List of mayors of Charlottesville, Virginia explained

The Mayor of Charlottesville is the president of the City Council in Charlottesville, Virginia. Before 1888, Charlottesville was a town within Albemarle County, Virginia, and the electorate directly chose a mayor in regular elections. In 1888, Charlottesville incorporated as a city independent of the county but continued to select its mayors in the same fashion. Since 1922, however, the popular electorate has chosen a number of individuals to serve on city council - initially three, then five from 1928 to the present. From 1922 through 2006 those elections took place in May or June each even-numbered year. Beginning in 2007, council elections moved to November of odd-numbered years.[1] The elected councilors chose one of their own members to serve as leader of the council with the title of "mayor" but with no distinct legal or executive authority. The mayor presides over council meetings and occasionally plays a role as the ceremonial head of city government.

List of mayors

Popularly elected mayors (1853–1922)

(partial list)

MayorPolitical partyTerm startTerm end
Christopher L. Fowler[2] [3] April 1868
T. W. SavageApril 1868March 1870
N. H. MassieMarch 1870April 1870
Christopher L. FowlerApril 18701870
William L. Cochran[4] 18701875?
Richard F. Harris18751881
B. R. Pace[5] July 1, 1881July 1, 1883
Richard F. Harris[6] July 1, 18831888
Samuel Baker Woods[7] 18881892
L. T. Hanckel18921894
John Shelton Patton[8] Democratic18941896
J. Samuel McCue[9] Democratic1896August 31, 1900
Charles W. Allen[10] September 1, 1900August 31, 1902
J. Samuel McCueDemocraticSeptember 1, 1902August 31, 1904
George W. Olivier[11] [12] September 1, 1904August 31, 1908
Elbridge G. HadenSeptember 1, 1908August 31, 1912
Alpheus V. Conway[13] September 1, 1912August 31, 1916
Elbridge G. HadenSeptember 1, 1916August 31, 1920
Benjamin E. WheelerSeptember 1, 1920August 31, 1922

City Council chosen mayors (1922–present)

MayorPolitical partyTenure startTenure endTerms
John R. MorrisDemocraticSeptember 1, 1922August 31, 19241
Jury Y. BrownDemocraticSeptember 1, 1924August 31, 19303
Frederick L. WatsonDemocraticSeptember 1, 1930August 31, 19321
Frederick W. TwymanDemocraticSeptember 1, 1932August 31, 19341
W. Dandridge HadenDemocraticSeptember 1, 1934August 31, 19382
George T. HuffDemocraticSeptember 1, 1938August 31, 19401
W. Dandridge HadenDemocraticSeptember 1, 1940August 31, 19421 (3 total)
J. Emmett GleasonDemocraticSeptember 1, 1942August 31, 19441
Roscoe S. AdamsDemocraticSeptember 1, 1944August 31, 19481
Gus TebellDemocraticSeptember 1, 1948August 31, 19501
Strother F. HammDemocraticSeptember 1, 1950August 31, 19521
William R. HillDemocraticSeptember 1, 1952August 31, 19541
Sol B. WeinbergDemocraticSeptember 1, 1954August 31, 19561
Robert M. “Jack” DavisDemocraticSeptember 1, 1956August 31, 19581
Thomas J. MichieDemocraticSeptember 1, 1958August 31, 19601
Louie L. Scribner[14] DemocraticSeptember 1, 1960August 31, 19621
Bernard J. HaggertyDemocraticSeptember 1, 1962August 31, 19641
Lindsey B. MountDemocraticSeptember 1, 1964August 31, 19661
Burkett A. ReynoldsDemocraticSeptember 1, 1966August 31, 19681
Gunther "Dutch" VogtRepublicanSeptember 1, 1968August 31, 19701
Mitchell Van YahresDemocraticSeptember 1, 1970[15] July 3, 19721
Francis H. FifeDemocraticJuly 3, 1972[16] July 1, 19741
Charles H. BarbourDemocraticJuly 1, 1974[17] July 1, 19761
Nancy K. O'BrienDemocraticJuly 1, 1976[18] July 1, 19781
Laurence A. BruntonRepublicanJuly 1, 1978[19] July 1, 19801
Francis L. BuckDemocraticJuly 1, 1980July 1, 19884
Elizabeth "Bitsy" WatersDemocraticJuly 1, 1988[20] July 2, 19901
Alvin EdwardsDemocraticJuly 2, 1990[21] July 1, 19921
Tom VandeverDemocraticJuly 1, 1992[22] July 4, 19941
David ToscanoDemocraticJuly 4, 1994[23] July 1, 19961
Kay SlaughterDemocraticJuly 1, 1996[24] July 1, 19981
Virginia DaughertyDemocraticJuly 1, 1998[25] July 3, 20001
Blake CaravatiDemocraticJuly 3, 2000[26] July 1, 20021
Maurice CoxDemocraticJuly 1, 2002[27] July 1, 20041
David BrownDemocraticJuly 1, 2004[28] January 7, 20082
Dave NorrisDemocraticJanuary 7, 2008[29] January 3, 20122
Satyendra HujaDemocraticJanuary 3, 2012[30] January 4, 20162
Michael SignerDemocraticJanuary 4, 2016[31] January 2, 20181
Nikuyah WalkerIndependentJanuary 2, 2018[32] January 5, 20222
J. Lloyd Snook, IIIDemocraticJanuary 5, 2022[33] January 2, 20241
Juandiego WadeDemocraticJanuary 2, 2004[34] Incumbent1

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. "Charlottesville decided in 2004 to move its city-council and school-board elections from May to November..."
  2. Virginia Department of Historical Resources, Historical Marker Q-22, Albemarle County, VA. Search "Q-22" at https://vcris.dhr.virginia.gov/HistoricMarkers/
  3. Web site: T. W. Savage - Cvillepedia.
  4. Cochran was still mayor of the Town of Charlottesville in October 1873. See The Jeffersonian Republican, Charlottesville, VA, 15 October 1873. Available via the Library of Virginia at https://virginiachronicle.com/?a=d&d=JRP18731015.1.2&srpos=1&e=------187-en-20-JRP-1--txt-txIN-mayor------- (Accessed 25 March 2021).
  5. The Jeffersonian Republican, Charlottesville, VA, 1 June 1881. Available via the Library of Virginia at https://virginiachronicle.com/?a=d&d=JRP18810601.1.4&srpos=16&e=-------en-20-JRP-1--txt-txIN-mayor------- (Accessed 25 March 2021).
  6. The Jeffersonian Republican, Charlottesville, VA, 30 May 1883. Available via the Library of Virginia at https://virginiachronicle.com/cgi-bin/virginia?a=d&d=JRP18830530.1.3&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------- (Accessed 25 March 2021).
  7. "Arrowhead," National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, filed 1991, pp. 12-13 of pdf file. https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/002-0195-Arrowhead-1991-Final-Nomination.pdf
  8. Book: University of Virginia: Its History, Influence, Equipment and Characteristics, with Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Founders, Benefactors, Officers and Alumni . Lewis Publishing Company . New York . 1904 . 22.
  9. Book: Patton , John Shelton . The McCue murder: complete story of the crime and the famous trial of the ex-mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia . Progress Publishing Company . Charlottesville, VA . 1904 . 12. 2027/uva.x000449357?urlappend=%3Bseq=18 .
  10. Web site: Charles W. Allen - Cvillepedia.
  11. Book: Taibi , Richard . Charles Olivier and the Rise of Meteor Science . Springer . 2017 . 8.
  12. obituary in Confederate Veteran volume 32, June 1924, p. 234. https://archive.org/details/confederateveter3219conf/page/234/mode/2up
  13. Web site: A. V. Conway - Cvillepedia.
  14. Book: Lay , K. Edward . The architecture of Jefferson country: Charlottesville and Albemarle County . University of Virginia Press . 2000 . 283 . 978-0-8139-1885-3 .
  15. City Council Minutes, 1 September 1970, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/doc/157780/Page2.aspx
  16. City Council Minutes, 3 July 1972, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/doc/191343/Page1.aspx
  17. City Council Minutes, 1 July 1974, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/doc/191439/Page1.aspx
  18. City Council Minutes, 1 July 1976, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/doc/157554/Page1.aspx
  19. City Council Minutes, 1 July 1978, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/doc/157657/Page1.aspx
  20. City Council Minutes, 1 July 1988, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/doc/69564/Page1.aspx
  21. City Council Minutes, 2 July 1990, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/doc/46323/Page1.aspx
  22. City Council Minutes, 1 July 1992, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/doc/45774/Page1.aspx
  23. City Council Minutes, 5 July 1994, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/doc/45545/Page1.aspx
  24. City Council Minutes, 1 July 1996, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/doc/45381/Page1.aspx
  25. City Council Minutes, 1 July 1998, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/doc/69832/Page1.aspx
  26. City Council Minutes, 3 July 2000, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/doc/69921/Page1.aspx
  27. City Council Minutes, 1 July 2002, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/doc/195881/Page1.aspx
  28. City Council Minutes, 1 July 2004, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/doc/199396/Page1.aspx
  29. City Council Minutes, 7 January 2008, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/doc/347325/Page1.aspx
  30. City Council Minutes, 3 January 2012, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/edoc/558267/20120103Jan3.pdf
  31. City Council Minutes, 4 January 2016, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/edoc/732436/MINS_20160104Jan4.pdf
  32. City Council Minutes, 2 January 2018, http://weblink.charlottesville.org/public/0/edoc/793628/20180102Jan02.pdf
  33. City Council Meeting, 5 January 2022, https://charlottesvilleva.civicclerk.com/Web/Player.aspx?id=1296&key=-1&mod=-1&mk=-1&nov=0
  34. https://www.cbs19news.com/city-council-elects-wade-as-new-mayor/article_84e30889-5e46-58eb-9fee-f4d114e8e707.html