The following is a list of the mayors of Des Moines, Iowa.

List of mayors Image Mayor Term start and end Political party Notes Thompson Bird 1851 – 1852 Benjamin Luce October 1853 – 1854 Lampson P. Sherman 1854–1855 Barlow Granger November 1855 – 1856 William DeFord November 1856 – 1857 Charles W. Nash 1857 – May 1, 1857 William H. McHenry May 1, 1857 – 1858 Democratic H. E. Lemoreaux 1858–1859 R. L. Tidrick 1859–1860 P. H. W. Latshaw 1860–1861 Republican Ira Cook 1861 Republican Resigned from office W. S. Barnes 1861–1862 Republican Thomas Cavanagh 1862–1863 Democratic William H. Leas 1863–1865 Republican George W. Cleveland 1865–1868 Republican Sumner F. Spofford 1868–1869 Joshua H. Hatch 1869–1871 Republican Martin Tuttle 1871–1872 J. P. Foster 1872–1873 Republican Giles H. Turner 1873 – March 16, 1874 Republican A. Newton March 16, 1874 – 1876 Republican Giles H. Turner (2nd term) March 1876 – 1877 Republican Resigned from office George Sneer 1877–1880 William H. Merritt 1880–1882 P. V. Carey 1882 – March 15, 1886 Republican James Harvey Phillips March 15, 1886 – 1888 William Lytle Carpenter 1888 – March 17, 1890 Democratic John H. Campbell March 17, 1890 – April 18, 1892 Republican C. C. Lane April 18, 1892 – April 16, 1894 Republican Isaac L. Hillis April 16, 1894 – 1896 Republican John MacVicar 1896 – April 2, 1900 Jeremiah J. Hartenbower April 2, 1900 – 1902 Democratic James M. Brenton 1902–1904 George W. Mattern 1904 – April 6, 1908 Adoniram Judson Mathis April 6, 1908 – April 4, 1910 James R. Hanna April 4, 1910 – April 3, 1916 John MacVicar April 3, 1916 – 1918 Thomas Fairweather 1918–1920 H. H. Barton 1920–1922 C. M. Garver 1922 – April 5, 1926 Fred H. Hunter April 5, 1926 – April 2, 1928 John MacVicar† April 2, 1928 – November 15, 1928 Died in office E. H. Mulock November 24, 1928 – 1930 Parker L. Crouch 1930–1932 Dwight N. Lewis 1932–1936 Joseph Holmes Allen 1936–1938 Dwight N. Lewis† 1938 – May 1, 1938 Died in office Mark L. Conkling 1938–1942 John MacVicar Jr. 1942–1948 Heck Ross 1948–1950 A. B. Chambers 1950–1952 Allan W. Denny 1952–1954 Joseph Van Dresser 1954–1956 Ray Mills 1956–1958 Charles F. Iles 1958–1960 Reinhold O. Carlson 1960–1962 Charles F. Iles 1962–1966 George C. Whitmer 1966–1968 Thomas N. Urban 1968–1972 Richard E. Olson 1972–1980 Pete Crivaro† 1980 – December 24, 1986 Died in office George Nahas January 7, 1987 – April 15, 1987 Long term former councilmember appointed by the city council on January 7, 1987, to serve as mayor until the November election. Prior to that, local citizens secured sufficient votes to force a special election. Nahas served four months as mayor. First Lebanese mayor. John "Pat" Dorrian April 15, 1987 – 1995 Won a special election on April 14, 1987, and sworn on April 15, 1987. Reelected in the November 1987 general election. Arthur Davis† 1995–1997 Died in office Robert D. Ray 1997 Republican Former governor. Served as interim mayor after the death of Davis. Preston Daniels 1997–2004 Democratic First African American mayor Frank Cownie 2004–2024 Connie Boesen January 2, 2024 – Present

See also Des Moines City Council

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