About Mayor James

Keith James was first elected Mayor of the City of West Palm Beach on March 12, 2019 and re-elected, unopposed, to a second-four year term in 2023.

Focused on creating a community of opportunity for all, Mayor James has a vision for West Palm Beach that is resident-driven. Mayor James is committed to creating a customer friendly culture in City Hall that focuses on neighborhood initiatives, regional collaboration, and community partnerships.

Mayor James has been a champion of bringing new financial business to the City, which the New York Post has labeled as "Wall Street South". Mayor James, however, remains committed to making West Palm Beach a Community of Opportunity For All.

Mayor James is the City's first African-American "strong mayor," whereby the Mayor is the City's Chief Executive Officer directing the administrative structure, and the City's fourth African-American Mayor. He was recently profiled in Bitter Southerner Magazine.

Prior to being elected Mayor, Keith James served as the District 4 City Commissioner from 2011 to 2019, serving as President of the Commission twice. During this time, Mayor James helped create West Palm Beach's strategic plan, finance plan, water plan and mobility plan. Mayor James has been a part of the leadership that has led West Palm Beach from the depths of the recession to the booming metropolis we have today.

Mayor James is the Past President of the Palm Beach County League of Cities, where he championed a collaborative approach to solving regional and state issues on equality, home-rule, health and addiction challenges, and transportation.

Born in Wichita, Kansas to a teenage single mother, Mayor James learned at an early age the value of hard work, service and education. As a young man, Mayor James overcame the challenges of segregation and inequality to become accepted and then graduate from Harvard College and then Harvard Law School.

Mayor James has served in numerous leadership positions to address a range of issues in the community. Mayor James was the former Chair of the West Palm Beach Citizens' Ethics Task Force, a position to which he was appointed by then-Mayor Lois Frankel. Mayor James is a former Board Member of the Florida League of Cities and Palm Beach County League of Cities. A trailblazer in his own right, Mayor James was the first African American Chair of Leadership Florida and the Quantum Foundation.

Mayor Keith James has been a West Palm Beach resident for more than 30 years. It is where he raised his two children and has dedicated his life to public service. Mayor James and his wife, Lorna, are proud to call West Palm Beach home.