President of the Los Angeles City Council

This is a list of presidents of the Los Angeles City Council. Not only does the officer preside over meetings of the council, but he or she also makes assignments to City Council committees and handles parliamentary duties like ruling motions in or out of order. The president automatically become acting mayor when the mayor is out of the state.

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President of the Los Angeles City Council
Seal of the City of Los Angeles
Incumbent Nury Martinez since January 5, 2020
Appointer	Elected by City Council
Term length	None
Inaugural holder	Boyle Workman
Formation	1919
Website	City Council

The president is elected at the first meeting of the new council term, beginning on July 1 of every odd-numbered year. Normally this meeting is called to order by the City Clerk for the election of the president, after which a president pro tempore is chosen.

Next to the mayor, the president and president pro tem of the council are generally considered the most powerful officials in municipal government. The president serves as mayor in the absence of the chief executive [the mayor], and the pro tem fills the top position in the absence of both.[1]

Two-year terms

• 1919, 1925 Boyle Workman
• 1927 William G. Bonelli
• 1929 Winfred J. Sanborn
• 1931 Charles Randall
• 1933 Howard W. Davis
• 1935–39, 1943 Robert L. Burns
• 1941 G. Vernon Bennett
• 1945 George H. Moore
• 1947–51, 1961 Harold A. Henry
• 1953–59, 1969–75 John S. Gibson Jr.
• 1963–67 L.E. Timberlake
• 1977–81, 1987–99 John Ferraro
• 1981–83 Joel Wachs
• 1983–87 Pat Russell; first female president
• 1999–2001 Ruth Galanter
• 2001–05 Alex Padilla; first Latino president
• 2006–12 Eric Garcetti
• 2012–20 Herb Wesson; first African American president
• 2020-present Nury Martinez; first Latina president

References

1. "L.A. Council Expected to Re-elect Gibson," Los Angeles Times, July 2, 1973, page C-5 (Library card may be required.)