African American mayors in California

The following is a list of current and former African American mayors in the State of California. Since Edward P. Duplex was elected in 1888 as mayor of Wheatland, California,[1][2] numerous African Americans have been elected or appointed to the post of mayor in California.

Antioch

Population (2020): 115,921

Image Mayor Years Notes
Wade Harper 2012–2016 First African-American mayor of Antioch[3]
Lamar Thorpe 2020–Present

Berkeley

Population (2020): 124,321

Image Mayor Years Notes
Warren Widener 1971–1979 First African-American mayor of Berkeley
Gus Newport 1979–1986

Carson

Population (2020): 95,558

Image Mayor Years Notes
Gilbert D. Smith 1970–1971
1974–1975		 First African-American mayor of Carson[4]
Clarence A. Bridgers 1975–1976
1980–1981		 [4]
Thomas G. Mills 1982–1986 [4]
Daryl W. Sweeney 2001–2003 [4]
Lula Davis-Holmes 2020–Present [4]

Cerritos

Population (2020): 49,578

Image Mayor Years Notes
Alex H. Beanum 1981–1982 [5][6]

Compton

Population (2020): 95,740

Image Mayor Years Notes
Douglas Dollarhide 1969–1973 First African-American American mayor of Compton
Doris A. Davis 1973–1977
Lionel Cade 1977–1981
Walter R. Tucker Jr. 1981–1993
Walter R. Tucker III 1993–1995
Omar Bradley 1993–2001
Eric J. Perrodin 2001–2013
Aja Brown 2013–2021
Emma Sharif 2021–Present

Cotati

Population (2020): 7,584

Image Mayor Years Notes
Robert Coleman-Senghor 2010–2011 First African-American mayor of Cotati

East Palo Alto

Population (2020): 30,034

Image Mayor Years Notes
Barbara Mouton 1983–1986 First African American mayor of East Palo Alto
James E. Blakey Jr. May 1, 1987 – 1988 [7][8]
John Bostic 1988–1989 [9]
William Vines 1989–1990 [10]
Warnell Coats 1991 [11]
Pat Johnson 1992 [12]
Sharifa Wilson 1992–1995
1999–2000		 [13][14][15]
Rose Jacobs Gibson 1995–1997 [16][17][18]
R.B. Jones 1997–1998 [19]
Myrtle Walker 2001 [20][21]
Patricia Foster 2003
2008		 [22][23]
Donna Rutherford 2004
2016		 [24]
David E. Woods 2005
2007
2010		 [25]
Lisa Yarbrough-Gauthier 2015
2019
2023
Larry Moody 2017
Regina Wallace-Jones 2020

El Centro

Population (2020): 44,322

Image Mayor Years Notes
DuBois McGee 1966–1972 First African-American mayor of El Centro[26]

Emeryville

Population (2020): 12,905

Image Mayor Years Notes
Courtney Welch 2023–2024 First African-American mayor of Emeryville[27]

Fontana

Population (2020): 212,704

Image Mayor Years Notes
Acquanetta Warren 2010–Present First female and African-American mayor of Fontana[28]

Hawthorne

Population (2020): 88,083

Image Mayor Years Notes
Chris Brown 2013–2015 First African-American mayor of Hawthorne

Hercules

Population (2020):

Image Mayor Years Notes
Dion Bailey 2013–2015 First African-American mayor of Hercules[29]

Inglewood

Population (2020): 107,762

Image Mayor Years Notes
Edward Vincent Jr. 1983–1997 First African-American Mayor of Inglewood
Roosevelt F. Dorn 1997–2010
Danny Tabor 2010–2011 [30][31][32]
James T. Butts Jr. 2011–Present

Lake Elsinore

Population (2020): 70,265

Image Mayor Years Notes
Thomas R. Yarborough 1966–1968 First African-American mayor[33][34]

Lakewood

Population (2020): 82,496

Image Mayor Years Notes
Cassandra Chase 2025–Present First African-American mayor of Lakewood[35]

Lemon Grove

Population (2020): 27,627

Image Mayor Years Notes
Racquel Vasquez 2016–Present First African-American female mayor in San Diego County[36]

Long Beach

Population (2020): 466,742

Image Mayor Years Notes
Rex Richardson 2022–Present First African-American mayor of Long Beach, California

Lynwood

Population (2020): 67,265

Image Mayor Years Notes
Robert Henning 1985–1986
1991–1992		 First African-American mayor of Lynwood[37]
Evelyn Wells 1986
1989–1990		 [38]
Paul Richards 1986–2003 [39]
Louis Byrd 1999–2000
2006–2007		 [40][41]

Los Angeles

Population (2020): 3,898,747

Image Mayor Years Notes
Tom Bradley 1973–1993 First African-American mayor of Los Angeles
Karen Bass 2022–Present First female African-American mayor of Los Angeles
2nd African-American mayor

Menlo Park

Population (2020): 33,780

Image Mayor Years Notes
Billy Ray White 1980–1981
1982–1983
1985–1986		 First African-American mayor of Menlo Park[42]
Cecilia Taylor 2019–2020
Drew Combs 2020–2021

Milpitas

Population (2020): 80,273

Image Mayor Years Notes
Ben F. Gross 1966–1968 First African-American mayor of Milpitas[43]

Oakland

Population (2020): 440,646

Image Mayor Years Notes
Lionel Wilson 1979–1993 First African-American mayor of Oakland
Elihu Harris 1993–1999
Ron Dellums 2007–2011 Previously served on the city council of nearby Berkeley
Kevin Jenkins January 6, 2025 – May 20, 2025 Acting mayor[44]
Barbara Lee May 20, 2025 – Present

Oceanside

Population (2020): 174,068

Image Mayor Years Notes
Terry Johnson 2000–2004 First African-American mayor of Oceanside[45]

Palm Springs

Population (2020): 44,575

Image Mayor Years Notes
Ron Oden 2003–2007 First African-American mayor of Palm Springs

Pasadena

Population (2020): 138,699

Image Mayor Years Notes
Loretta Thompson-Glickman 1982–1984 First African-American mayor of Pasadena
Chris Holden 1997–1999

Rialto

Population (2020): 104,026

Image Mayor Years Notes
Deborah Robertson 2012–2024 First African-American mayor of Rialto, California[46]

Richmond

Population (2020): 116,448

Image Mayor Years Notes
George D. Carroll 1964–1965 First African-American mayor of Richmond
George Livingston 1969–1970
1985–1993		 First elected African-American mayor of Richmond[47]
Nat Bates 1971–1972
1976–1977		 [47]
Booker T. Anderson 1973–1974 [47]
Lonnie Washington 1978–1979 [47]
George Livingston 1985–1989*
1989–1993		 First elected African-American mayor of Richmond
*appointed in 1985 to finish Thomas Corcoran's term.
Won election in 1989 becoming Richmond's first elected African-American mayor[47]
Irma Anderson 2001–2006 First elected African-American female mayor of Richmond[47]

Sacramento

Population (2020): 524,943

Image Mayor Years Notes
Kevin Johnson 2008–2016 First African-American mayor of Sacramento
Kevin McCarty 2025–present First Biracial mayor of Sacramento

Santa Monica

Population (2020): 93,076

Image Mayor Years Notes
Nat Trives 1975–1977 First African-American mayor of Santa Monica

Santa Rosa

Population (2020): 178,127

Image Mayor Years Notes
Natalie Rogers 2022 First African-American mayor of Santa Rosa

San Francisco

Population (2020): 873,965

Image Mayor Years Notes
Willie Brown 1996–2004 First African-American mayor of San Francisco
London Breed 2017–2018 First African-American woman mayor of San Francisco

San Ramon

Population (2020): 84,605

Image Mayor Years Notes
H. Abram Wilson 2002–2008 First African-American mayor of San Ramon

Seaside

Population (2020): 32,366

Image Mayor Years Notes
Oscar Lawson 1976–1978 First African-American mayor of Seaside[48]
Stephen E. Ross 1978–1980 [48]
Lancelot McClair 1982–1994 [48]
Don R. Jordan 1994–1998 [48]
Jerry C. Smith 1998–2004 [48]
Ian Oglesby 2018–Present

Stockton

Population (2020): 320,804

Image Mayor Years Notes
Michael Tubbs 2017–2021 First African-American mayor of Stockton
Kevin Lincoln 2021–2025 [49]

Thousand Oaks

Population (2020): 126,966

Image Mayor Years Notes
Lawrence E. Horner 1976–1977
1981–1982
1984–1885
1988–1989

Tracy

Population (2020): 93,000

Image Mayor Years Notes
Nancy Young 2020–2024 [50]

Wheatland

Population (2020): 3,712

Image Mayor Years Notes
Edward P. Duplex 1888 First African American mayor in the state of California[1][2]

References

  1. 1 2 Lapp, Rudolph M. (1977). Blacks in Gold Rush California. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 112, 189, 253, 259. ISBN 0-300-01988-2.
  2. 1 2 Gardner, Eric (31 May 2013). "Duplex, Edward P.". Oxford African American Studies Center. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.36744. ISBN 978-0-19-530173-1. Retrieved 2022-07-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
  3. ↑ Burgarino, Paul (December 5, 2012). "Antioch's first black mayor, Wade Harper, looks to lead city after years of racial unrest". The Mercury News. said Harper, 48, who is retiring as a police lieutenant in Tracy
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Past Elected Officials". Carson City government website. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  5. ↑ Dairy Valley/Cerritos City Councilmember Portraits 1956 to Present
  6. ↑ Dunn, Ashley (April 10, 1990). "Cerritos Finds Tolerance Amid Its Ethnic Diversity". The Los Angeles Times.
  7. ↑ "Task force prepares to pitch East Palo Alto site for Giants". The San Francisco Examiner. February 13, 1988 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Bowles, Edith H. (May 21, 1987). "City Breaks Ground On New Era". Peninsula Times Tribune. pp. A-1, A-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Three of five reportedly ready to oust Bostic". Peninsula Times Tribune. July 18, 1988. pp. A-3, A-4 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Shapiro, Michael (September 7, 1988). "E. Palo Alto council picks Vines as mayor". Peninsula Times Tribune. pp. A-3 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Tight elections, council member recalls, revolving managers, revolting crimes, and redevelopment - 20 years of East Palo Alto". Palo Alto Weekly. September 10, 2003.
  12. ↑ "East Palo Alto: Things Looking Up". The San Francisco Examiner. March 1, 1992 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Schevitz, Tanya (February 28, 1995). "Sharifa Wilson helps tame streets with hands-on spirit". San Francisco Gate. serving first as a councilwoman in 1990 and 1991 and then as mayor from 1992 through this past January. She has turned the often-maligned city from the murder capital of the country in 1992, when 42 people were slain in the city of 23,000, to one that had only eight homicides last year.
  14. ↑ "Rainbow/Push Plans Bay Office". The San Francisco Examiner. December 14, 1999 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Clinton Hi-Tech and Equality". The San Francisco Examiner. April 18, 2000 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "East Palo Alto marks start of a new era". Ravenswood High School alumni. June 16, 1995.
  17. ↑ Speier, Jackie (December 18, 2012). In Recognition of San Mateo County Board Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson by Hon. Jackie Speier in the House of Representatives. Congressional Record. p. 17923.
  18. ↑ "Rose Jacobs Gibson - 2013". Women's Hall of Fame - San Mateo County. 2013.
  19. ↑ Marcucci, Michele R. (August 25, 2000). "East Palo Alto Alderman Faces New Fraud Charges". Oakland Tribune – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ Kazak, Don (September 14, 2001). "Mayor claims colleagues are trying to oust her - Walker says she is not involved in recall effort". Palo Alto Weekly.
  21. ↑ Jouvenal, Justin (May 25, 2001). "East Palo Alto keeps Title of Most Youthful in Bay Area". Oakland Tribune – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ Zalev, Suzanne (May 9, 2003). "Bay Area Police Chief Accused of Misconduct". Oakland Tribune – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ "Mayor & City Council". cityofepa.org. Archived from the original on April 8, 2003.
  24. ↑ "Mayor & City Council". cityofepa.org. Archived from the original on June 4, 2004.
  25. ↑ Carpenter, Ed (September 9, 2005). "Dozens arrested in drug sting". The San Francisco Examiner – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ Writer, SANDY SIERRA | Staff (January 19, 2015). "In 1966, El Centro welcomed the city's first African-American mayor". Imperial Valley Press Online.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  27. ↑ Phillips, Justin (December 11, 2023). "Emeryville has its first Black woman mayor. The timing is perfect". San Francisco Chronicle.
  28. ↑ "Acquanetta Warren Mayor, City of Fontana". San Bernardino Countywide Oversight Board. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  29. ↑ Hetherwick, Margaret (December 14, 2022). "Santa Rosa chose its first Black mayor. Two big Bay Area cities still haven't". San Francisco Examiner.
  30. ↑ Taylor, Francis (September 2, 2010). "Inglewood's Mayor: Danny Tabor". Los Angeles Sentinel.
  31. ↑ Gregg, Reese (December 15, 2010). "Tensions shroud Inglewood in the wake of homicides". Our Weekly Los Angeles.
  32. ↑ Green, Nick (November 3, 2010). "Tabor cruises to win in Inglewood mayoral race". San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
  33. ↑ Kabbany, Jennifer (June 26, 2010). "Lake Elsinore: Juneteenth celebration draws families, friends". The San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  34. ↑ "Thomas R. Yarborough when he assumed office in Elsinore as the first Negro mayor in California in 1964". Lake Elsinore Valley Sun-Tribune. March 27, 1969 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ↑ "Emeryville has its first Black woman mayor. The timing is perfect". lakewoodca.gov. July 9, 2025.
  36. ↑ Pearlman, Karen (December 26, 2016). "Q&A with new Lemon Grove Mayor Racquel Vasquez". San Diego Union Tribune.
  37. ↑ "Lynwood : First Black Mayor Selected". The Los Angeles Times. December 12, 1985.
  38. ↑ Harris, Lee (December 18, 1986). "New Mayor Takes Seat from Angry Colleague". The Los Angeles Times.
  39. ↑ Marosi, Richard (September 24, 2003). "Lynwood Voters Recall Councilman". The Los Angeles Times.
  40. ↑ Rojas, Aurelio (April 16, 2000). "State's Black Lawmakers Losing Ground to Latinos - page 2". Sacramento Bee.
  41. ↑ Rojas, Aurelio (April 16, 2000). "State's Black Lawmakers Losing Ground to Latinos - page 1". Sacramento Bee.
  42. ↑ Mibach, Emily (February 13, 2018). "Billy Ray White, Menlo Park's first black mayor, dead at 81". Palo Alto Daily Post.
  43. ↑ McCarthy, Guy (February 22, 2013). "City of Milpitas Tribute to Former Mayor Ben F. Gross: Civil Rights, Union Leader". Patch.
  44. ↑ "Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins Voted in as Council President, Will Serve as Interim Mayor". Oakland Post. January 11, 2025. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  45. ↑ Sherman, Lola (December 7, 2020). "From the Archives: First Black mayor in county history took office 20 years ago". The San Diego Union-Tribune.
  46. ↑ Hall, Alyssah (November 11, 2024). "Updates on the Results of Rialto and Moreno Valley Races for Mayor, City Council". theievoice.com.
  47. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "BLACK ELECTED OFFICIALS CITY OF RICHMOND 1961 to 2018". City of Richmond. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  48. 1 2 3 4 5 "Past Mayors". Seaside, California government website. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  49. ↑ Beam, Adam (November 18, 2020). "Stockton mayor who pushed guaranteed income isn't reelected". Associated Press. Voters chose Lincoln, a 40-year-old Republican who is Latino and Black.
  50. ↑ Cummings, Brandi (February 21, 2022). "Celebrating Black History: Meet Dr. Nancy Young, Tracy's first African American mayor". KCRA.
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