List of mayors of Billings, Montana

The mayor of Billings, Montana presides over the Billings, Montana city council and executes its legal contracts. The mayor is elected every four years and may serve no more than two consecutive terms. The Billings city council consists of ten members, with two elected for each of the five wards. They are elected to four year terms, limited to two consecutive terms. The Billings city administrator runs the executive branch. The mayor and city council are officially nonpartisan, though most have ties to the Montana Republican Party or Montana Democratic Party.

History

Billings was incorporated 1884 with a mayor-council structure. John Tully was elected the first mayor that year.

1900s

Since 1911, the office of mayor is non-partisan per state statute.

Billings adopted a charter form of government on September 14, 1976, essentially a council-manager structure. It became effective May 2, 1977. Under this form of government, Billings has a City Administrator who oversees day-to-day administration of Billings while the mayor presides over and votes in the city council meetings.

2000s

In 2009, Republican Tom Hanel won the five-candidate September primary for Mayor of Billings with 52%, and went on to beat city councilman Dick Clark 68-32% in November to succeed Ronald Tussing. Hanel was re-elected for his second and final term in November 2013, winning against bail bondsman John McFadden 79-21%. Hanel inaugurated several projects, including the Yellowstone Kelly Interpretive Site, Logan airport renovations, and oversaw cleanup efforts following the 2010 Billings tornado. Hanel also made some controversial decisions in his role on the city council, most notably his tie-breaking vote to kill efforts to pass a Non-Discrimination Ordinance (NDO) in August 2014, which would have given extra legal protections against discrimination on the basis of religion, gender, race, and sexuality. Hanel was succeeded as mayor by Bill Cole in January 2018.

In 2017, Tom Hanel was term-limited. Lawyer Bill Cole faced member of the Montana Senate, Jeff Essmann, with Cole winning by 7,000 votes. He took office on January 2, 2018. Much of his mayoralty was spent dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and he encouraged residents of Billings to take the COVID-19 vaccine. During his time as mayor Centennial Park was constructed, an $11.6 million was granted for the construction of the Skyline Trail and Skyway Drive, and he passed two public safety levies property tax. Cole announced his intention to run for re-election on April 22, 2021.

In 2025, the mayoral race was between businessowner Mike Nelson, councilwoman Jennifer Owen, councilman Mike Boyett, and recent graduate Amanda Housler. While the election was officially nonpartisan, Nelson was supported by Democratic former governor Brian Schweitzer and former Montana Democratic Party chair Robyn Driscoll, and Owen was backed by 16 local Republican legislators. Nelson avoided all political labels. In the end, Nelson won the November general election by one of the tightest margins in Billings mayoral history, with only 177 votes separating him and Owen. This was the closest Billings mayoral election since 1931, when Fred Tilton won by a margin of 114, though only about 3,000 votes were cast that year.

Election results

Billings Mayoral Primary Election, 2009
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Tom Hanel 10,840 52.3%
Nonpartisan Dick Clark 3,302 15.9%
Nonpartisan Mike Yakawich 3,184 15.4%
Nonpartisan Christopher Cook 2,184 10.5%
Nonpartisan Ray Tracy 1,117 5.4%
write-ins 96 0.5%
Total votes 20,723 100%


Billings Mayoral General Election, 2009
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Tom Hanel 15,777 67.8%
Nonpartisan Dick Clark 7,371 31.7%
write-ins 129 0.6%
Total votes 23,277 100%


Billings Mayoral General Election, 2013
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Tom Hanel 24,140 78.5%
Nonpartisan John McFadden 6,386 20.8%
write-ins 220 0.7%
Total votes 30,746 100%


Billings Mayoral General Election, 2025
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Mike Nelson 11,754 39.1%
Nonpartisan Jennifer Owen 11,577 38.5%
Nonpartisan Mike Boyett 4,777 15.9%
Nonpartisan Amanda Housler 1,912 6.4%
write-ins 51 0.2%
Total votes 30,071 100%

List

1884–1977

# Mayor Term Notes
1 John Tully 1884 – 1887 Water works and electric lights were installed in 1886.
2 William P. Matheson July 1885 – April 1887
3 James R. Gross April 1887 – April 1888
4 E.B. Camp April 1888 – May 1889
5 Fred H. Foster May 1889 – April 1890 (1856-1917) Elected four times in three non-consecutive terms. Created the first Board of Health for the city.
6 Joseph Rinehart April 1890 – April 1891
7 George Griggs April 1891 – April 1892 Served twice as mayor.
8 H.K. Fish April 1892 – January 1893
9 John D. Losekamp January 1893 – April 1893
10 Fred H. Foster April 1893 – April 1894 Second of three non-consecutive terms
11 George Griggs April 1895 – May 1897 Second time as mayor
12 Henry H. Chapple May 1897 – August 1898 resigned
13 P.H. Smith August 1898 – April 1899
14 Chris Yegen April 1899 – May 1901
15 W.B. George May 1901 – May 1903 Accepted deed on behalf of the city for new public library from Frederick H. Billings.
16 Fred H. Foster May 1903 – April 1909 Third and fourth term, two previous non-consecutive
17 H.J. Thompson April 1909 – May 1911
18 Frank Woods May 1911 – April 1912
19 Robert Leavens April 1912 – April 1915
20 E.A. Gerhart April 1915 – April 1917
21 W.M. Johnston April 1917 – April 1919
22 W. Lee Mains April 1919 – April 1921
23 William V. Beers April 1921 – February 1925
24 Edwin Grafton February 1925 – February 1927 resigned
25 Arthur Trenerry February 1927 – April 1931 (1881-1962) Advocated for city against accusations of graft related to Prohibition
26 Fred Tilton April 1931 – December 1933 died in office
27 C.J. Williams 1933–1937
28 Charles T. Trott 1937–1943
29 Harry E. Biddinger 1943–1949 closed the red-light district
30 Thompson T. Rowe 1949–1953
31 Earle Knight 1953–1959
32 Carl J. Clavadetscher 1959–1962 resigned
33 Harold E. Gerke 1962–1963
34 Willard E. Fraser 1963–1969 Established first city-run bus service. Annexed the Heights.
35 Howard E. Hultgren 1969–1971
36 Willard E. Fraser 1971–1972 died in office
37 Joseph A. Leone 1972–1977

1977–Current

# Mayor Term Notes
38 William "Bill" B. Fox 1977–1983
39 James "Jim" Van Arsdale 1984–1990 Was President of the Montana League of Cities and Towns during his tenure., Assisted with Pompeys Pillar becoming a National Monument.
40 Richard "Dick" L. Larson 1990–1996
41 Chuck F. Tooley 1996–2005 Won three terms. Was appointed a State Human Rights Commissioner.
42 Ronald Tussing 2006–2010 Chief of Police prior to election. Ran for public service commission rather than second term as mayor.
43 Tom Hanel 2010–2018 Cast the tie-breaking vote against a non-discrimination ordinance for Billings Term-limited
44 Bill Cole 2018–2026 Defeated his opponent by nearly double the votes in 2017. Advocated for COVID-19 vaccination. Term-limited
45 Mike Nelson 2026–present Won 2025 election against 3 other candidates by 177 votes. His primary opponent was backed by Republican-aligned donors while Nelson was backed by Democratic-aligned donors.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Charter of the City of Billings". City of Billings. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  2. ↑ "City Council". City of Billings. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Wilhelm, Honor L. (September 1907). The Coast, Volumes 13-14. Seattle: The Coast Publishing Company. p. 178. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  4. ↑ "7-3-4262". Montana Code Annotated. State of Montana. 2025. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  5. 1 2 "YELLOWSTONE COUNTY, MONTANA MUNICIPAL PRIMARY ELECTION SEPTEMBER 15, 2009". Yellowstone County Elections Department. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "YELLOWSTONE COUNTY, MT MUNICIPAL ELECTION UNNOFFICIAL RESULTS NOVEMBER 3, 2009". Yellowstone County Elections Department. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  7. 1 2 "YELLOWSTONE COUNTY, MONTANA GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 5, 2013 OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS". Yellowstone County Elections Department. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  8. ↑ Mike Ferguson (December 28, 2017). "Billings Mayor Tom Hanel thanks the community at the end of his second term". Billings Gazette.
  9. ↑ Mike Ferguson (August 12, 2014). "Council defeats NDO by 6-5 count". Billings Gazette.
  10. ↑ Mike Ferguson (November 7, 2017). "Billings elects Bill Cole as its next mayor". Billings Gazette.
  11. ↑ Ferguson, Mike. "Bill Cole, Jeff Essmann advance to general election for mayor". The Billings Gazette. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  12. ↑ Kreimer, Olga (November 9, 2017). "New Billings Mayor Says More Can Be Done To Attract Millenials". www.mtpr.org. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Billings Mayor Bill Cole announces run for 2nd term". Q2 News (KTVQ). April 22, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  14. ↑ Barry Usher, Dennis Lenz, Larry Brewster, Kerri Crowe, Sue Vinton, Mike Vinton, Daniel Zolinkov, Tom McGillvary, Curtis Schomer, Jodee Etchart, Nelly Nicol, Greg Oblander, Sherry Essman, Vince Ricci, Anthony Nicastro (October 12, 2025). "Strong backing by Republican lawmakers: Jennifer Owen for mayor (Opinion)". Billings Gazette.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ Alex Mitchell (November 23, 2025). "Meet Mike Nelson, Billings' new 'cheerleader-in-chief'". Billings Gazette.
  16. ↑ "Results Report Billings Municipal General Election November 4, 2025" (PDF). Yellowstone County Elections Department. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Board of Health". City of Billings. Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  18. 1 2 "Griggs, George". Montana History Portal. Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  19. ↑ "City Directory, Billings, Mont". Billings Library. July 1894.
  20. 1 2 Curry, Jim. "Parmly Billings Library: The First Hundred Years". Billings Library. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  21. 1 2 "Arthur Trenerry Papers, 1899-1969". Archives West. Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Billings Officials Welcome Probe Into City Graft Charges". Newspaper Archive. Big Timber Pioneer. December 22, 1927. p. 1. Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  23. ↑ Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 77th Congress, First Session. Washington: United States Government Printing Office. 1942. p. 482. Retrieved October 16, 2026. Address by Charles T. Trott, mayor of Billings, Mont., introducing Senator Burton K. Wheeler
  24. ↑ Parrett, Nann. Montana Madams. Farcountry Press. ISBN 978-1-56037-634-7. Retrieved October 16, 2026. In 1943, Mayor Harry E. Biddinger announced the shuttering of the Magic City's red light district...
  25. 1 2 3 4 "Mayor Willard E. Fraser Collection". Montana State University Billings. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  26. ↑ Shay, Becky (October 26, 2000). "Former Mayor Knight dead at age 80". Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Mayor Carl Clavadetscher". Billings Gazette. November 10, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  28. 1 2 Mandler, Lou (Winter 2018). "Billings and Beyond: The Progressive Vision of Mayor Willard Fraser". Montana The Magazine of Western History. 68 (4): 54. Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Dr. Howard E. Hultgren Obituary". Billings Gazette. January 23, 2005. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Mayor William Fox April 1977". Billings Gazette. November 10, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  31. 1 2 3 "James "Jim" Wallace Van Arsdale". Michelotti-Sawyers Funeral Home. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  32. ↑ "Washington Thursday Journal". C-Span. Washington Journal. June 1, 1995. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  33. ↑ Howard, Tom (December 29, 2005). "Mayor bowing out: Tooley reflects on accomplishments". Billings Gazette. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  34. ↑ "Chuck Tooley". Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Chuck Tooley". Sojourners. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  36. ↑ Riffe, Casey (December 27, 2009). "Ron Tussing". Billings Gazette. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Tussing Takes the Stand". KULR8. August 21, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Tussing Plans to Run". KULR8. August 21, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  39. ↑ Hagengruber, Mark (November 3, 2009). "Hanel wins big in mayor race". Billings Gazette. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  40. ↑ Ferguson, Mike (December 28, 2017). "Billings Mayor Tom Hanel thanks the community at the end of his second term". Billings Gazette. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Non-Discrimination Ordinance Denied". KULR8. August 12, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  42. ↑ "New Billings Mayor Says More Can Be Done To Attract Millenials". Montana Public Radio. November 8, 2017. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  43. ↑ "Billings Mayor Bill Cole announces run for 2nd term". KTVQ. April 22, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  44. ↑ Butow, Evan (January 6, 2026). "Mike Nelson sworn in as mayor of Billings". Billings Gazette.
  45. 1 2 Lutey, Tom; Olness, Jacob (November 19, 2025). "Candidates backed by donors that typically support Democrats will govern Montana's reddest cities". Montana Free Press. Retrieved October 17, 2026.