List_of_United_States_governors
The United States has 50 states and 5 territories that each elect a governor to serve as chief executive of the state or territorial government.[1] The sole federal district, the District of Columbia, elects a mayor to oversee their government in a similar manner.[2][3] Most states and territories also have a lieutenant governor who is the second-highest-ranking official and the first to succeed the governor in the event of a vacancy.[4]
As of January 9, 2024[update], there are 27 states with Republican governors and 23 states with Democratic governors. Four U.S. territories have Democratic governors, while one has an independent governor. Pedro Pierluisi of Puerto Rico is a member of the New Progressive Party, although he is also affiliated with the Democratic Party.[5] All 55 governors are members of the National Governors Association, a non-partisan organization which represents states and territories in discussions with the federal government.[6] The federal District of Columbia is governed by a Democratic mayor.[7]
The current gubernatorial term ends and new term begins in January of the given year for most states and territories; in Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota, and Kentucky, the term ends in December of that year's election.[8][9] All 55 state and territorial governors are members of the non-partisan National Governors Association as well as the partisan Democratic Governors Association and Republican Governors Association. Three regional associations—Midwestern, Northeastern, and Western—also serve as non-partisan organizations to lobby for governors' interests.[10]
The longest serving incumbent U.S. governor is Jay Inslee of Washington, who took office on January 16, 2013.[11] The most recently inaugurated governor is Jeff Landry of Louisiana, who took office on January 8, 2024.[5] The average age of governors at the time of their inauguration was 59.28 years old. Alabama governor Kay Ivey (born 1944) is the oldest current governor, and Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (born 1982) is the youngest.[12] As of the 2022 elections[update], there are 12 female state governors currently serving. 46 of the governors are non-Hispanic white, while one is Hispanic, one is Black, and one is Native American.[12]
The notation "(term limits)" after the year indicates that the governor is ineligible to seek re-election in that year; the notation "(retiring)" indicates that the governor has announced his or her intention not to seek re-election at the end of the term nor to run for another office.
United States governors Republican (27) Democratic (23) | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State | Image | Governor[5] | Party[5] | Born | Prior public experience[13] | Inauguration[5] | End of term[5] | |||
Alabama (list) | Kay Ivey | Republican | (1944-10-15) October 15, 1944 (age 79)[14] | Lieutenant Governor State Treasurer |
April 10, 2017[14] | 2027 (term limits) | ||||
Alaska (list) | Mike Dunleavy | Republican | (1961-05-05) May 5, 1961 (age 62)[15] | Alaska Senate Matanuska-Susitna Borough Board President |
December 3, 2018[15] | 2026 (term limits) | ||||
Arizona (list) | Katie Hobbs | Democratic | (1969-12-28) December 28, 1969 (age 54)[16] | Secretary of State Minority Leader of the Arizona Senate Arizona House |
January 2, 2023[16] | 2027 | ||||
Arkansas (list) | Sarah Huckabee Sanders | Republican | (1982-08-13) August 13, 1982 (age 41)[17] | White House Press Secretary White House Deputy Press Secretary |
January 10, 2023[17] | 2027 | ||||
California (list) | Gavin Newsom | Democratic | (1967-10-10) October 10, 1967 (age 56)[18] | Lieutenant Governor Mayor of San Francisco San Francisco Board of Supervisors |
January 7, 2019[18] | 2027 (term limits) | ||||
Colorado (list) | Jared Polis | Democratic | (1975-05-12) May 12, 1975 (age 48)[19] | U.S. House Colorado State Board of Education |
January 8, 2019[19] | 2027 (term limits) | ||||
Connecticut (list) | Ned Lamont | Democratic | (1954-01-03) January 3, 1954 (age 70)[20] | Chair of the State Investment Advisory Council Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation Greenwich Board of Selectmen |
January 9, 2019[20] | 2027 | ||||
Delaware (list) | John Carney | Democratic | (1956-05-20) May 20, 1956 (age 67)[21] | U.S. House Lieutenant Governor State Secretary of Finance Chief of Staff to Governor Tom Carper |
January 17, 2017[21] | 2025 (term limits) | ||||
Florida (list) | Ron DeSantis | Republican | (1978-09-14) September 14, 1978 (age 45)[22] | U.S. House Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy |
January 8, 2019[22] | 2027 (term limits) | ||||
Georgia (list) | Brian Kemp | Republican | (1963-11-02) November 2, 1963 (age 60)[23] | Secretary of State Georgia Senate |
January 14, 2019[23] | 2027 (term limits) | ||||
Hawaii (list) | Josh Green | Democratic | (1970-02-11) February 11, 1970 (age 54)[24] | Lieutenant Governor Hawaii Senate Hawaii House |
December 5, 2022[24] | 2026 | ||||
Idaho (list) | Brad Little | Republican | (1954-02-15) February 15, 1954 (age 70)[25] | Lieutenant Governor Idaho Senate |
January 7, 2019[25] | 2027 | ||||
Illinois (list) | J. B. Pritzker | Democratic | (1965-01-19) January 19, 1965 (age 59)[26] | Chair of the Illinois Human Rights Commission Co-Chair of Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign |
January 14, 2019[26] | 2027 | ||||
Indiana (list) | Eric Holcomb | Republican | (1968-05-02) May 2, 1968 (age 55)[27] | Lieutenant Governor Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Dan Coats State Republican Party Chair Yeoman in the United States Navy |
January 9, 2017[27] | 2025 (term limits) | ||||
Iowa (list) | Kim Reynolds | Republican | (1959-08-04) August 4, 1959 (age 64)[28] | Lieutenant Governor Iowa Senate Clarke County Treasurer |
May 24, 2017[28] | 2027 | ||||
Kansas (list) | Laura Kelly | Democratic | (1950-01-24) January 24, 1950 (age 74)[29] | Kansas Senate | January 14, 2019[29] | 2027 (term limits) | ||||
Kentucky (list) | Andy Beshear | Democratic | (1977-11-29) November 29, 1977 (age 46)[30] | State Attorney General | December 10, 2019[30] | 2027 (term limits) | ||||
Louisiana (list) | Jeff Landry | Republican | (1970-12-23) December 23, 1970 (age 53)[31] | State Attorney General U.S. House |
January 8, 2024[31] | 2028 | ||||
Maine (list) | Janet Mills | Democratic | (1947-12-30) December 30, 1947 (age 76)[32] | State Attorney General Maine House Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford Counties District Attorney |
January 2, 2019[32] | 2027 (term limits) | ||||
Maryland (list) | Wes Moore | Democratic | (1978-10-15) October 15, 1978 (age 45)[33] | Captain in the United States Army | January 18, 2023[33] | 2027 | ||||
Massachusetts (list) | Maura Healey | Democratic | (1971-02-08) February 8, 1971 (age 53)[34] | State Attorney General | January 5, 2023[34] | 2027 | ||||
Michigan (list) | Gretchen Whitmer | Democratic | (1971-08-23) August 23, 1971 (age 52)[35] | Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate Michigan House |
January 1, 2019[35] | 2027 (term limits) | ||||
Minnesota (list) | Tim Walz | Democratic–Farmer–Labor | (1964-04-06) April 6, 1964 (age 60)[36] | U.S. House Command Sergeant Major in the Army National Guard |
January 7, 2019[36] | 2027 | ||||
Mississippi (list) | Tate Reeves | Republican | (1974-06-05) June 5, 1974 (age 49)[37] | Lieutenant Governor State Treasurer |
January 14, 2020[37] | 2028 (term limits) | ||||
Missouri (list) | Mike Parson | Republican | (1955-09-17) September 17, 1955 (age 68)[38] | Lieutenant Governor Missouri Senate Missouri House Polk County Sheriff Sergeant in the United States Army |
June 1, 2018[38] | 2025 (term limits) | ||||
Montana (list) | Greg Gianforte | Republican | (1961-04-17) April 17, 1961 (age 63)[39] | U.S. House | January 4, 2021[39] | 2025 | ||||
Nebraska (list) | Jim Pillen | Republican | (1955-12-31) December 31, 1955 (age 68)[40] | University of Nebraska Board of Regents | January 5, 2023[40] | 2027 | ||||
Nevada (list) | Joe Lombardo | Republican | (1962-11-08) November 8, 1962 (age 61)[41] | Clark County Sheriff U.S. Army Reserve U.S. Army National Guard |
January 2, 2023[41] | 2027 | ||||
New Hampshire (list) | Chris Sununu | Republican | (1974-11-05) November 5, 1974 (age 49)[42] | New Hampshire Executive Council | January 5, 2017[42] | 2025 (retiring)[43] | ||||
New Jersey (list) | Phil Murphy | Democratic | (1957-08-16) August 16, 1957 (age 66)[44] | U.S. Ambassador to Germany Finance Chair of the Democratic National Committee |
January 16, 2018[44] | 2026 (term limits) | ||||
New Mexico (list) | Michelle Lujan Grisham | Democratic | (1959-10-24) October 24, 1959 (age 64)[45] | U.S. House Bernalillo County Commission State Secretary of Health |
January 1, 2019[45] | 2027 (term limits) | ||||
New York (list) | Kathy Hochul | Democratic | (1958-08-27) August 27, 1958 (age 65)[46] | Lieutenant Governor U.S. House Erie County Clerk |
August 24, 2021[46] | 2026[note 1] | ||||
North Carolina (list) | Roy Cooper | Democratic | (1957-06-13) June 13, 1957 (age 66)[48] | State Attorney General Majority Leader of the North Carolina Senate North Carolina House |
January 1, 2017[48] | 2025 (term limits) | ||||
North Dakota (list) | Doug Burgum | Republican | (1956-08-01) August 1, 1956 (age 67)[49] | No prior public experience | December 15, 2016[49] | 2024 (retiring)[50] | ||||
Ohio (list) | Mike DeWine | Republican | (1947-01-05) January 5, 1947 (age 77)[51] | State Attorney General U.S. Senate Lieutenant Governor U.S. House Ohio Senate Greene County Prosecutor |
January 14, 2019[51] | 2027 (term limits) | ||||
Oklahoma (list) | Kevin Stitt | Republican | (1972-12-28) December 28, 1972 (age 51)[52] | No prior public experience | January 14, 2019[52] | 2027 (term limits) | ||||
Oregon (list) | Tina Kotek | Democratic | (1966-09-30) September 30, 1966 (age 57)[53] | Speaker of the Oregon House | January 9, 2023[53] | 2027 | ||||
Pennsylvania (list) | Josh Shapiro | Democratic | (1973-06-20) June 20, 1973 (age 50)[54] | State Attorney General Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Pennsylvania House |
January 17, 2023[54] | 2027 | ||||
Rhode Island (list) | Dan McKee | Democratic | (1951-06-16) June 16, 1951 (age 72)[55] | Lieutenant Governor Mayor of Cumberland Cumberland Town Council |
March 2, 2021[55] | 2027 | ||||
South Carolina (list) | Henry McMaster | Republican | (1947-05-27) May 27, 1947 (age 76)[56] | Lieutenant Governor State Attorney General State Republican Party Chair U.S. Attorney |
January 24, 2017[56] | 2027 (term limits) | ||||
South Dakota (list) | Kristi Noem | Republican | (1971-11-30) November 30, 1971 (age 52)[57] | U.S. House South Dakota House |
January 5, 2019[57] | 2027 (term limits) | ||||
Tennessee (list) | Bill Lee | Republican | (1959-10-09) October 9, 1959 (age 64)[58] | No prior public experience | January 19, 2019[58] | 2027 (term limits) | ||||
Texas (list) | Greg Abbott | Republican | (1957-11-13) November 13, 1957 (age 66)[59] | State Attorney General Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court |
January 20, 2015[59] | 2027 | ||||
Utah (list) | Spencer Cox | Republican | (1975-07-11) July 11, 1975 (age 48)[60] | Lieutenant Governor Utah House Sanpete County Commission Mayor of Fairview |
January 4, 2021[60] | 2025 | ||||
Vermont (list) | Phil Scott | Republican | (1958-08-04) August 4, 1958 (age 65)[61] | Lieutenant Governor Vermont Senate |
January 5, 2017[61] | 2025 | ||||
Virginia (list) | Glenn Youngkin | Republican | (1966-12-09) December 9, 1966 (age 57)[62] | No prior public experience | January 15, 2022[62] | 2026 (term limits) | ||||
Washington (list) | Jay Inslee | Democratic | (1951-02-09) February 9, 1951 (age 73)[63] | U.S. House Washington House |
January 16, 2013[63] | 2025 (retiring)[64] | ||||
West Virginia (list) | Jim Justice | Republican [note 2] |
(1951-04-27) April 27, 1951 (age 72)[66] | No prior public experience | January 16, 2017[66] | 2025 (term limits) | ||||
Wisconsin (list) | Tony Evers | Democratic | (1951-11-05) November 5, 1951 (age 72)[67] | State Superintendent of Public Instruction | January 7, 2019[67] | 2027 | ||||
Wyoming (list) | Mark Gordon | Republican | (1957-03-14) March 14, 1957 (age 67)[68] | State Treasurer | January 7, 2019[68] | 2027 (term limits) |
Territory governors Democratic (4) Independent (1) New Progressive (1) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Territory | Image | Governor[5] | Party[5] | Born | Prior public experience | Inauguration[5] | End of term[5] | ||
American Samoa (list) | Lemanu Peleti Mauga | Democratic [note 3] |
(1960-01-03) January 3, 1960 (age 64)[69] | Lieutenant Governor American Samoa Senate Major in the United States Army |
January 3, 2021[70] | 2025 | |||
Guam (list) | Lou Leon Guerrero | Democratic | (1950-11-08) November 8, 1950 (age 73)[71] | Guam Legislature | January 7, 2019[71] | 2027 (term limits) | |||
Northern Mariana Islands (list) | Arnold Palacios | Independent | (1955-08-22) August 22, 1955 (age 68)[72] | Lieutenant Governor President of the CNMI Senate Speaker of the CNMI House |
January 9, 2023[72] | 2027 | |||
Puerto Rico (list) | Pedro Pierluisi | New Progressive | (1959-04-25) April 25, 1959 (age 65)[73] | U.S. House Territorial Secretary of Justice |
January 2, 2021[73] | 2025 | |||
U.S. Virgin Islands (list) | Albert Bryan | Democratic | (1968-02-21) February 21, 1968 (age 56)[74] | Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Labor | January 7, 2019[74] | 2027 (term limits) |
The District of Columbia is a federal district that elects a mayor that has similar powers to those of a state or territorial governor.[2] From 1871 to 1874, the district had a governor that was appointed by the President of the United States.[75]
Federal district mayor Democratic (1) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Federal district | Image | Mayor | Party | Born | Prior public experience | Inauguration | End of term | ||
District of Columbia (list) | Muriel Bowser | Democratic[76] | (1972-08-02) August 2, 1972 (age 51)[76] | D.C. Council Advisory Neighborhood Commission[76] |
January 2, 2015[77] | 2027 |
- Flags of governors of the U.S. states
- List of current United States first spouses
- List of current United States governors by age
- List of current United States lieutenant governors
- List of female governors in the United States
- List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States
- List of United States state legislatures
- List of U.S. state governors born outside the United States
- National Governors Association
- Seals of governors of the U.S. states
- In New York, gubernatorial terms begin at midnight on New Year's Day.[47]
- Officially, the governor of American Samoa is a non-partisan position, but officeholders do affiliate with the local chapters of the national political parties.[citation needed]
- "US Elections 2020 Vocabulary: Governor". BBC. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- Nirappil, Fenit (June 21, 2017). "Can a change of titles make DC seem more stately? Ask Gov. Bowser". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- Bonessi, Dominique Maria (January 12, 2021). "Your Questions About How The National Guard Works In D.C., Answered". NPR. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "States' Lines of Succession of Gubernatorial Powers" (PDF). National Emergency Management Association. March 2011. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
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- "Fast Facts About America's Governors". Center on the American Governor. Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "2023 Governors' Previous Experience Chart" (PDF). Center on the American Governor. Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Kay Ivey". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Mike Dunleavy". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Katie Hobbs". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Gavin Newsom". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Jared Polis". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Ned Lamont". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. John Carney". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Ron DeSantis". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Brian Kemp". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Josh Green". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Brad Little". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. JB Pritzker". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Eric Holcomb". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Kim Reynolds". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Laura Kelly". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Andy Beshear". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Josh Green". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Janet Mills". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Wes Moore". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Maura Healey". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Gretchen Whitmer". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Tim Walz". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Tate Reeves". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Mike Parson". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Greg Gianforte". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Jim Pillen". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Joe Lombardo". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Chris Sununu". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Chris Sununu decides against run for reelection". WMUR9. July 19, 2023. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- "Gov. Phil Murphy". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Kathy Hochul". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- Confessore, Nicholas (December 16, 2010). "Cuomo's Inauguration Expected to Be Low Key". The New York Times. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Roy Cooper". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
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- Gunderson, Dan (January 22, 2024). "North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum says he won't seek a third term as governor". MPR News. Associated Press. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- "Gov. Mike DeWine". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Kevin Stitt". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Tina Kotek". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Josh Shapiro". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Dan McKee". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Henry McMaster". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Kristi Noem". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Bill Lee". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Greg Abbott". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Spencer Cox". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Phil Scott". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Glenn Youngkin". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Jay Inslee". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- Brunner, Jim; Gutman, David; Cornwell, Piage (May 1, 2023). "WA Gov. Jay Inslee won't seek reelection for fourth term". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- Shear, Michael D.; Martin, Jonathan (August 3, 2017). "In West Virginia, Trump Hails Conservatism and a New G.O.P. Governor". The New York Times. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
- "Gov. Jim Justice". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Tony Evers". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Mark Gordon". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Lemanu PS Mauga". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- Sagapoulutele, Fili (January 4, 2021). "American Samoa's newly elected leaders sworn into office on Sunday". Samoa News. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Arnold Palacios". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Pedro Pierluisi". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- "Gov. Albert Bryan". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- Frommer, Frederic (June 21, 2022). "D.C. elected its own mayors in the 1800s — until Congress stepped in". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
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