List of mayors of Fort Wayne, Indiana

This is a list of mayors of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The mayor is the chief executive of the city, charged with overseeing the operation of all local government departments. Mayoral terms are four years, with no limit on the number of terms an individual may be elected to.

Mayor of the City of Fort Wayne
Flag of Fort Wayne, Indiana
Incumbent Sharon Tucker since April 23, 2024
Term length	Four years, no limit
Inaugural holder	George W. Wood
Formation	1840
Website	Office of the Mayor

List

Lithograph of Fort Wayne's first mayor, George W. Wood

Tom Henry, Fort Wayne's 44th and longest serving mayor

No.	Portrait	Mayor	Term start	Term end		Party
1		George W. Wood (1808–1871; aged 63)	May 1, 1840	July 5, 1841		Whig
2		Joseph Morgan (1795-1851; aged 56)	July 5, 1841	January 1843		Whig
3		Henry Lotz (1797–1845; aged 48)	January 1843	1845		Whig
4		John M. Wallace (1820–1866; aged 46)	1845	1846		Whig
5		Merchant W. Huxford (1798–1877; aged 79)	1846	1849		Democratic
6		William Stewart (1st) (1798-1873; aged 74)	1849	1852		Democratic
7		Philip G. Jones (1808-1859; aged 50)	1852	1853		Know Nothing
8		Charles Whitmore (1819–1892; aged 73)	1853	1855		Democratic
(6)		William Stewart (2nd) (1798-1873; aged 74)	1855	1857		Democratic
9		Samuel S. Morss (1811–1862; aged 51)	1857	1859		Know Nothing
10		Franklin P. Randall (1st) (1812–1892; aged 79)	1859	1865		Democratic
11		James Worden (1819–1884; aged 65)	1865	1866		Democratic
12		Benjamin Saunders (1810-1870; aged 60)	1866	1867		Democratic
13		Henry Sharp (1809–1900; aged 91)	1867	1869		Republican
(10)		Franklin P. Randall (2nd) (1812–1892; aged 79)	1869	1873		Democratic
14		Charles A. Zollinger (1st) (1838–1893; aged 55)	1873	1885		Democratic
15		Charles F. Muhler (1841–1899; aged 58)	1885	1889		Republican
16		Daniel L. Harding (1843-1912; aged 69)	1889	May 7, 1891		Republican
(14)		Charles A. Zollinger (2nd) (1838–1893; aged 55)	May 7, 1891	December 27, 1893		Democratic
17		Henry P. Scherer (1st) (1855–1917; aged 61)	December 27, 1893	May 1894		Democratic
18		Chauncey B. Oakley (1833–1903; aged 69)	May 1894	May 7, 1896		Republican
(17)		Henry P. Scherer (2nd) (1855–1917; aged 61)	May 7, 1896	May 9, 1901		Democratic
19		Henry C. Berghoff (1856–1925; aged 69)	May 9, 1901	January 1, 1906		Democratic
20		William J. Hosey (1st) (1854–1937; aged 83)	January 1, 1906	1910		Democratic
21		Jesse Grice (1852–1915; aged 63)	1910	January 5, 1914		Republican
(20)		William J. Hosey (2nd) (1854–1937; aged 83)	January 5, 1914	1918		Democratic
22		W. Sherman Cutshall (1868–1939; aged 71)	1918	1922		Republican
(20)		William J. Hosey (3rd) (1854–1937; aged 83)	1922	January 4, 1926		Democratic
23		William C. Geake (1874-1965; aged 90)	January 4, 1926	1930		Republican
(20)		William J. Hosey (4th) (1854–1937; aged 83)	1930	1935		Democratic
24		Harry W. Baals (1st) (1886–1954; aged 67)	1935	January 1, 1948		Republican
25		Henry E. Branning, Jr. (1890–1970; aged 80)	January 1, 1948	1952		Democratic
(24)		Harry W. Baals (2nd)[a] (1886–1954; aged 67)	1952	May 9, 1954		Republican
26		Robert Meyers (1913–2007; aged 93)	May 9, 1954	December 31, 1959		Republican
27		Paul Mike Burns (1917–2011; aged 93)	January 1, 1960	December 31, 1963		Democratic
28		Harold S. Zeis (1912–1975; aged 62)	January 1, 1964	December 31, 1971		Republican
29		Ivan A. Lebamoff (1932–2006; aged 73)	January 1, 1972	December 31, 1975		Democratic
30		Robert E. Armstrong (1925–2008; aged 82)	January 1, 1976	December 31, 1979		Republican
31		Winfield Moses (1st)[b] (born in 1943; age 81)	January 1, 1980	July 8, 1985		Democratic
32		Cosette Simon[c] (born in 1953; age 71)	July 8, 1985	July 19, 1985		Democratic
(31)		Winfield Moses (2nd)[d] (born in 1943; age 81)	July 20, 1985	December 31, 1987		Democratic
33		Paul Helmke (born in 1948; age 75)	January 1, 1988	December 31, 1999		Republican
34		Graham Richard (born in 1947; age 77)	January 1, 2000	December 31, 2007		Democratic
35		Tom Henry (1951–2024; aged 72)[e]	January 1, 2008	March 28, 2024		Democratic
36		Karl Bandemer (born in 1945; age 79)	March 28, 2024	April 23, 2024		Democratic
37		Sharon Tucker (born in 1972; age 51–52)	April 23, 2024	Incumbent		Democratic

Notes

• ^a Baals died of a kidney infection during his fourth term as mayor.^[1]
• ^b Moses resigned from office after pleading guilty to three misdemeanor violations of campaign finance laws.^[2]
• ^c City Controller Cosette Simon was appointed acting mayor for eleven days following Moses' resignation. She was Fort Wayne's first female mayor.
• ^d With 86 of 99 Allen County Democratic precinct committee members voting in a special caucus for his reinstatement, Moses was elected to complete his second term as mayor.^[3]
• ^e Henry died of stomach cancer during his fifth term as mayor.^[4]

See also

• Mayoral elections in Fort Wayne, Indiana

References

1. Leininger, Kevin (February 12, 2011). "Jokes aside, Harry Baals worth honoring". The Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. Archived from the original on April 28, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
2. Ogintz, Eileen (July 9, 1985). "Mayor of Ft. Wayne resigns in plea deal, but plans return". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
3. Shipp, E. R. (July 20, 1985). "Fort Wayne mayor is out, then in". The New York Times. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
4. "Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry passes away following battle with cancer". WPTA. Retrieved March 28, 2024.

External links

• City of Fort Wayne Mayor's Office