The following is a list of mayors of the city of Lakeland, Florida, United States. The City of Lakeland was incorporated on January 1, 1885. The mayor is one of seven members of the City Commission, acting as the board chair and performing mostly ceremonial and procedural duties beyond the powers of the other six. Prior to 1988, Lakeland's mayor was selected by the City Commission among its members. Mayors can be on the board for up to 12 years in a lifetime, or 16 years in combination with holding a regular commission position. Since 1988 the mayor is elected by the citizens of the city.

The first female mayor was Lois Q. Searl, who served in 1965. Carrie R. Oldham was the first female African American mayor.

List of Mayors Image Mayor Years Notes John W. Trammell 1885 John D. Torrence 1885 Eppes C. Tucker Sr. 1886–1888 3 terms Napoleon B. Bowyer 1889–1890 2 terms Herbert J. Drane 1888–1892 ? – J. T. Park 1894 Clarence A. Boswell 1894–1896 James P. Thompson 1897 Samuel L.A. Clonts 1898 C. M. Marsh 1898 James P. Thompson 1899 Park Trammell 1900–1902 Samuel L.A. Clonts 1903–1904 John F. Cox 1905–1907 ? 1908 John S. Edwards 1909 William K. Jackson 1910 John F. Cox 1911 Samuel L.A. Clonts 1912 Oscar M. Eaton 1913–1915 John F. Cox 1916–1917 Edwin C. Flanagan 1918–1919 Frank H. Thompson 1920 Hubert C. Petteway 1921 J.T. Hodges 1922–1923 Daniel C. Boswell 1924 John W. Buchanan Jr. 1925 J. Bunyan Smith 1926 William S. Rodgers 1927 Jesse F. Council 1927–1928 William S. Rodgers 1927 William F. Reid 1928 Charles I. Dwiggins 1929 H. Dean Grady 1930–1931 William F. Reid 1931 H. Dean Grady 1930–1931 Benjamin M. Pulliam 1932 Elijah A. Godwin 1933 Edward L. Mack 1934 Elijah A. Godwin 1935 George W. Mershon 1936 H. Clay Haynes 1937 Lutie M. Koons 1938 Thomas D. Conter 1939 Ira C. Hopper 1940 George J. Tolson 1941 Elmer E. Kelly Jr. 1942 Horace W. Gibson 1943 George J. Tolson 1944 William Cade 1945 Edwin C. Flanagan Jr. 1946 George J. Tolson 1947 William Cade 1948 Clinton V. McClurg 1948 Ernest B. Sutton 1949 Guerry L. Dobbins 1950 Clayton Logan 1951 James J. Musso 1952 Norman T. Kent 1953 Wilbur Y. Wooten 1954 S. Scott Kelly 1955 Mac H. Cunningham 1956 Earl W. Bowen 1957 James J. Musso 1958 William M. Hollis 1958 R. Tom Joyner Jr. 1959 William G. Cooper Jr. 1960 Reuben H. Gibson 1961 Morris J. Pritchard 1962 William H. Lofton 1963 R. Harold Grizzard 1964 James R. West 1965 Lois Q. Searl 1965 John H. Woodall Jr. 1966 W. Jack Day 1967 George W. Trask 1968–1969 Marvin H. Henderson Jr. 1970 Joe P. Ruthven 1971 Charles E. Whitten 1972 John S. Jackson 1972–1974 a surgeon and city commissioner, he was the city's first African American mayor W. Carl Dicks 1975 Peggy C. Brown 1976 Charles A. Coleman 1977 Second African American mayor, a community center is named for him John Tolson 1977 Curtis I. Walker 1978 George R. Burt 1979 Carrie R. Oldham 1980 First African America female mayor 3rd African American mayor R. Larry Turnipseed 1981 J. Larry Durrence 1982 Frank J. O'Reilly 1983 Peggy C. Brown 1984 Thomas R. Shaw 1985 Former owner of owned Shaw House Bed & Breakfast J. Larry Durrence 1986 Frank J. O'Reilly 1987 Willie J. Williams 1988 Pastor Elected at age 32 Frank J. O'Reilly 1989–1993 Accountant and City Commissioner Ralph "Buddy" Fletcher 1993–2009 Gow Fields 2009–2013 First African American elected mayor R. Howard Wiggs 2014–2018 Bill Mutz 2018–2026 Sara R. McCarley2026–presentFirst female elected mayor

See also Timeline of Lakeland, Florida

References