Mayor of New Brunswick, New Jersey

Mayor of New Brunswick
Incumbent
James M. Cahill
since 1991
Inaugural holderThomas Farmer
Formation1747
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The Mayor of New Brunswick is head of the executive branch of the government of New Brunswick, New Jersey.

The first four mayors are considered "colonial" in that their power stemmed from royal charters granted by the British monarchy. Beginning in 1784, the leader of the city served pursuant to a charter granted by the State of New Jersey.

The leaders of New Brunswick have not always been elected. In the early years of the city, its leaders were selected by the British monarchy, and then later by the State Legislature of New Jersey. During the period of time when the city's third charter was in effect, 1784 to 1801, New Brunswick's top official was referred to as president of the city.

From 1915 to 1970, every four years, the city would elect five commissioners, who would then select from among themselves who would be given the title of mayor. Though not always the case, the title would often go to the candidate who performed best in the preceding election.

#[1] Term of office Mayor Born and died Notes and references
61 1991– James M. Cahill First elected in November 1990, Cahill was re-elected in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. Currently in his ninth term as mayor, he has been in office for 33 years, 329 days and is the New Brunswick's longest-serving mayor in history.
60 1979–1991 John A. Lynch Jr. born 1938 First elected in November 1978, and re-elected in 1982 and 1986. He is the son of the prior mayor of the same name. Like his father, John Lynch, Jr. also ascended to a seat in the State Senate. Lynch, Jr. did not run for re-election in 1990, the same year that he became president of the State Senate. Son of former mayor John A. Lynch, Sr.
59 1978 Gilbert L. Nelson 1942-2011 After the resignation of Richard J. Mulligan, Nelson was appointed mayor on September 21, 1978. He finished out Mulligan's term and did not run for a full term.
58 1975–1978 Richard J. Mulligan born 1942 Elected in November 1974 as an independent candidate. Resigned during his term and moved to Jackson, Wyoming. Son of former Mayor Richard V. Mulligan.[2][3]
57 1974 Aldrage B. Cooper II 1937-2016 After the resignation of Patricia Q. Sheehan, Cooper was appointed mayor on February 20, 1974 to finish Mayor Sheehan's term, Cooper was New Brunswick's first African-American mayor. Margaret Bertalan replaced Cooper on the City Council, while Cooper unsuccessfully sought a full term as mayor in the 1974 election.
56 1967–1974 Patricia Q. Sheehan born 1934 First elected to the City Commission in May 1967, Sheehan was selected by her commissioner colleagues to serve as mayor, becoming the city's first female mayor. After voters changed to a new form of government with direct mayor elections, Sheehan was elected to the job in November 1970. She was the last mayor under the commission form of government, and the first under the new form. Sheehan resigned from office to become the Commissioner of the NJ Department of Community Affairs.
54 1955–1967 Chester W. Paulus Paulus was again selected by his fellow commissioners to serve as mayor in 1955. He was re-elected in 1959 and 1963, and continued to serve as mayor. After 24 years in elected office, Paulus lost his 1967 re-election campaign.
55 1951–1954 John A. Lynch, Sr. 1908–1978 Lynch was appointed to the City Commission on December 3, 1946 (replacing Harry W. Dwyer), and was first elected to body in 1947. Lynch was re-elected in 1951, and selected by his commissioner colleagues to serve as mayor. In 1955, Lynch was re-elected to the commission, but resigned to focus on his campaign for State Senate.[4]
54 1943–1951 Chester W. Paulus First elected to the City Commission in May 1943, Paulus was selected by his commissioner colleagues to serve as mayor. He was re-elected in 1947 and again served as mayor. After being re-elected to the commission in 1951, he was replaced as mayor. Paulus would be re-installed as mayor after Lynch left the commission in 1955.
53 1942–1943 Harry W. Dwyer Dwyer was first elected to the City Commission in May 1939, and in 1942, he was selected by his commissioner colleagues to serve as mayor after the resignation of Richard V. Mulligan. Dwyer won re-election to the commission in 1943, but did not continue as mayor. He resigned from the commission to become City Clerk on December 3, 1946.
52 1939–1942 Richard V. Mulligan Mulligan was appointed to the City Commission June 28, 1938 (replacing Samuel D. Hoffman), and was first elected in May 1939. Mulligan was then selected by his commissioner colleagues to serve as mayor. Mulligan resigned from elected office to take a job with Johnson & Johnson, and Harry W. Dwyer was elevated to the mayor position, while Herbert Dailey was selected to replace Mulligan on the commission March 3, 1942.
51 1935–1939 Frederick F. Richardson First elected to the City Commission in May 1935, and selected by his commissioner colleagues to serve as mayor. Richardson won re-election to the commission in 1939, but did not continue as mayor.
48 1918–1935 John J. Morrison An elected member of the inaugural City Commission, Morrison was chosen by his colleagues to take on the position of mayor after death of Edward Farrington. Morrison had previously served as Mayor from 1910 to 1914. He was re-elected to the Commission in 1923, 1927, and 1931. In 1935, he lost his re-election campaign.
50 1915–1918 Edward Farrington ?-1918 Elected to the City Commission on April 6, 1915, Farrington would become New Brunswick's first mayor under the Commission form of government. He was selected from among his fellow commissioners to serve as mayor, led the city government during World War I, but died in office during the 1918 flu epidemic.
49 1914–1915 Austin Scott 1848–1922 Elected in November 1913, Scott was a former Rutgers University president.[5] He was New Brunswick's last mayor under aldermanic form of government, and his term was cut short when voters approved a change to a different form of government.
48 1910–1913 John J. Morrison First elected mayor in November 1909. He was re-elected in 1911, and later served as mayor under the commission form of government.
47 1908–1909 W. Edwin Florance Elected in November 1907.
46 1906–1907 Drury W. Cooper Elected in November 1905.
45 1904–1905 William S. Meyers Elected in November 1903.
44 1902–1903 George A. Viehmann Elected in November 1901 after a state law abolished spring municipal elections.
43 1895–1901 Nicholas Williamson Elected in April 1895, April 1897, and April 1899. His final term was extended until December 31, 1901 by a state law that moved local elections from April to November.
42 1889–1895 James H. Van Cleef
41 1881–1889 William S. Strong
40 1879–1881 T. DeWitt Reiley
27 1877–1879 Lyle Van Nuis Previously served as mayor from 1856-1857 and 1861-1863.
39 1875–1877 Isaiah Rolfe
38 1873–1875 Thomas M. DeRussy
37 1871–1873 Garret Conover 1817–?
36 1869–1871 George J. Janeway
35 1867–1869 Miles Ross 1827–1903
34 1865–1867 John T. Jenkins He resigned from office.
33 1865 Augustus T. Stout 1816-1865 He died in office shortly after being elected.
32 1863–1865 Richard MacDonald 1803-1894 He was the first mayor under the seventh city charter of 1863.
27 1861–1863 Lyle van Nuis Previously served as mayor 1856-1857. Would go on to serve as mayor again from 1877-1879.
31 1860–1861 Ezekiel M. Patterson
30 1859–1860 Peter Conover Onderdonk 1811-1894
29 1858–1859 Tunis Van Doren Hoagland 1813-1872 Hoagland (also spelled "Hoogland") was elected to fill vacancy created by John Bayard Kirkpatrick's resignation.
28 1857–1858 John Bayard Kirkpatrick Brother of former New Brunswick Mayor Littleton Kirkpatrick and grandson of former New Brunswick President John Bubenheim Bayard. Resigned from office.
27 1856–1857 Lyle van Nuis Would return as mayor for two more non-consecutive terms, from 1861-1863 and 1877-1879.
26 1855–1856 Abraham V. Schenk
25 1853–1855 John B. Hill
20 1852–1853 John Van Dyke 1807–1878 Previously served as Mayor 1846–1847.
24 1851–1852 Peter N. Wyckoff
23 1849–1851 David Fitz Randolph
22 1848–1849 Augustus F. Taylor He was a physician, and son of previous Mayor Augustus R. Taylor.
21 1847–1848 Martin A. Howell
20 1846–1847 John Van Dyke 1807–1878 First term as Mayor. He returned for another term in 1852-1853
19 1845–1846 William H. Leupp
18 1843–1845 John Acken
17 1842–1843 Fitz Randolph Smith
16 1841–1842 Littleton Kirkpatrick 1787–1859 A former surrogate Middlesex County, Kirkpatrick defeated incumbent Mayor David W. Vail at the annual town meeting by a vote of 358-304.[6] Kirkpatrick was the grandson of John Bubenheim Bayard, former president of New Brunswick, and went on to be elected to the US Congress, where he served from 1843-1845. His brother John Bayard Kirkpatrick would serve as mayor from 1857-1858.
15 1840–1841 David W. Vail ?-1842
12 1838–1840 Augustus R. Taylor 1782-? Taylor, who previously served as Mayor from 1824 to 1829, resumed the role of mayor in 1838.
14 1830–1838 Cornelius Low Hardenbergh 1790–1860 Hardenbergh was elected "by plurality of voices" at the 1830 town meeting.[6]
13 1829–1830 J.R. Hardenbergh
12 1824–1829 Augustus R. Taylor Taylor was a physician[7] who took over as acting mayor after the death of James Schureman. He was officially appointed mayor on November 19, 1824.
11 1821–1824 James Schureman 1756–1824 Schureman returned to the city's top position for a third time following the death of James Bennett. Schureman also died in office.
10 1813–1821 James Bennett ?-1821 Bennett was chosen to replace James Schureman after his resignation. Bennett died in office.
7 1801–1813 James Schureman 1756–1824 This was Schureman's second term as the city's top official, having previously served as president of the city from 1792-1793. He was appointed to serve by the New Jersey Legislature under the 1801 charter, which resumed the use of the word "mayor" for the position. Schureman resigned in 1813, but would return to the mayor role from 1821-1824.
9 1796–1801 Abraham Schuyler
6 1794–1796 John Bubenheim Bayard 1738–1807 Previously served as president of New Brunswick 1792-1793. Bayard returned for another term as the city's leader in 1794, becoming the first to serve two non-consecutive terms leading the city government.[8] He went on to become a judge in the court of common pleas.
8 1793–1794 Lewis Dunham He was a physician and the son of former mayor Azariah Dunham.
7 1792–1793 James Schureman 1756-1824 Prior to becoming president of New Brunswick, Schureman was a member of the Continental Congress and the 1st United States Congress, leaving federal office in 1791. He returned to Congress in 1797 and was elevated to the US Senate from 1799-1801, before returning to become mayor of New Brunswick twice more, serving terms from 1801-1813 and 1821-1824.
6 1790–1792 John Bayard 1738–1807 Served as a Colonel in Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Bayard was also a member of the Continental Congress and Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly before relocating to New Brunswick. In 1790, he was selected to replace Azariah Dunham as the second president of New Brunswick under the state charter. He would return for another term as president of New Brunswick from 1794-1796, and later became a judge.
5 1784–1790 Azariah Dunham 1718–1790 First president of New Brunswick under the state charter. Died in office.
4 1778–1784 William Harrison Harrison took over as mayor after the death of William Ouke, and was the last colonial mayor of New Brunswick. His term ended when New Jersey granted New Brunswick's State Charter on September 30, 1784.
3 1762–1778 William Ouke As the city's recorder, Ouke took over as mayor after the death of James Hude, and was installed as mayor under the city's second royal charter, which was dated February 12, 1763. Ouke died in office after a combined 42 years as alderman, recorder, or mayor.
2 1747–1762 James Hude After more than 16 years as the city's recorder, Hude was appointed the mayor by order of the colonial governor of New Jersey, Jonathan Belcher, in August 1747. He died in office in November 1762.
1 1730–1747 Thomas Farmer 1675- Thomas Farmer (sometimes spelled Farmar) was the first mayor of New Brunswick, appointed under the royal charter granted December 30, 1730 by Colonel John Montgomerie, the colonial governor of New York and New Jersey. Farmer served for more than 16 years, until mid-1747.
  1. ^ Non consecutive terms are not counted as a new mayoral number
  2. ^ "RICHARD MULLIGAN OF SURGICAL FIRM". NYT Obituaries. October 10, 1973.
  3. ^ "Richard Mulligan Attorney at Law".
  4. ^ "John A. Lynch, Senator in Jersey. Mayor of New Brunswick, 1951-55". New York Times. 1978-03-04. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  5. ^ "Austin Scott (1891-1906)". Rutgers University. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
  6. ^ a b Benedict, William (1925). New Brunswick in History.
  7. ^ "Augustus R. Taylor". Journal of the Medical Society of New Jersey. Medical Society of New Jersey. September 1, 1916. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  8. ^ "Mayors of New Brunswick, New Jersey". Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2023-08-20.