The United States has had many mayors who have led their cities with vision, courage, and integrity. But not all mayors are created equal. Some have been incompetent, corrupt, or downright dangerous for their constituents. In this article, we will look at the top 10 worst mayors in the United States since 1960, based on a nationwide poll of 69 urban historians and political scientists conducted by Melvin Holli, a history professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago[^1^][1].
10. Marion Barry (Washington, D.C., 1979-1991, 1995-1999)
Marion Barry was a civil rights activist who became the first popularly elected mayor of Washington, D.C., in 1979. He was re-elected twice, but his administration was plagued by scandals involving drug abuse, cronyism, and mismanagement. In 1990, he was caught on videotape smoking crack cocaine in a hotel room with a former girlfriend who was working as an FBI informant. He was convicted of a misdemeanor drug charge and served six months in prison. He made a comeback in 1994, winning a fourth term as mayor, but his second stint was also marred by corruption and inefficiency. He retired from politics in 2016.
9. Kwame Kilpatrick (Detroit, 2002-2008)
Kwame Kilpatrick was the youngest mayor of Detroit when he took office in 2002 at the age of 31. He promised to revitalize the struggling city with his charisma and energy, but he soon became embroiled in a series of scandals that tarnished his reputation and cost the city millions of dollars. He was accused of using public funds for personal expenses, lying under oath about an affair with his chief of staff, obstructing justice, and firing whistleblowers. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to two felony counts of perjury and resigned from office. He was sentenced to four months in jail, but later faced more charges of racketeering, extortion, bribery, and tax evasion. In 2013, he was convicted on 24 counts and sentenced to 28 years in federal prison.
## 8. Ray Nagin (New Orleans, 2002-2010)
Ray Nagin was the mayor of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. He was widely criticized for his poor handling of the crisis, which left thousands of residents stranded, homeless, and without basic services for days. He failed to implement an effective evacuation plan, communicate with federal and state authorities, or provide adequate leadership and support for his city. He also made controversial remarks that alienated many people, such as calling New Orleans a \”chocolate city\” and blaming the slow response on racism. After his re-election in 2006, he faced more allegations of corruption, mismanagement, and nepotism. In 2014, he was convicted on 20 counts of fraud, bribery, money laundering, and tax evasion and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
7. David Dinkins (New York City, 1990-1993)
David Dinkins was the first and only African American mayor of New York City. He inherited a city that was facing severe fiscal problems, rising crime rates, racial tensions, and social unrest. He tried to address these issues with a balanced budget, a tax increase, a police hiring program, and a racial harmony initiative. However, he was perceived as weak, indecisive, and ineffective by many New Yorkers who blamed him for the worsening conditions of the city. He also faced several scandals involving his administration’s mishandling of contracts, donations, and appointments. He lost his re-election bid to Rudy Giuliani in 1993.
6. Dennis Kucinich (Cleveland, 1977-1979)
Dennis Kucinich was the youngest mayor of a major U.S. city when he took office in Cleveland in 1977 at the age of 31. He ran on a populist platform of reforming the city’s finances and utilities,
but he soon clashed with the city council, the business community, and the media over his policies and style. He refused to sell the city’s public power company to a private corporation,
which led to a default on $14 million of municipal loans and damaged the city’s credit rating. He also fired several city officials without cause or due process,
which resulted in lawsuits and settlements. He survived a recall election in 1978 by a narrow margin, but lost his re-election bid in 1979.
5. Frank Rizzo (Philadelphia, 1972-1980)
Frank Rizzo was a former police commissioner who became the mayor of Philadelphia in 1972. He was known for his tough stance on crime and his authoritarian approach to governing. He was accused of using excessive force, violating civil rights, and abusing his power to intimidate and harass his opponents. He also faced charges of corruption, nepotism, and patronage in his administration. He was unpopular among the city’s minority groups, who suffered from discrimination, poverty, and violence under his rule. He tried to change the city charter to allow him to run for a third term in 1980, but he was defeated by a referendum and by his challenger, William Green.
4. Sam Yorty (Los Angeles, 1961-1973)
Sam Yorty was the mayor of Los Angeles during a turbulent period of social change and civil unrest. He was a conservative Democrat who opposed the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement, and the environmental movement. He clashed with the city’s liberal and minority groups, who accused him of racism, sexism, and homophobia. He also failed to address the city’s problems of urban decay, air pollution, traffic congestion, and water shortages. He was involved in several scandals involving campaign finance, tax evasion, and bribery. He lost his re-election bid in 1973 to Tom Bradley, the city’s first African American mayor.
3. Sharpe James (Newark, 1986-2006)
Sharpe James was the longest-serving mayor of Newark, New Jersey. He was credited with improving the city’s economy, infrastructure, and image during his tenure. However, he was also criticized for his autocratic style, his lavish spending, and his corruption. He was accused of steering city contracts and land deals to his friends and allies, using public funds for personal trips and expenses, and creating a patronage system that rewarded loyalty over merit. He also faced allegations of voter fraud, sexual harassment, and tax evasion. In 2008, he was convicted on five counts of fraud for selling city-owned properties to his former mistress at below-market prices. He was sentenced to 27 months in prison.
2. Richard J. Daley (Chicago, 1955-1976)
Richard J. Daley was the most powerful and influential mayor of Chicago in its history. He was the leader of the Democratic machine that dominated the city’s politics for decades. He was responsible for many of the city’s achievements in urban development, public works, transportation, and culture. However, he was also notorious for his corruption, nepotism,
and cronyism. He controlled the city’s finances, contracts, jobs, and votes through a network of loyal supporters and ward bosses. He also suppressed dissent and opposition through intimidation,
coercion, and violence. He was widely condemned for his role in the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots,
where he ordered the police to use brutal force against anti-war protesters.
1. Rob Ford (Toronto, 2010-2014)
Rob Ford was the mayor of Toronto who became infamous for his scandalous behavior and erratic conduct. He admitted to smoking crack cocaine while in office,
drinking excessively,
using drugs,
and driving under the influence.
He also made offensive remarks about women,
minorities,
and homosexuals.
He was involved in several altercations with the public and the media,
including threatening to kill someone,
assaulting a reporter,
and knocking over a city councilor.
He refused to resign or seek treatment for his substance abuse problems,
despite facing numerous calls for his removal.
He died in 2016 from cancer.
Conclusion
These are the top 10 worst mayors in the United States since 1960,
according to a poll of urban experts.
They have been ranked based on their performance,
reputation,
and impact on their cities.
They have shown poor leadership,
poor judgment,
and poor ethics.
They have harmed their cities’ interests,
revenues,
and reputations.
They have betrayed their constituents’ trust,
hopes,
and expectations.
They have been the worst examples of what a mayor should be.
# 10 Most Asked Questions and Answers
Q: What are some of the criteria used to rank the worst mayors?
A: Some of the criteria used are: corruption,
incompetence,
mismanagement,
scandal,
abuse of power,
violation of civil rights,
failure to address city problems,
and negative impact on city image.
Q: Who conducted the poll that ranked the worst mayors?
A: The poll was conducted by Melvin Holli,
a history professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
He surveyed 69 urban historians and political scientists from across the country.
Q: When was the poll conducted?
A: The poll was conducted in 1997 and published in the spring issue of Social Science Quarterly.
Q: Which city had the most mayors ranked in the top 10 worst list?
A: Chicago had two mayors ranked in the top 10 worst list: Richard J. Daley and Dennis Kucinich.
Q: Which city had the most mayors ranked in the top 10 best list?
A: San Antonio had two mayors ranked in the top 10 best list: Henry Cisneros and Julian Castro.
Q: Which mayor had the longest tenure in office?
A: Sharpe James had the longest tenure in office, serving for 20 years as the mayor of Newark, New Jersey.
Q: Which mayor had the shortest tenure in office?
A: Dennis Kucinich had the shortest tenure in office, serving for only two years as the mayor of Cleveland, Ohio.
Q: Which mayor was the youngest when elected?
A: Kwame Kilpatrick was the youngest when elected, taking office at the age of 31 as the mayor of Detroit, Michigan.
Q: Which mayor was the oldest when elected?
A: Ray Nagin was the oldest when elected, taking office at the age of 46 as the mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana.
Q: Which mayor was the first and only African American to lead New York City?
A: David Dinkins was the first and only African American to lead New York City, serving from 1990 to 1993.
Q: Which mayor was caught on tape smoking crack cocaine?
A: Marion Barry was caught on tape smoking crack cocaine in a hotel room with a former girlfriend who was working as an FBI informant.
Q: Which mayor died while in office?
A: Rob Ford died while in office, succumbing to cancer in 2016 as the mayor of Toronto, Canada.