Spear | 1/7/1878–1/3/1882 | |||
| 13 | T. H. Daley | 1/3/1882–1/4/1886 | |||
| 14 | Paul Charlebois | 1/4/1886–1/6/1890 | Born in Montreal in 1855. Moved to Ventura from San Francisco in 1871. Owner of a hardware store. Also served as Ventura County Treasurer in 1888 and as Ventura County Sheriff from 1894 to 1903. Died in 1914. | [7] [8] | |
| 15 | John S. Collins | 1/6/1890–1/4/1904 | His 14-year tenure as mayor was the longest in city history until Charles w. Petit served for years. | ||
| 16 | W. L. Lewis | 1/4/1904–4/15/1907 | |||
| 17 | William McGuire | 4/15/1907–9/21/1908 | |||
| 18 | Floyd Putnam Shaw | 2/23/1910–4/18/1911 | Born c. 1858 in Wisconsin. Son of Jesse Allen Shaw and brother of Selwyn Shaw. The family moved to Ventura in 1868. He wrote "A Few Recollections of the Early Days of San Buenaventura" in 1942. Died c. 1954 in Ventura. | [9] | |
| 19 | William McGuire | 4/18/1911–4/19/1915 | |||
| 20 | Erwin Kellogg | 4/19/1915–4/21/1919 | |||
| 21 | Malvern Dimmick | 4/21/1919–4/16/1923 | Born 1864 in Onawa, Iowa. Moved to Ventura in 1906, working as a grocer and later as manager of the Ventura Wharf and Warehouse Co. Also served as a justice of the peace 1922–1934. Died 1934 in Ventura. | [10] | |
| 22 | Charles Rea | 4/16/1923–1/30/1928 | |||
| 23 | George Archibald Randall | 4/18/1927–6/8/1931 | Born in 1887 in Alameda County, California. He was president of the Darden & Randall Buick automobile dealership, an artist and author, and an authority on western ranch life and American Indian subjects. Died 1941 at Foster Memorial Hospital. | [11] | |
| 24 | W. O. Hedley | 6/8/1931–12/21/1931 | |||
| ? | David J. Reese | 1931 | Not included on the City's "History of Mayors" list | [12] | |
| 25 | James S. Blackstock | 12/20/1931–1/19/32 | Born 1870. Died in 1932 at his home in Ventura after only one month as mayor. Also served as president of chamber of commerce, operated a grocery, and owned lemon ranches | [13] | |
| 26 | George V. Hartman | 1/25/1932–4/24/1933 | [14] | ||
| 27 | Frank J. Dennis | 4/24/1933–8/26/1936 | Born c. 1882. | ||
| 28 | George A. Newell, Jr. | 8/26/1936–4/26/37 | |||
| 29 | Marcus S. Johnson | 4/26/37–4/28/1941 | Later moved to Turlock, California; died there in 1958. | [15] | |
| 30 | Harold Young Carrico | 4/28/1941–2/13/1945 | Born 1893 in Florida, Missouri. He became a prominent builder in Ventura. Died 1952 in Washington County, Utah. Buried at Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Ventura. | ||
| 31 | Edwin Lee Gardner II | 2/13/1945–4/27/1953 | Born c. 1895 in Virginia. Worked in the oil business. | ||
| 32 | Ernest Joel Pate | 4/27/1953–9/14/1953 | Born 1896; died 1988. Buried at Ivy Lawn. | ||
| 33 | Charles Wesley Petit | 9/14/1953–4/1969 | Born 1881 in Ramey, Pennsylvania, died 1973 in Ventura. Served on Ventura City Council from 1948-1969. When he left office, he was the oldest living mayor in the United States | [16] [17] [18] | |
| 34 | Albert R. Albinger | 4/1969–1/1974 | He was a 53-year-old realtor when he was selected as mayor in April 1969. | [19] | |
| 35 | David D. Eaton | 1/7/1974–1/5/1976 | |||
| 36 | Eugene Kountz | 1/5/1976–1/9/1978 | Born 1932. Later filed and lost a wrongful death action against a CHP officer in connection with the shooting death of his son. | [20] | |
| 37 | Harriet Farrell Kosmo Henson | 1/1978–1/1982 | Born 1932 in Keene, New Hampshire. Moved to Ventura in 1964, served on City Council from 1976-1984, and became the city's first woman mayor in January 1978. Died in 1999 at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura. | [21] | |
| 38 | John Allen McWherter | 1/4/1982–1/1984 | Born in 1915 in Oklahoma. Served on City Council for 18 years from 1973-1991. He cited 1974 efforts to slow the city's growth as his proudest achievement. | [22] | |
| 39 | Rolland Dennis Orrock | 1984–1986 | Attorney born in 1943 in Los Angeles | ||
| 40 | John M. Sullard | 1986–1987 | Served on the Ventura City Council, 1982–1987. Later served as city manager of Boulder City, Nevada | [23] | |
| 41 | James L. Monahan | 12/1987–12/1989 | A Korean War veteran and graduate of Ventura High School and Ventura College. He has been the owner of American Welding Company and American Hot Tap for 40 years. He served on Ventura City Council from 1977 to present and was selected as mayor in December 1987. | [24] [25] | |
| 42 | Richard L. Francis | 1989–1991 | Served on Ventura City Council 1989–1991. A slow growth advocate and co-architect of the Save Open-Space and Agricultural Resources initiative, which prohibits changes to some rural and agricultural land uses without voter approval. | [26] [27] | |
| 43 | Gregory L. Carson | 12/2/1991–12/6/1993 | A fifth-generation Ventura resident, he was a 33-year-old nursery owner and lobbyist for the farm industry when he was selected as mayor in December 1991. He survived a shooting by a burglar at his home in October 2015 | [28] [29] [30] | |
| 44 | Tom Buford | 12/1993–12/1995 | Labor attorney and former president of the Ventura Chamber of Commerce | [31] | |
| 45 | Clifton "Jack" Tingstrom | 12/1995–12/1997 | Born in 1935. Served on City Council 1991–1999. Died April 2018 | [32] [33] | |
| 46 | Jim Friedman | 12/1997–12/1999 | |||
| 47 | Sandy Smith | 12/1999-12/2001 | He was a teacher at Buena Vista High School when he was selected as mayor; later worked as a land use consultant for Sespe Consulting | [34] [35] | |
| 48 | Ray Di Guilio | 12/2001–12/2003 | Spent 30 years as an administrator with the Ventura County Community College District | [36] | |
| 49 | Brian Brennan | 12/2003–12/2005 | Irish-born restaurateur; later appointed to the Ventura Port District Board of Commissioners | [37] [38] | |
| 50 | Carl E. Morehouse | 12/2005–12/2007 | Served on City Council for 17 years 1999–2016 | [39] | |
| 51 | Christy Weir | 12/2007–12/2009 | Elected to City Council in 2003; selected as mayor in December 2007 | [40] | |
| 52 | William Fulton | 12/2009–12/2011 | Served on City Council, 2003–2011; selected as mayor in December 2009; later served as planning director for the City of San Diego and as director of Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research | [41] | |
| 53 | Mike Tracy | 12/2011–12/2013 | Elected to City Council in 2009; selected as mayor in December 2011 | [42] | |
| 54 | Cheryl Heitmann | 12/2013–12/2015 | Elected to City Council in 2011; selected as mayor in December 2013 | [43] | |
| 55 | Erik Nasarenko | 12/2015–12/2017 | Elected to City Council in 2013; selected as mayor in December 2015 | [44] | |
| 56 | Neil Andrews | 12/2017–12/2018 | Elected to City Council in 2001; selected as mayor December 2017 | [45] | |
| 57 | Matt LaVere | 12/2018–12/2020 | Elected to City Council in 2016; selected as mayor December 2018 | [46] | |
| 58 | Sofia Rubalcava | 12/2020–12/2022 | Elected to City Council in 2018; selected as mayor December 2020 | [47] | |
| 59 | Joe Schroeder | 12/2022– | Incumbent - Elected to City Council in 2020; selected as mayor December 2022 | [48] |