The mayor is the highest elected official in Savannah, Georgia. Since its incorporation by charter on 23 December 1789, and the first mayor, John Houstoun, was elected by aldermen on 8 March 1790, following citizen election of aldermen on 1 March 1790, the city has had 67 mayors.Savannah Morning News

On 31 May 1958, the term for mayor was extended from two years to four years by popular vote and with approval of the state government.

Election for mayor is held every four years, and is held as a non-partisan election, As of 7 November 2023, Van Johnson was re-elected for a four-year term.

List

# Portrait Mayor Term start Term end Terms   Party Notes John Houstoun 1790 1791 1 None Thomas Gibbons 1791 1792 1 None Joseph Habersham 1792 1793 1 None William Stephens 1793 1794 1 None Thomas Gibbons 1794 1795 1 None William Stephens 1795 1796 1 None John Noel 1796 1797 1 None John Glen 1797 1798 1 None Matthew McAllister 1798 1799 1 Democratic-Republican Thomas Gibbons 1799 1801 2 Democratic-Republican David B. Mitchell 1801 1802 1 Democratic-Republican Charles Harris 1802 1804 2 Democratic-Republican John Noel 1804 1807 3 Democratic-Republican William Davies 1807 1807 Democratic-Republican Charles Harris 1807 1808 Democratic-Republican John Williamson 1808 1809 1 Democratic-Republican William Bulloch 1809 1811 2 Democratic-Republican Thomas Mendenhall Jr. 1811 1811 Democratic-Republican William Bulloch 1811 1812 Democratic-Republican George Jones 1812 1814 2 Democratic-Republican Matthew McAllister 1814 1815 Partial Democratic-Republican Thomas Charlton 1815 1817 2 Democratic-Republican James Wayne 1817 1819 2 Democratic-Republican Thomas Charlton 1819 1821 1 Democratic-Republican James Morrison 1821 1824 3 Democratic-Republican William Daniell 1824 1826 2 Jacksonian Joseph W. Jackson 1826 1828 2 Jacksonian William T. Williams 1828 1830 2 Democratic William Waring 1830 1832 2 Democratic George W. Owens 1832 1833 Partial Democratic William T. Williams 1833 1834 1 Democratic William Gordon 1834 1836 1 Democratic William Cuyler 1836 1836 Democratic John Nicoll 1836 1837 1 Democratic Matthew H. McAllister 1837 1839 1 Democratic Robert M. Charlton 1839 1841 2 Democratic William T. Williams 1841 1842 1 Democratic Richard Arnold 1842 1843 1 Whig William T. Williams 1843 1844 1 Democratic Richard Wayne 1844 1845 1 Democratic Henry Burroughs 1845 1848 3 Whig Richard Wayne 1848 1851 3 Democratic Richard Arnold 1851 1852 1 Whig Richard Wayne 1852 1853 1 Democratic John Elliott Ward 1853 1854 1 Democratic Edward C. Anderson 1854 1856 2 American James Proctor Screven 1856 1857 1 Democratic Richard Wayne † 1857 1858 Partial Democratic Thomas Turner 1858 1859 1 Democratic Richard Arnold 1859 1860 1 American Charles C. Jones 1860 1861 1 Democratic (Southern) Thomas Purse 1861 1862 1 Democratic (Southern) Thomas Holcombe 1862 1863 1 Democratic (Southern) Richard Arnold 1863 1865 1 Democratic (Southern) Edward C. Anderson 1865 1869 4 Democratic John Screven 1869 1873 4 Democratic Edward C. Anderson 1873 1877 2 Democratic John Wheaton 1877 1883 3 Democratic Rufus E. Lester 1883 1889 3 Democratic John Schwarz 1889 1891 1 Democratic John McDonough 1891 1895 2 Democratic Herman Myers 1895 1897 1 Democratic Peter Meldrim 1897 1899 1 Democratic Herman Myers 1899 1907 4 Democratic George Tiedeman 1907 1913 3 Democratic Richard Davant † 1913 1915 1 Democratic Wallace Pierpont 1915 1919 1 Democratic Murray Stewart 1919 1923 2 Democratic Paul Seabrook 1923 1925 1 Democratic Robert Hull † 1925 1927 1 Democratic Thomas Hoynes 1927 1929 Democratic Gordon Saussy 1929 1931 1 Democratic Thomas Hoynes 1931 1933 Democratic Thomas Gamble 1933 1937 2 Democratic Robert M. Hitch 1937 1939 1 Democratic Thomas Gamble † 1939 1945 3 Democratic Peter Roe Nugent 1945 1947 1 Democratic John G. Kennedy 1947 1949 1 Democratic Olin Fulmer 1949 1955 3 Democratic Lee Mingledorff, Jr. 1955 1960 3 Democratic First elected to a two-year term where he served from January 24, 1955 until January 21, 1957. Re-elected to a second two-year term beginning January 21, 1957. In 1958, the city shifted to a four-year mayoral term and a special election was held. Mingledorff won re-election to a 4-year term running from October 6, 1958 to October 1, 1962. He resigned prematurely on August 1, 1960 with the remainder of his term completed by vice-mayor Maclean. Malcolm R. Maclean 1960 1966 2 Democratic J.C. Lewis, Jr. 1966 1970 1 Republican John Rousakis 1970 1992 5 Democratic First Greek-American mayor Susan Weiner 1992 1996 1 Republican First female mayor Floyd Adams, Jr. 1996 2004 2 Democratic First African-American mayor Otis Johnson 2004 2012 2 Democratic Edna Jackson 2012 2016 1 Democratic First African-American female mayor Eddie DeLoach 2016 2020 1 Republican Van R. Johnson 2020Incumbent 1 Democratic

Notes † Deceased/murdered in office.

See also

Savannah, Georgia Timeline of Savannah, Georgia Garden City, Georgia List of mayors of Garden City, Georgia List of mayors of Atlanta List of mayors of Augusta, Georgia List of mayors of Columbus, Georgia List of mayors of Macon, Georgia

Footnotes