Early California Jews Elected to Leadership Offices
In the era ending in 1920, San Francisco elected Jewish candidates to six leadership offices and Los Angeles three.
Other California cities and towns elected Jewish leaders six times.
Statewide Offices
The California senate elected Elcan Heydenfeldt president pro tempore in 1851.
Washington Bartlett (1824-1887) was elected governor in 1886 and died in office in 1887.
Washington Bartlett, California governor
Edward Wolfe (1860-1922) was president pro tempore of the senate from 1905 to 1911.
Clarence Morris (1888-1965) was president pro tempore of the assembly from 1919 to 1921.
Albert Rosenshine (1882-1950) was assembly speaker pro tempore in 1921.
State Legislators
Isaac Cardozo (1820-87), San Francisco, assembly, 1853.
Henry Dinkelspiel (1869-1931), San Francisco, assembly, 1895-1896.
Joseph Naphtaly (1842-1910), San Francisco, assembly, 1869-1870.
David Freidenrich (1843-1924), San Francisco, assembly, 1873-1874.
L. Leverson (1830-1925), San Francisco, assembly, 1883-1884.
Edward Selig Salomon (1836-1913), San Francisco, assembly, 1889-1891.
Edward Selig Salomon, California assemblyman
Edmond Godchaux (1848-1939), San Francisco, assembly, 1893-1894, also S.F. city and county recorder, 1899-1905, 1907-1939.
Sigmund Bettman (1860-1919), San Francisco, assembly, 1895-99, and senate, 1899-1903.
Henry Dinkinspiel (1869-1931), San Francisco, assembly, 1895-1896.
Leon Dennery (1866-1915), San Francisco, assembly, 1897-1898.
Samuel Kohlman (1867-u.), San Francisco, assembly, 1907-1908.
Leo Friedman (ca. 1891-1972), San Francisco, assembly, 1916-1918.
Harry Lyons (1876-1958), Los Angeles, assembly, 1916-1918, 1921-1931.
Milton Marks (1892-1950),S an Francisco, assembly, 1917-1919.
Mayors
Bernard Cohn was Los Angeles mayor pro tempore from November 22 to December 13, 1878.
Benjamin Dreyfus (1824-1886), a vineyard owner and winemaker, served two mayoral terms in Anaheim in 1881-1883.
Washington Bartlett, a publisher and attorney, was elected San Franciso mayor in 1882 and 1884.
Bernard Steinman (1848-1914), a Sacramento banker and power company executive, was elected mayor twice and served from 1893 to 1896.
Sigmund Steiner (1865-1945), a general merchandiser, was mayor in Escondido 1894-1906.
Adolph Sutro, an engineer and real estate developer, was elected San Francisco mayor in 1894 and served for two years.
Adolph Sutro, San Francisco mayor
Simon Levi (1850-1918), a wholesale grocer, was acting mayor of San Diego in 1895.
Harry Levinson (1857-1934), a book and stationary merchant, was elected mayor of Visalia in 1898 and served for two years.
Isidor Haas (1851-1929) was mayor of Grass Valley in 1908; he founded the I. Haas Food Spice Company, which remains in business today.
Emil Wangenheim (1862-1939), an attorney and farm supply merchant, was elected mayor of Newman four times and served in 1908-1912 and 1916-1920.
Seigfried Herzog (1874-1953), a financier and theatre owner, was elected mayor of San Rafael in 1915 and 1918 and served four years.
Albert Elkas, a clothing manufacturer and merchant, was mayor of Sacramento in 1921-1922.
Solomon Elias (1868-1940), an attorney, was elected Modesto mayor five times and served from 1922 to 1931.
City Council and County Board Presidents
John Jones (ca. 1800-1876) led the Los Angeles city council in 1871.
Bernard Cohn (1835-1889), a Los Angeles grocer, was city council president from November 22 to December 13, 1878.
Herman Silver (1831-1913) led the Los Angeles council in 1896-1900.
Herman Silver, Los Angeles councilman
Moses Dinkelspiel (1826-97) was Solano County chair in the 1880’s.
Moses Dinkelspiel, Solano County chair
Sigmund Steiner (1865-1945), a general merchandiser, was board of trustees president in Escondido from 1894 to 1906.
Simon Levi (1850-1918) was San Diego board of aldermen president in 1895.
Simon Levi, San Diego board of alderman president
Albert Elkas (1857-1949) led the Sacramento city board of trustees in 1902-05.
Solomon Elias (1868-1940) headed the Modesto city board of freeholders in 1910.
Albert L. Morgenstern (1873-1934) led the Alameda city council and assembly in 1913-1914.
City Councilmen/County Supervisors
Morris Goodman (1819-1898), Los Angeles councilman, 1850, Los Angeles county supervisor, 1861.
Julius Morris (1830-1909), Los Angeles county supervisor, 1861-63.
Philip Sichel (1824-1868), Los Angeles county supervisor, 1864.
Maurice Kremer (1824-1907), Los Angeles county supervisor, 1866.
Maurice Kremer, Los Angeles County supervisor
Charles Prager (1839-1911), Los Angeles county supervisor, 1878-1883.
Harry Levinson (1857-1934), Visalia councilman, 1891-1893.
Alfred W. Morgenstern (bef. 1857-1922), San Francisco city supervisor, 1895-1896.
Henry Brandenstein (1869-1940), S.an Francisco county supervisor, 1900-1905.
Milton Marks, S.an Francisco city supervisor, 1926-1929.
Source
- Mark Rutzik, Breaking New Ground: The Untold Story of Early America’s Jewish Electoral Pioneers – 1788 to 1920, 2025.
Mark Rutzick is the curator of this Early California Jews exhibit.
