The office of Mayor of Rock Island, Illinois has existed since the Rock Island's incorporation in 1841 with Benjamin Barrett serving as the city's first mayor. Rock Island adopted a Mayor-Council form of government. It held that form of government for the next 110 years when in 1952 the city adopted a new popular form of city government, the council-manager form. Carl F. Bauer was elected as the first mayor under this form in 1953. This form of government still elected a mayor but the mayor is nothing more than a figurehead whereas the true power lay in the hands of the City Council and City Manager.
The Rock Island mayoralty is a ceremonial position that is often used as a stepping stone for higher political office. Most of Rock Island's mayors did not go far past the mayoralty but a few did, mostly running for State Representative, State Senator, and U.S. Congress. Rock Island held partisan elections throughout much of its history. For a brief time from 1911 to 1923, Rock Island's mayor served as a non-partisan mayor; then again in 1923 the City went back to partisan elections. The Republican Party has dominated the mayoralty, the city had more Republican mayors than Democratic mayors. In 1953 when the city adopted the Council-Manager form of government the city once again went to non-partisan elections and it continues to this day.
In 1984 a referendum appeared on the city ballot asking whether voters wanted to adopt partisan elections or continue with non-partisan elections, the referendum was defeated by an overwhelming margin.
Rock Island mayors Rock Island's mayors since the city's first mayoral election in 1849: # Image Name Term start Term end Party1Benjamin Barrett Whig2 Joshua Hatch Whig3Patrick WhitakerDemocratic4William FrizzellDemocratic5Ben Harper(1817–1887; aged 70) Whig6Benjamin Barrett Whig7William Bailey Whig8Patrick GreggDemocratic9Thomas BulfordDemocratic10Calvin TruesdaleRepublican11Bailey DavenportDemocratic12Calvin TruesdaleRepublican13Benjamin H. KimballDemocratic14William EgglestonDemocratic15Thomas MurdockRepublican16James BufordDemocratic17Porter SkinnerDemocratic18Elijah CarterRepublican19Thomas MurdockRepublican20Bailey DavenportDemocratic21Thomas GaltRepublican22Bailey DavenportDemocratic23William ButlerRepublican24Elisha ReynoldsRepublican25Henry CarseRepublican26James Z. MottDemocratic27Thomas MurdockRepublican28Virgil M. BlandingDemocratic29William McConochieRepublican30Thomas J. Medill, Jr.Democratic31B. Frank KnoxRepublican32Thomas J. Medill, Jr.Democratic33William McConochieRepublican 34B. Frank KnoxRepublican35William McConochieRepublican36George W. McCaskrin Independent Party37Harry C. SchafferRepublican38George W. McCaskrin Independent Party39Harry M. SchriverRepublican40William McConochieRepublican41Harry M. SchriverRepublican42Walter A. RosenfieldRepublican43Chester C. Thompson(1893–1971; aged 77)Democratic44Earl C. DeanRepublican45Clarence HodsonRepublican46Herman BrownRepublican47John GrahamDemocratic48Charles JohnsonRepublican49John BengstonDemocratic50Robert P. GalbraithRepublican51Melvin McKayRepublican52Carl F. BauerRepublican53Warren YergerRepublican54Morris E. Muhleman(1915–1998; aged 83)Republican55James H. Haymaker Nonpartisan56Alan A. Campbell Nonpartisan57Martin Galex Nonpartisan58James R. DavisDemocratic First African-American mayor59Robert MillettRepublican60Mark Schwiebert(born in 1950; age )Democratic61Dennis E. PauleyDemocratic62Mike Thoms(born in 1958; age )Republican63Ashley Harris(born in 1980; age )PresentDemocratic 2nd African-American mayor
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