Mayor of the City of Indianapolis
Seal of the Office of the Mayor of the City of Indianapolis
Incumbent
Joe Hogsett
since January 1, 2016
Term lengthFour years
Inaugural holderSamuel Henderson
Formation1847
Salary$95,317.60 annually[1]
WebsiteOffice of the Mayor

The Mayor of Indianapolis is the head of the executive branch of the consolidated city-county government of Indianapolis and Marion County. As the chief executive, the mayor has the duty to oversee city-county government's various departments, agencies, and municipal corporations. They also have the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Indianapolis City-County Council, the legislative branch. The mayor serves a four-year term and has no limit to the number of terms they may serve.[2]

As of 2016, the mayor was paid an annual salary of $95,317.60.[1] The Mayor's Office is on the twenty-fifth floor of the City-County Building.[3]

Elections

Main article: 2019 Indianapolis mayoral election

The mayor of Indianapolis is elected every four years; elections take place one year before United States presidential elections on election day in November. The mayor is usually sworn in at noon on January 1 following the election. The next election for the mayor will be in 2027.

Indianapolis city elections are partisan, with party affiliations listed alongside candidates' names on the ballot.[4] Primary elections are held on the first Tuesday of May in a mayoral election year. Candidates for mayor secure their party's nominations to campaign in the general election, held on Election Day the following November.

Lists

To date, 43 individuals have served as mayor. There have been 49 mayoralties due to six individuals who served nonconsecutive terms. John Caven, Caleb S. Denny, Charles A. Bookwalter, Samuel L. Shank, Reginald H. Sullivan, and Philip L. Bayt served two nonconsecutive terms each. The longest term was that of William "Bill" Hudnut, who served four consecutive terms for 16 years.[5] The shortest term was that of Claude E. Negley, who served 13 days.

Pre-Unigov

Old Indianapolis City Hall housed the Mayor's Office from 1910 until completion of the City-County Building in 1962.
No. Portrait Name Term start Term end   Party
1 Samuel Henderson
(1800–1883; aged 83) 		May 1, 1847 1849 Whig
2 Horatio C. Newcomb
(1821–1882; aged 61) 		1849 November 7, 1851[6] Whig
3 Caleb Scudder
(1795–1866; aged 71) 		November 1851 1854 Whig
4 James McCready
(1816–1909; aged 93) 		1854 1856 Democratic
5 Henry F. West
(1796–1856; aged 60) 		1856 November 8, 1856[7] Democratic
6 Charles G. Coulon
(1825–1881; aged 56) 		November 8, 1856 November 22, 1856 Democratic
7 William J. Wallace
(1814–1894; aged 80) 		1856 May 5, 1858[6] Republican
8 Samuel D. Maxwell
(1803–1873; aged 70) 		May 5, 1858 January 1, 1863 Republican
9 John Caven (1st)
(1824–1905; aged 81) 		1863 1867 Republican
10 Daniel McCauley
(1839–1894; aged 55) 		1867 1873 Republican
11 James L. Mitchell
(1834–1894; aged 60) 		1873 1875 Democratic
12 John Caven (2nd) 1875 1881 Republican
13 Daniel W. Grubbs
(1835–1917; aged 82) 		May 12, 1881 January 1, 1884 Republican
14 John L. McMaster
(1843–1914; aged 71) 		January 1, 1884 January 1, 1886 Republican
15 Caleb S. Denny (1st)
(1850–1926; aged 76) 		January 1, 1886 January 1, 1890 Republican
16 Thomas L. Sullivan
(1846–1936; aged 90) 		1890 1893 Democratic
17 Caleb S. Denny (2nd) October 12, 1893 October 10, 1895 Republican
18 Thomas Taggart
(1856–1929; aged 73) 		January 1, 1895 December 31, 1901 Democratic
19 Charles A. Bookwalter (1st)
(1860–1926; aged 66) 		1901 November 1903 Republican
20 John W. Holtzman
(1858–1942; aged 84) 		November 1903 1906 Democratic
21 Charles A. Bookwalter (2nd) 1906 1910 Republican
22 Samuel L. Shank (1st)
(1872–1927; aged 55) 		1910 November 28, 1913[6] Republican
23 Henry R. Wallace
(1869–1915; aged 46) 		November 28, 1913 January 1, 1914 Republican
24 Joseph E. Bell
(1865–1923; aged 58) 		1914 1918[6] Democratic
25 Charles W. Jewett
(1884–1961; aged 77) 		1918 1922 Republican
26 Samuel L. Shank (2nd) 1922 1926 Republican
27 John L. Duvall
(1874–1962; aged 88) 		January 4, 1926 October 27, 1927[6] Republican
28 Claude E. Negley
(1873–1943; aged 70) 		October 27, 1927[8] November 9, 1927 Republican
29 Lemuel Ertus Slack
(1874–1952; aged 78) 		November 9, 1927 1930 Democratic
30 Reginald H. Sullivan (1st)
(1876–1980; aged 103) 		1930 1935 Democratic
31 John W. Kern
(1900–1971; aged 71) 		1935 September 2, 1937[6] Democratic
32 Walter C. Boetcher
(1881–1951; aged 70) 		1937 1939 Democratic
33 Reginald H. Sullivan (2nd) 1939 1943 Democratic
34 Robert Tyndall
(1877–1947; aged 70) 		1943 July 9, 1947[7] Republican
35 George L. Denny
(1878–1958; aged 80) 		July 9, 1947 January 1, 1948 Republican
36 Albert G. Feeney
(1892–1950; aged 58) 		January 1, 1948 November 12, 1950[7] Democratic
37 Philip L. Bayt (1st)
(1910–1989; aged 79) 		November 12, 1950 November 24, 1951[6] Democratic
38 Christian J. Emhardt
(1883–1971; aged 88) 		November 24, 1951 January 1, 1952 Democratic
39 Alex M. Clark
(1916–1991; aged 75) 		January 1, 1952 January 1, 1956 Republican
40 Philip L. Bayt (2nd) January 1, 1956 January 1, 1960[6] Democratic
41 Charles H. Boswell
(1909–2006; aged 97) 		January 1, 1960 August 6, 1962[6] Democratic
42 Albert H. Losche
(1891–1966; aged 75) 		August 6, 1962 January 1, 1964 Democratic
43 John J. Barton
(1906–2004; aged 98) 		January 1, 1964 January 1, 1968 Democratic

Unigov

Richard Lugar was the 44th mayor of Indianapolis, and the first under Unigov.

Unigov, the city-county consolidation of Indianapolis and Marion County governments, was enacted on January 1, 1970, exactly two years into Richard Lugar's first term as mayor.[2] The new governance structure, codified in Indiana Code, mandates that the Mayor of Indianapolis is the chief executive of both the city and Marion County. Due to this structure, all Marion County residents are permitted to vote for the Mayor of Indianapolis, regardless if they live within the city or an excluded city or town.[9] For example, residents of Beech Grove, which is an entirely independent municipality in Marion County, have the ability to vote for the Mayor of Indianapolis as well as their own mayor.[2]

No. Portrait Name Term start Term end   Party
44 Richard Lugar
(1932–2019; aged 87) 		January 1, 1968 January 1, 1976 Republican
45 William H. Hudnut
(1932–2016; aged 84) 		January 1, 1976 January 1, 1992 Republican
46 Stephen Goldsmith
(born in 1946; age 77) 		January 1, 1992 January 1, 2000 Republican
47 Bart Peterson
(born in 1958; age 65) 		January 1, 2000 January 1, 2008 Democratic
48 Greg Ballard
(born in 1954; age 69) 		January 1, 2008 January 1, 2016 Republican
49 Joe Hogsett
(born in 1956; age 67) 		January 1, 2016 incumbent Democratic

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b "Report Builder: Employee Compensation Report". Indiana Gateway for Government Units. State of Indiana. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "Unigov Handbook: A Citizen's Guide to Local Government" (PDF). League of Women Voters of Indianapolis. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  3. ^ Price, Nelson (2004). Indianapolis Then & Now. San Diego, California: Thunder Bay Press. p. 38. ISBN 1-59223-208-6.
  4. ^ "Partisan vs. Nonpartisan Elections". National League of Cities. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  5. ^ Mack, Justin; Higgins, Will (December 18, 2016). "Former Indianapolis Mayor Bill Hudnut dies at 84". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Resigned.
  7. ^ a b c Died in office.
  8. ^ Appointed by Council.
  9. ^ "IC 36-3-3-2". iga.in.gov. Retrieved November 8, 2017.

External links

Mayors of Indianapolis
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