The Mayor of Seattle is the head of the executive branch of the city government of Seattle, Washington. The mayor is authorized by the city charter to enforce laws enacted by the Seattle City Council, as well as direct subordinate officers in city departments. (The Seattle City Council, the legislative branch of city government, is led by the council president.) The mayor serves a four-year term, without term limits, and is chosen in citywide, two-round elections between nonpartisan candidates. Since the appointment of Henry A. Atkins in 1869, 56 individuals have held the office of mayor. The city elected Bertha Knight Landes, the first female mayor of a major U.S. city, in 1926. Several mayors have served non-consecutive terms, while others have resigned or faced recall elections. Charles Royer holds the record for longest mayoral tenure in the city's history, serving three full terms from 1978 to 1990. Bruce Harrell took office as mayor on January 1, 2022, becoming the first Asian-American and second African-American mayor in Seattle's History. History Seattle was initially incorporated as a town on January 14, 1865, by the Washington Territorial Legislature, governed by a board of trustees. Charles C. Terry served as president of the board of trustees, which remained unchanged until the town's disincorporation on January 28, 1867. The town of Seattle was incorporated a second time on December 2, 1869, with a new city charter that established the position of mayor. Henry A. Atkins was appointed as the first mayor of Seattle by the Territorial Legislature, and was elected to the office on July 11, 1870. A new city charter, the Freeholders Charter, was adopted in 1890 and extended the mayor's term in office from one year to two years, but barred consecutive terms. The charter also moved elections to the first Monday in March and required the mayor to be at least 30 years of age and live within the city for two years. A new city charter that was approved by the city's voters in 1946 lengthened the term of office for mayors from two years to four years, starting with the 1948 elections. In 1969 the age and residence requirements were removed from the charter. Duties and powers The mayor is the head of the executive branch of Seattle's municipal government, charged with the appointment and management of 25 department and commission heads that work directly for the mayor. In