The city of Oakland, California, was founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1854. The city uses a strong mayor form of government. Until the early 20th century, all Oakland mayors served terms of only one or two years each. Oakland mayors now serve 4-year terms and are limited to two terms.
Barbara Lee has served as mayor of Oakland since 2025.
Terms
- Office terms:
- 1 year 1854 – mayor elected by fellow city council members
- 2 years 1893 – mayor elected by fellow city council members
- 4 years 1953 – mayor elected by popular vote
List of mayors
{|class="toccolours"
|
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!
! colspan="2" | Mayor
! Took office
! Left office
! Tenure
! Election
! colspan="2" | Party
|-
! 1
| 100px
| Horace Carpentier<br>
|
|
|
| 1854
| colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
! 2
| 100px
| Charles Campbell<br>
|
|
|
| TBA
| colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
! rowspan="2" | 3
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | Samuel H. Robinson<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 1855
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | Unknown
|-
| 1856
|-
! rowspan="2" | 4
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | Andrew Williams<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 1857
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | Unknown
|-
| 1858
|-
! 5
| 100px
| Francis K. Shattuck<br>
|
|
|
| 1859
| style="background-color:;" |
| Republican
|-
! rowspan="2" | 6
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | James Paine Miller Davis<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 1860
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Democratic
|-
| 1861
|-
! 7
| 100px
| George M. Blake<br>
|
|
| 1 year
| 1862
| colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
! 8
| 100px
| William Henry Bovee<br>
|
|
| 1 year
| 1863
| colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
! 9
| 100px
| Edward Gibbons<br>
|
|
|
| 1864
| colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
! 10
| 100px
| Benjamin F. Ferris<br>
|
|
|
| 1865
| colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
! 11
| 100px
| John W. Dwinelle<br>
|
|
|
| 1866
| colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
! 12
| 100px
| William Watrus Crane Jr.<br>
|
|
|
| 1867
| colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
! rowspan="2" | 13
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | Samuel Merritt<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
|
| rowspan="2" colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
| 1868
|-
! 14
| 100px
| John B. Felton<br>
|
|
|
| 1869
| style="background-color:;" |
| Republican
|-
| colspan="3"
|
|
| colspan="4"
|-
! rowspan="2" | 15
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | Nathan Weston Spaulding<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 1871
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Republican
|-
| 1872
|-
! rowspan="2" | 16
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | Henry Durant<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 1873
| rowspan="2" colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
| 1874
|-
| colspan="3"
|
|
| colspan="4"
|-
! rowspan="2" | 17
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | Mack Webber<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
|
| rowspan="2" colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
| 1875
|-
! rowspan="2" | 18
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | Enoch H. Pardee<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 1876
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Republican
|-
| 1877
|-
! rowspan="2" | 19
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | Washburne R. Andrus<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 1878
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Workingmen's
|-
| 1879
|-
! rowspan="2" | 20
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | James E. Blethen<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 1880
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Republican
|-
| 1881
|-
! 21
| 100px
| Charles K. Robinson<br>
|
|
|
| 1882
| style="background-color:;" |
| Republican
|-
! 22
| 100px
| J. West Martin<br>
|
|
|
| 1883
| style="background-color:;" |
| Democratic
|-
! 23
| 100px
| Ashmun Cooke Henry<br>
|
|
|
| 1884
| style="background-color:;" |
| Republican
|-
! rowspan="2" | 24
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | Eli W. Playter<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 1885
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Republican
|-
| 1886
|-
! 25
| 100px
| William R. Davis<br>
|
|
|
| 1887
| style="background-color:;" |
| Republican
|-
! 26
| 100px
| Charles D. Pierce<br>
|
|
|
| 1888
| style="background-color:;" |
| Democratic
|-
! rowspan="2" | 27
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | John R. Glascock<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 1889
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Democratic
|-
| 1890
|-
! rowspan="2" | 28
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | Melvin C. Chapman<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 1891
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Republican
|-
| 1892
|-
! 29
| 100px
| George Pardee<br>
|
|
|
| 1893
| style="background-color:;" |
| Republican
|-
! 30
| 100px
| John L. Davie<br>
|
|
|
| 1895
| style="background-color:;" |
| Populist
|-
! 31
| 100px
| William R. Thomas<br>
|
|
|
| 1897
| style="background-color:;" |
| Republican
|-
! 32
| 100px
| Roland W. Snow<br>
|
|
|
| 1899
| style="background-color:;" |
| Republican
|-
! 33
| 100px
| Anson Barstow<br>
|
|
|
| 1901
| style="background-color:;" |
| Republican
|-
! 34
| 100px
| Warren Olney<br>
|
|
| 2 years
| 1903
|
| Fusion
|-
! rowspan="6" | 35
| rowspan="6" | 100px
| rowspan="6" | Frank K. Mott<br>
| rowspan="6" |
| rowspan="6" |
| rowspan="6" | 10 years, 4 months
| 1905
| rowspan="6" |
| rowspan="6" | Fusion
|-
| 1907
|-
| 1909
|-
| 1911
|-
| 1912 recall
|-
| 1913
|-
! rowspan="8" | 36
| rowspan="8" | 100px
| rowspan="8" | John L. Davie<br>
| rowspan="8" |
| rowspan="8" |
| rowspan="8" |
| 1915
| rowspan="8" colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
| 1917 recall
|-
| 1919
|-
| 1921
|-
| 1923
|-
| 1925
|-
| 1927
|-
| 1929
|-
! 37
| 100px
| Fred N. Morcom<br>
|
|
|
| 1931
| colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
! rowspan="4" | 38
| rowspan="4" | 100px
| rowspan="4" | William J. McCracken<br>
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" |
| 1933
| rowspan="4" colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
| 1935
|-
| 1937
|-
| 1939
|-
! rowspan="2" | 39
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | John F. Slavich<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 1941
| rowspan="2" colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
| 1943
|-
! 40
| 100px
| Herbert L. Beach<br>
|
|
|
| 1945
| colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
! 41
| 100px
| Joseph E. Smith<br>
|
|
|
| 1947
| colspan="2" | Unknown
|-
! rowspan="4" | 42
| rowspan="4" | 100px
| rowspan="4" | Clifford E. Rishell<br>
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" |
| 1949
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="4" | Republican
|-
| 1951
|-
| 1953
|-
| 1957
|-
! rowspan="2" | 43
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | John C. Houlihan<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 1961
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Republican
|-
| 1965
|-
! rowspan="4" | 44
| rowspan="4" | 100px
| rowspan="4" | John H. Reading<br>
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" |
|
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="4" | Republican
|-
| 1967 special
|-
| 1969
|-
| 1973
|-
! rowspan="3" | 45
| rowspan="3" | 100px
| rowspan="3" | Lionel Wilson<br>
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="3" |
| 1977
| rowspan="3" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="3" | Democratic
|-
| 1981
|-
| 1985
|-
! rowspan="2" | 46
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | Elihu Harris<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 1990
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Democratic
|-
| 1994
|-
! rowspan="2" | 47
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | Jerry Brown<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 1998
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Democratic
|-
| 2002
|-
! 48
| 100px
| Ron Dellums<br>
|
|
|
| 2006
| style="background-color:;" |
| Democratic
|-
! 49
| 100px
| Jean Quan<br>
|
|
|
| 2010
| style="background-color:;" |
| Democratic
|-
! rowspan="2" | 50
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | Libby Schaaf<br>
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| 2014
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Democratic
|-
| 2018
|-
! 51
| 100px
| Sheng Thao<br><br>
|
|
|
| 2022
| style="background-color:;" |
| Democratic
|-
! –
| style="background-color:#E6E6AA;" | 100px
| style="background-color:#E6E6AA;" | Nikki Fortunato Bas<br><br>
| style="background-color:#E6E6AA;" |
| style="background-color:#E6E6AA;" |