| Mayor of Austin | |
|---|---|
 Flag of the City of Austin | |
.jpg) | |
| Residence | Private residence |
| Term length | Four years renewable once |
| Inaugural holder | Edwin Waller |
| Formation | 1840 |
| Salary | $134,191[1] |
| Website | austintexas |
Themayor of Austin is the official head of the city ofAustin in the U.S. state ofTexas. The office was established in 1840 after Austin incorporated as a city in 1839. The mayor of Austin is elected to a four-year term and limited to serving no more than two terms.[2]
Kirk Watson took office as mayor on January 6, 2023, for a third term and was re-elected to a fourth term in 2024, having served as mayor from 1997 to 2001.[3]
Austin has acouncil–manager form of government which means day-to-day operations of the city are run by the city manager. The mayor is the head of city government ceremonially. The mayor is technically a member of the city council and is required to preside at all meetings. The mayor is also allowed to vote on all matters that come before the city council, but has no veto powers.[4]
As of fiscal year 2022–2023, the salary for the mayor is set at $134,191.
The mayor is elected in a citywide election. Currently, elections occur every four years during even-numbered years. Elections are non-partisan and by majority, but if no candidate receives a majority a run-off election is called between the top two candidates who received the most votes.[5]
Per city code of ordinances, if the mayor is absent or disabled, the Mayor Pro Tem is to act as mayor until the mayor returns or an election is held to fill the vacancy.[6]
The mayor is subject torecall by registered voters if a petition is signed and filed that contains the signatures of 10 percent of the qualified voters. If the petition is verified, a recall election is called at the earliest convenient available date. If the recall passes, the mayor immediately vacates office. There are two limitations to the recall process. First, no recall petition can be filed until the mayor has been in office for at least six months. Second, the mayor will not be subject to more than one recall.[7]
| No. | Mayor[8] | Took office | Left office | Tenure | Party | Election | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Edwin Waller (1800–1881) | January 1840 | August 1840 | 6–7 months | Unknown | TBA | |
| 2 |  | Thomas W. Ward (1807–1872) 1st time | August 1840 | 1841 | 3–4 months | Unknown | TBA | |
| 3 |  | Moses Johnson (TBA–TBA) | 1841 | 1842 | 1 year | Unknown | TBA | |
| 4 | | Asa Brigham (1788–1844) | 1842 | 1843 | 1 year | Unknown | TBA | |
| 5 | | Joseph W. Robertson (TBA–TBA) | 1843 | 1845 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 6 | | James M. Long (TBA–TBA) | 1845 | 1847 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 7 | | Jacob M. Harrell (TBA–TBA) | 1847 | 1849 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 8 | | Samuel G. Haynie (TBA–TBA) 1st time | 1850 | 1852 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 9 | | George J. Durham (TBA–TBA) | 1852 | 1853 | 1 year | Unknown | TBA | |
| 10 | | Thomas W. Ward (1807–1872) 2nd time | 1853 | 1853[a] | >1 year | Unknown | TBA | |
| 11 | | William P. DeNormandie (TBA–TBA) | 1853 | 1854 | 1 year | Unknown | TBA | |
| 12 |  | John Salmon Ford (1815–1897) | 1854 | 1855 | 1 year | Unknown | TBA | |
| 13 | | John Treadwell Cleveland (TBA–TBA) | 1855 | 1856 | 1 year | Unknown | TBA | |
| 14 | | Edward R. Peck (TBA–TBA) | 1856 | 1857 | 1 year | Unknown | TBA | |
| 15 | | Thomas F. Sneed (TBA–TBA) | 1857 | 1858 | 1 year | Unknown | TBA | |
| 16 | | Ben F. Carter (1831–1863)[9] | 1858 | 1860 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 17 | | James W. Smith (TBA–TBA) | 1860 | 1863 | 3 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 18 | | Samuel G. Haynie (TBA–TBA) 2nd time | 1863 | 1865 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 19 | | Thomas W. Ward (1807–1872) 3rd time | 1865 | 1866 | 1 year | Unknown | TBA | |
| 20 | | William H. Carr (TBA–TBA) | 1866 | 1867 | 1 year | Unknown | TBA | |
| 21 | | Leander Brown (TBA–TBA) | 1867 | 1871 | 4 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 22 | | John W. Glenn (TBA–TBA) | 1871 | 1872 | 1 year | Unknown | TBA | |
| 23 |  | Thomas Benton Wheeler (1840–1913) | 1872 | 1877 | 5 years | Democratic | TBA | |
| 24 | | Jacob Carl DeGress (TBA–TBA) | 1877 | 1879 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 25 | | William A. Saylor (TBA–TBA) 1st time | 1879 | 1881 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 26 | | L. M. Crooker (TBA–TBA) | 1881 | 1883 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 27 | | William A. Saylor (TBA–TBA) 2nd time | 1883 | 1884 | 1 year | Unknown | TBA | |
| 28 | | John W. Robertson (TBA–TBA) | 1884 | 1887 | 3 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 29 | | Joseph Nalle (TBA–TBA) | 1887 | 1890 | 3 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 30 | | John McDonald (TBA–TBA) | 1890 | 1895 | 5 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 31 | | Louis Hancock (TBA–TBA) | 1896 | 1897 | 1 year | Unknown | TBA | |
| 32 | | John Dodd McCall (TBA–TBA) | 1897 | 1901 | 4 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 33 | | Robert E. White (TBA–TBA) | 1901 | 1905 | 4 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 34 | | William D. Shelley (TBA–TBA) | 1905 | 1907 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 35 | | Frank M. Maddox (TBA–TBA) | 1907 | 1909 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 36 | | Alexander Penn Wooldridge (1847–1930) | 1909 | 1919 | 10 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 37 | | William D. Yett (TBA–TBA) | 1919 | 1926 | 7 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 38 | | Paul W. McFadden (TBA–TBA) | 1926 | 1933 | 7 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 39 | | Robert Thomas Miller (1893–1962) 1st time | 1933 | 1949 | 16 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 40 | | Taylor Glass (TBA–TBA) | 1949 | 1951 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 41 | | William S. Drake Jr. (TBA–TBA) | 1951 | 1953 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 42 | | Charles A. McAden (TBA–TBA) | 1953 | 1955 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 43 | | Robert Thomas Miller (1893–1962) 2nd time | 1955 | 1961 | 6 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 44 | | Lester E. Palmer (TBA–TBA) | 1961 | 1967 | 6 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 45 | | Harry Akin (TBA–TBA) | 1967 | 1969 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 46 | | Travis LaRue (1913–2009) | 1969 | 1971 | 2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 47 | | Roy Butler (1926–2009) | 1971 | 1975 | 4 years | Republican | TBA | |
| 48 | | Jeffrey Friedman (1945–2007) | May 15, 1975 | May 15, 1977 | 2 years, 0 days | Democratic | TBA | |
| 49 |  | Carole McClellan (1939–2025) | May 15, 1977 | February 25, 1983 | 5 years, 286 days | Democratic | TBA | |
| – | | John Treviño Jr. (1938–2017) Acting [8] | February 1983 | May 1983 | 3 months | Unknown | – | |
| 50 | | Ron Mullen (born 1939) | May 1983 | 1985 | 1–2 years | Unknown | TBA | |
| 51 |  | Frank C. Cooksey (1933–2025) | 1985 | June 15, 1988 | 2–3 years | Republican | TBA | |
| 52 |  | Lee Cooke (born 1944) | June 15, 1988 | June 15, 1991 | 3 years, 0 days | Republican | TBA | |
| 53 | | Bruce Todd (TBA–TBA) | June 15, 1991 | June 15, 1997 | 6 years, 0 days | Democratic | TBA | |
| 54 | | Kirk Watson (born 1958) 1st time [10] | June 15, 1997 | November 9, 2001 | 4 years, 147 days | Democratic | TBA | |
| 55 | | Gustavo L. Garcia (1934–2018) | November 9, 2001 | June 16, 2003 | 1 year, 219 days | Democratic | 2001 special | |
| 56 |  | Will Wynn (born 1961) | June 16, 2003 | June 22, 2009 | 6 years, 6 days | Democratic | 2003 | |
| 2006 | ||||||||
| 57 | _(1).jpg) | Lee Leffingwell (born 1939) | June 22, 2009 | January 6, 2015 | 5 years, 198 days | Democratic | 2009 | |
| 2012 | ||||||||
| 58 | .jpg) | Steve Adler (born 1956) | January 6, 2015 | January 6, 2023 | 8 years, 0 days | Democratic | 2014 | |
| 2018 | ||||||||
| 59 | | Kirk Watson (born 1958) 2nd time | January 6, 2023 | Incumbent | 3 years, 40 days | Democratic | 2022 | |
| 2024 | ||||||||