The mayor of Holyoke is the head of the executive branch of the municipal government of Holyoke, Massachusetts responsible for presenting an initial budget to the city council, and appointing key office holders such as the chief of police and fire commissioners.

Although members of both major parties have successfully run for office since the city's incorporation, elections for municipal positions are officially nonpartisan, on the ballot candidates do not run as members of any political party, nor require backing of one in any official capacity.

When Holyoke was incorporated as a city, initially the mayoral term given in the 1874 charter was for the mayor to serve a single-year term, being elected at the end of the municipal year. This was subsequently raised to two years during the mayoralty of William P. Yoerg in 1936, and from two to four years during that of Alex B. Morse in 2015.An Act Establishing A 4-Year Term for the Office of Mayor of the City of Holyoke, 2015 Mass. Ch.91. Mayoral primaries, in which the two candidates receiving the most votes went on to run in the election, began in 1959. Oftentimes mayoral administrations and mayors themselves are referred to interchangeably with the office space that each has occupied since the city's incorporation, "Room One".

Since Holyoke's establishment as a City in 1873, the following individuals have served as its mayor.

# Mayor Picture Term Notes1stWilliam B. C. Pearsons1874–18762ndRoswell P. Crafts18773rdWilliam Whiting II 1878–18794thWilliam Ruddy 18805thFranklin P. Goodall18816thRoswell P. Crafts 1882–18837thJames E. Delaney1884–18858thJames J. O'Connor 1886–18879thJames E. Delaney188810th Jeremiah F. Sullivan 1889–189011th Michael J. Griffin189112thJeremiah F. Sullivan 189213thDennie L. Farr 189314thMarciene H. Whitcomb 189415th Henry A. Chase 1895 16thJames J. Curran 189617thGeorge H. Smith 189718thMichael Connors 189819thArthur B. Chapin 1899–190420thNathan P. Avery1904–191021stJohn J. White 1911–191322nd John H. Woods1914–191523rdJohn J. White 1916–191724th John D. Ryan1918–191925thJohn F. Cronin1920–192526th Gregory J. Scanlon192627th John F. Cronin192728th Fred G. Burnham 1928–192929th William T. Dillon1930–193130thFred G. Burnham1932Died in office.ActingWilliam M. Hart1932Acting mayor.31st Henry J. Toepfert1932–1935First elected in special election to finish Burnham's term.32nd William P. Yoerg 1936–1939Did not seek re-election to becomedirector of Holyoke Housing Authority; presided over Lyman Terrace33rdHenry J. Toepfert1940–1953Longest-serving mayor.Died in office.ActingJames T. Doherty 1953Acting mayor.34thEdwin A. Seibel 1953–1957First elected in special election to finish Toepfert's term.Only mayor to serve concurrently as state representative.Died in office.ActingSamuel Resnic 1957Acting mayor following Seibel's death; was ineligible to run to complete term.ActingPaul L. Brougham1957Elected in special election to finish Seibel's term; lost in concurrent regular election.35thSamuel Resnic 1958–1963First elected term.Holyoke's first Jewish mayor.36thDaniel F. Dibble1964–196737thWilliam Taupier1968–1975Resigned to become City Manager of Lowell, Massachusetts.ActingThomas Monahan1975Acting mayor.38thErnest E. Proulx1976–198639thMartin J. Dunn 1987–1991Resigned to become a State Senator.ActingJoseph M. McGiverin 1991Acting mayor.40thWilliam Hamilton1991–1995First elected in special election to finish Dunn's term.41stDaniel Szostkiewicz 1995–199942ndMichael J. Sullivan 2000–200943rdElaine A. Pluta2010–2011First female mayor.44thAlex Morse2012–2021Youngest mayor in city history (elected at the age of 22).First openly gay mayor.Resigned to become Town Manager of Provincetown, Massachusetts.ActingTodd A. McGee2021Acting mayor.ActingTerence "Terry" Murphy2021Acting mayor.45thJoshua A. Garcia2021–Holyoke's first Latino mayor.

Notes

References