The Ann Arbor City Council is the legislative body of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The council consists of the Mayor and ten council members. The city is divided into five geographic wards, with each ward represented by two council members serving staggered terms. Prior to the adoption of a new city charter in 1956, representatives for the wards were designated as aldermen. Following the 1956 charter modernization, the title was officially changed to councilmember. This list only covers councilmembers who have served since the adoption of the new city charter.
The tradition of dual representation per ward dates back to the city's early governance. The original 1851 city charter incorporated Ann Arbor into four wards, represented by an eight-member common council. A subsequent 1889 charter expanded the city but continued the dual-alderman tradition. When the modern city charter was adopted in 1956, it restructured the city into its current five-ward system but retained the staggered two-seat model.
For decades under the 1956 charter, council members served two-year terms. To maintain staggered representation, one seat in each ward was contested in even-numbered years, while the other seat was contested in odd-numbered years. (Due to occasional mid-term resignations and special elections, the odd/even alignment of specific seats occasionally shifted historically, but generally stabilized in the modern era).
In November 2016, Ann Arbor voters approved Proposal 1, a city charter amendment transitioning all city council seats to four-year terms. To align local races with higher-turnout state and national elections, the transition eliminated odd-year elections. Starting with the 2018 cycle, elections for the staggered seats were consolidated to be held exclusively in even-numbered years. Currently, half the council is elected during presidential election years, and the other half is elected during midterm (gubernatorial) election years.
City Council Wards Ann Arbor is divided into five geographic wards, each represented by two city council members serving staggered four-year terms.
Ward Boundaries Overview Ward 1: Covers the northern portions of the city. Ward 2: Covers the northeastern and eastern and sections. Ward 3: Covers the southeast of the city. Ward 4: Covers the south-central southwestern areas. Ward 5: Covers the western wedge.
Ward 1
Gubernatorial-year seat (historically even-year seat) Name Party Term of Office Notes John L. Teachout Republican 1955–1958 Elected as First Ward Alderman in 1955; continued on council following the 1956 charter adoption Richard Dennard Democratic 1958–1962 Eunice L. Burns Democratic 1962–1968 Ran for Mayor in 1965 while continuing on council Richard D. Remington Democratic 1968–1970 John P. Kirscht Democratic 1970–1972 Jerry DeGrieck Human Rights 1972–1974 Elected as a 22-year-old student; became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the US Colleen McGee Democratic 1974–1978 Narrowly defeated HRP candidate S. Beth Brunton by 101 votes to win the seat Lowell Peterson Democratic 1978–1982 Larry Hunter Democratic 1982–1994 Unseated incumbent Earl Greene; prominent Black Panther and social activist Patricia Vereen-Dixon Democratic 1994–2000 Formerly named Pat Byrd Kim Groome Democratic 2000–2005 Resigned mid-term in September 2005 John Roberts Democratic 2005–2006 Appointed to fill Kim Groome's vacancy Ron Suarez Democratic 2006–2008 Defeated John Roberts in the 2006 primary Sandi Smith Democratic 2008–2012 Sumi Kailasapathy Democratic 2012–2018 Did not seek re-election in 2018 Jeff Hayner Democratic 2018–2022 Survived a 2021 recall petition attempt after organizers failed to collect sufficient signatures Cynthia Harrison Democratic 2022–present Defeated Angeline Smith with 71% of the vote in the 2022 primary to succeed Jeff Hayner
Presidential-year seat (historically odd-year seat) Name Party Term of Office Notes M. Alicia Dwyer Democratic 1957–1959 Later M. Alicia Dwyer Pratt; initiated the creation of the official Ann Arbor city flag Harold J. McKercher Republican 1959–1961 Ann Arbor real estate and insurance agent Lynn W. Eley Democratic 1961–1963 University of Michigan professor who later relocated to Wisconsin and served as Mayor of Mequon John D. Teachout Democratic 1963–1965 Blinded during WWII service; later owned Idiom Recording Company and was an active local musician H. C. Curry Democratic 1965–1971 Norris J. Thomas Jr. Democratic 1971–1975 Legal Aid Society attorney Elizabeth "Liz" Keogh Democratic 1975–1977 Elected with a 45% plurality in 1975 Kenneth T. Latta Democratic 1977–1981 Championed downtown zoning and adult business controls Ann Marie Coleman Democratic 1981–1993 Tobi Hanna-Davies Democratic 1993–1999 Co-chaired the City's Affordable Housing Commission during her tenure John Hieftje Democratic 1999–2000 Resigned mid-term after being elected Mayor of Ann Arbor in 2000 Robert M. Johnson Democratic 2000–2007 Appointed to succeed John Hieftje in 2000 Sabra Briere Democratic 2007–2016 Resigned mid-term in 2016 to relocate out of state Jason Frenzel Democratic 2016–2017 Appointed in December 2016 to complete Sabra Briere's term Anne Bannister Democratic 2017–2020 Unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of Ann Arbor in the 2022 Democratic primary Lisa Disch Democratic 2020–present Unseated incumbent Anne Bannister with 68% of the vote in the 2020 primary
Ward 2
Presidential-year seat (historically odd-year seat) Name Party Term of Office Notes Clan Crawford Jr. Republican 1957–1959 Florence R. Crane Republican 1959–1961 Transitioned to the even-year seat in 1961 Lloyd M. Ives Democratic 1961–1961 Ran as the Democratic candidate for Mayor of Ann Arbor in 1959 William E. "Ted" Bandemer Republican 1961–1965 O. William Habel Republican 1965–1968 General Motors executive who also served as Mayor Pro Tem during his tenure Ernest L. Quenon Democratic 1968–1970 Robert E. "Bob" Weaver Republican 1970–1974 Upset incumbent Ernest Quenon in 1970 Carol Jones Democratic 1974–1977 Defeated HRP challenges to hold the seat for Democrats Susan J. Greenberg Democratic 1977–1981 M. Terry Martin Republican 1980–1988 Ingrid Sheldon Republican 1988–1993 Left her Ward 2 seat after being elected Mayor of Ann Arbor in 1993 Jane Lumm Republican 1993–1998 Joe Upton Republican 1998–2001 Michael Reid Republican 2001–2005 Remained on the Local Development Finance Authority after his tenure Stephen Rapundalo Democratic 2005–2011 Switched from Republican to Democratic in 2005; unseated in a close race by Jane Lumm in 2011 Jane Lumm Independent 2011–2020 Returned to council as an Independent Linh Song Democratic 2020–2024 Unseated incumbent Jane Lumm in the August 2020 Democratic primary with 60% of the vote Jon Mallek Democratic 2024–present Ran unopposed in the August 2024 Democratic primary to succeed Linh Song
Gubernatorial-year seat (historically even-year seat) Name Party Term of Office Notes Douglas D. Crary Republican 1956–1961 Florence R. Crane Republican 1961–1962 Previously held the odd-year seat John Dowson Republican 1962–1966 Robert G. Faber Democratic 1966–1972 Served during the Harris administration Nancy Wechsler Human Rights 1972–1974 Came out as lesbian while in office, becoming one of the first openly gay public officials in the U.S. Kathy Kozachenko Human Rights 1974–1976 Succeeded Nancy Wechsler; became the first openly gay person to successfully win an election to public office in the United States Earl E. Greene Democratic 1976–1980 Active on council committees regarding local funding and programs James L. Blow Republican 1980–1982 Leslie Morris Democratic 1982–1986 Ran for the Democratic Mayoral nomination in 1984 Dick Deem Republican 1986–1990 David Kwan Republican 1990–1995 Peter Fink Republican 1995–2000 Joan Lowenstein Democratic 2000–2008 Ran for district judge instead of seeking re-election in 2008 Tony Derezinski Democratic 2008–2012 Kirk Westphal Democratic 2013–2019 Won the 2014 Democratic primary with 59% of the vote against Nancy Kaplan; ultimately unseated in the 2018 primary Kathy Griswold Democratic 2018–2022 Unseated incumbent Kirk Westphal in the 2018 Democratic primary by a margin of just 53 votes (50.5% to 49.5%) Chris Watson Democratic 2022–present Ran unopposed in the August 2022 Democratic primary to succeed Kathy Griswold
Ward 3
Gubernatorial-year seat (historically even-year seat) Name Party Term of Office Notes Russell J. Burns Republican 1952–1960 Elected as Third Ward Alderman; became the city's first Mayor Pro Tem under the 1956 charter Robert E. Meader Republican 1960–1964 Robert P. Weeks Democratic 1964–1968 U-M professor; later chaired the Ann Arbor Housing Commission Nicholas D. Kazarinoff Democratic 1968–1971 U-M mathematics professor Nelson Meade Democratic 1971–1974 Later became a prominent local Parks Commissioner Roger Bertoia Republican 1974–1978 Won the Ward 3 seat in the 1974 elections against Democrat Daniel Burke Clifford G. Sheldon Republican 1978–1982 Successfully ran unopposed for his second term in April 1980 Raphael S. Ezekiel Democratic 1982–1984 U-M psychology professor and local civil rights advocate Seth I. Hirshorn Democratic 1984–1988 Elizabeth Brater Democratic 1988–1991 Resigned her Ward 3 seat after being elected Ann Arbor's first female Mayor in 1991 Robert C. Grady Democratic 1991–1994 Haldon L. Smith Democratic 1994–1996 Jean Carlberg Democratic 1996–2006 Served alongside a 16-year tenure on the city planning commission; did not seek re-election in 2006 Stephen Kunselman Democratic 2006–2008 Unseated in 2008 by Christopher Taylor Christopher Taylor Democratic 2008–2014 Left seat after being elected Mayor of Ann Arbor in 2014 Julie Grand Democratic 2014–2022 Ayesha Ghazi Edwin Democratic 2022–2026 Unopposed in the 2022 Democratic primary; stepped down and did not seek re-election in 2026, endorsing Ashley Hall
Presidential-year seat (historically odd-year seat) Name Party Term of Office Notes Frank A. C. Davis 1956–1957 Charles W. Joiner 1957–1959 Henry V. Aquinto 1959–1960 James F. Brinkerhoff 1960–1961 Paul H. Johnson Republican 1961–1965 Advocated for redistricting Ann Arbor's wards to balance population disparities Joseph W. Edwards Republican 1965–1969 John C. Feldkamp 1969–1971 Robert Henry Jr. Republican 1971–1975 Principal GOP spokesman who sought repeal of the historic $5 marijuana law; later served as a local attorney in subsequent election lawsuits Louis Senunas Republican 1975–1981 Won his Ward 3 seat against Democrat Les Seeligson in the 1977 municipal election Virginia O. Johansen Republican 1981–1983 Jeff Epton Democratic 1983–1989 Co-founder of the Central America Sister City Task Force while serving Ward 3 Nelson Meade Democratic 1989–1993 Elected to a return tenure on council through the early 1990s Tobi Hanna-Davies Democratic 1993–1999 Heidi Herrell Democratic 1999–2003 Leigh Greden Democratic 2003–2009 Unseated in the 2009 primary by Stephen Kunselman Stephen Kunselman Democratic 2009–2015 Unseated Leigh Greden in the 2009 Democratic primary Zachary Ackerman Democratic 2015–2020 Travis Radina Democratic 2020–present Unopposed in the August 2020 Democratic primary
Ward 4
Presidential-year seat (historically odd-year seat)