In the United States, a governor serves as the chief executive and commander-in-chief in each of the fifty states and in the five permanently inhabited territories, functioning as head of state and head of government therein.^{[nb 1]} As such, governors are responsible for implementing state laws and overseeing the operation of the state executive branch. As state leaders, governors advance and pursue new and revised policies and programs using a variety of tools, among them executive orders, executive budgets, and legislative proposals and vetoes. Governors carry out their management and leadership responsibilities and objectives with the support and assistance of department and agency heads, many of whom they are empowered to appoint. A majority of governors have the authority to appoint state court judges as well, in most cases from a list of names submitted by a nominations committee.^[1]

All but five states (Arizona, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Wyoming) have a lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor succeeds to the gubernatorial office (the powers and duties but not the office, in Massachusetts and West Virginia), if vacated by impeachment, death, or resignation of the previous governor. Lieutenant governors also serve as unofficial acting state governors in case the incumbent governors are unable to fulfill their duties, and they often serve as presiding officers of the upper houses of state legislatures. But in such cases, they cannot participate in political debates, and they have no vote whenever these houses are not equally divided.

States are semi-sovereign republics sharing sovereignty with the federal government of the United States, and possess a number of powers and rights under the United States Constitution, such as regulating intrastate commerce, holding elections, creating local governments, and ratifying constitutional amendments. Each state has its own constitution, grounded in republican principles, and government, consisting of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.^[2] Also, due to the shared sovereignty between each state and the federal government, Americans are citizens of both the federal republic and of the state in which they reside.^[3]

The governor heads the government's executive branch in each state or territory and, depending on the individual jurisdiction, may have considerable control over government budgeting, the power of appointment of many officials (including many judges), and a considerable role in legislation. The governor may also have additional roles, such as that of commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard (when not federalized) and of that state's respective defense force (which is not subject to federalization). In many states and territories the governor also has partial or absolute power to commute or pardon a criminal sentence. All U.S. governors serve four-year terms except those in New Hampshire and Vermont, who serve two-year terms.

In all states, the governor is directly elected, and in most cases has considerable practical powers, though this may be moderated by the state legislature and in some cases by other elected executive officials. In the five extant U.S. territories, all governors are now directly elected as well, though in the past many territorial governors were historically appointed by the President of the United States. Governors can veto state bills, and in all but seven states they have the power of the line-item veto on appropriations bills (a power the President does not have). In some cases legislatures can override a gubernatorial veto by a two-thirds vote, in others by three-fifths.

In Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, the governor's veto can be overridden by a simple majority vote. In Arkansas, a gubernatorial veto may be overridden by an absolute majority. The governor of North Carolina had no veto power until a 1996 referendum. In 47 of the 50 states, whenever there is a vacancy of one of the state's U.S. Senate seats, that state's governor has the power to appoint someone to fill the vacancy until a special election is held; the governors of Oregon, Alaska, and Wisconsin do not have this power.^[4]

A state governor may give an annual State of the State address in order to satisfy a constitutional stipulation that a governor must report annually (or in older constitutions described as being "from time to time") on the state or condition of the state. Governors of states may also perform ceremonial roles, such as greeting dignitaries, conferring state decorations, issuing symbolic proclamations or attending the state fair. The governor may also have an official residence (see Governor's Mansion).

In a ranking of the power of the governorship in all 50 states, University of North Carolina political scientist Thad Beyle makes the distinction between "personal powers" of governors, which are factors that vary from person to person, season to season - and the "institutional powers" that are set in place by law. Examples of measurable personal factors are how large a governor's margin of victory was on election day, and standing in public opinion polls. Whether a governor has strong budget controls, appointment authority, and veto powers are examples of institutional powers.^[5]

In colonial North America, governors were chosen in a variety of ways, depending on how the colony was organized. In the crown colonies of Great Britain, France, and Spain, the governor was chosen by the ruling monarch of the colonizing power, or his designees; in British colonies, the Board of Trade was often the primary decision maker. Colonies based on a corporate charter, such as the Connecticut Colony and the Massachusetts Bay Colony, elected their own governors based on rules spelled out in the charter or other colonial legislation. In proprietary colonies, such as the Province of Carolina before it became a crown colony (and was divided into North and South), governors were chosen by the Lords Proprietor who controlled the colony. In the early years of the American Revolutionary War, eleven of the Thirteen Colonies evicted (with varying levels of violence) royal and proprietary governors. The other two colonies (Connecticut and Rhode Island) had corporate charters; Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull was governor before and during the war period, while in Rhode Island, Governor Joseph Wanton was removed from office in 1775 for failing to support the rebel war effort.

Before achieving statehood, many of the 50 states were territories or parts of territories. Administered by the federal government, they had governors who were appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate rather than elected by the resident population. Election of territorial governors began in Puerto Rico in 1948. The last appointed territorial governor, Hyrum Rex Lee in American Samoa, left office in 1978.

The average salary of a state governor in 2009 was $124,398. The highest salary currently being accepted is that of New York Governor Kathy Hochul at $225,000. The lowest salaries are those of Maine Governor Janet Mills and Pedro Pierluisi of Puerto Rico at $70,000 each.^[12]

There have been several instances where the governor of a state has either refused their salary in its entirety or instead only taken $1.00 per year. Alabama Governor Robert J. Bentley refused his yearly salary of $119,950.00 until the state reached full employment. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder took a $1.00 yearly salary. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has returned his salary to the state during each year he has held office. During his tenure as Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger also did not accept his salary of $170,000 per year. However, several governors instead have decided to take a reduction in their salary instead of refusing it entirely. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo took a 5 percent reduction in his salary in 2015, and Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear reduced his salary by 10 percent during the same year.

Only nine states (Massachusetts,^[13] California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina,^[14] and Virginia) currently offer their governors a higher salary than the $174,000 paid to members of Congress. In many states, the governor is not the highest-paid state employee; most often, that distinction is held by the head football or men's basketball coach at a major state university.^{[citation needed]}

All states except Louisiana hold gubernatorial elections on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. The earliest possible date for the election is therefore November 2 (if that date falls on a Tuesday), and the latest possible date is November 8 (if November 1 falls on a Tuesday). Louisiana holds its gubernatorial primary on the third or fourth Saturday of October and the general election (commonly referred to as the runoff within the state) on the third Saturday of November, but the general election is cancelled if one candidate wins the primary outright (see primary section below).

• Two states hold their gubernatorial elections every even numbered year. Recent years are 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022.

New Hampshire and Vermont

The other 48 states hold gubernatorial elections every four years.

• Thirty-four states and three territories hold their gubernatorial elections during a midterm election year. Washington D.C. also holds their mayoral election during a midterm election year. Recent years are 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022.

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Washington DC.

• Nine states and two territories hold their gubernatorial elections during a presidential election year (although Puerto Rico and American Samoa do not hold an election for president). Recent years are 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020.

Delaware, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico.

• Three states hold their gubernatorial elections the year before a presidential election year. Recent years are 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019.

Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi

• Two states hold their gubernatorial elections the year after a presidential election year. Recent years are 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2021.

New Jersey and Virginia

In most states, governors can serve two four-year terms.

The type of relationship between the governor and the lieutenant governor greatly varies by state. In some states the governor and lieutenant governor are completely independent of each other, while in others the governor gets to choose (prior to the election) who would be their lieutenant governor.

• Five states do not have a lieutenant governor. In those states, a different constitutional officer assumes the office of the governor should there be a vacancy in the office. Those states are Arizona, Oregon and Wyoming where the Secretary of State is next in line, and Maine and New Hampshire, where the President of the Senate is next in line. Arizona is expected to elect its first lieutenant governor in 2026, following a successful ballot initiative in 2022.
• Seventeen states have separate elections for the governor and the lieutenant governor, which may lead to the governor and the lieutenant governor being from different parties. Those states are Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
• Two states have the State Senate appoint the lieutenant governor, which may mean that the governor and the lieutenant governor may be from different parties. Those states are Tennessee and West Virginia.
• Eight states have the governor and lieutenant governor run together on the same ticket, but the governor does not get to choose their running mate. In those states, the primaries for governor and lieutenant governor are held separately, and the winners run together as a joint ticket in the general election. The governor and lieutenant governor would therefore be from the same party, but not necessarily political allies. Those states are Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
• Eighteen states have the governor and lieutenant governor run together on the same ticket similar to the President and Vice President of the United States, where a candidate for governor selects a would-be lieutenant governor. Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, and Utah have gubernatorial candidates pick their running mates before the primaries, while in Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, South Carolina, and South Dakota, the running mate is chosen after the primary. The latter system allows the nominee to potentially select a defeated primary competitor.

With the notable exception of Kansas,^[15][16] each of the states specifies in its constitution its qualifications for Governor.

More information State and statute, Minimum age ...

State and statute	Minimum age	Residency	U.S. citizenship	Registered voter/elector	Sole employment	Sole office	Notes
Alabama: Article V, Section 116[17]	30	For at least seven years by the date of the election	For at least ten years by the date of the election			Yes	Federal positions and any other state positions are precluded
Alaska: Article III, Section 2[18]	30	At least seven years prior to filing	At least seven years prior to filing	Yes		Yes	"qualified voter of the State..." "The governor shall not hold any other office or position of profit under the United States, the State, or its political subdivisions."
Arizona: Article V, Section 2:[19]	25	Five years by election day	Five years by election day	Yes
Arkansas: Article 6, Section 11[20]	30	By at least seven years on election day	Yes			Yes	"May not hold any federal office, any civil or military commission, any office in another state, or any other office in Arkansas."
California: Article 5, Section 2[21]	18 (by virtue that the candidate must be a registered voter)	For five years immediately preceding the Governor's election	For five years immediately preceding the Governor's election	Yes		Yes
Colorado: Article IV, Section 4[22]	30	For at least two years on the day of the election	Yes			Any legislative or judicial office is precluded	The standard for residency is not affected by time out of the state due to civil or military service
Connecticut: Article IV, Section 5[23]	30	On election day	On election day	On election day
Delaware: Article III, Section 1[24]	30	Six years on election day	12 years on election day				"...and have been a citizen and inhabitant of the United States twelve years next before the day of his election, and the last six years of that term an inhabitant of this State, unless he shall have been absent on public business of the United States or of this State."
Florida: Article IV, Section 5[25]	30	Seven years		Seven years
Georgia: Article V, Section 1, Paragraph IV[26]	30	Six years immediately preceding the election	Fifteen years immediately preceding the election	Yes
Hawaii: Article V, Section 1[27]	30		Five years consecutive years previous to election			Yes	"The governor shall not hold any other office or employment of profit under the State or the United States during the governor's term of office."
Idaho: Article IV, Section 3	30	At least two years prior to the election	Yes
Illinois: Article V, Section 3	25	Three years preceding his election	Yes
Indiana: Article 5, Section 1	30	Five consecutive years before the election	Five consecutive years before the election			Yes	The governor may not hold any other state or federal office during his term
Iowa: Article IV, Section 6	30	At least two years before the election	Yes
Kansas: Constitution of Kansas	18						No requirements set forth in the Constitution, however a law was passed in 2018 requiring gubernatorial candidates to be residents of the state and at least 18 years of age.
Kentucky: Article IV, Section 72[28]	30	At least six years preceding the general election
Louisiana: Article IV, Section 2[29]	25	Must have been a citizen of Louisiana for at least the preceding five years	Yes	Yes		Yes
Maine: Article IV, Part 1[30]	30	A resident for at least five years	At least fifteen years	Yes		Yes	During his/her tenure in office, a statewide elected official shall hold no other public office
Maryland: Article II, Section I[31]	30	For five years preceding the election		For five years preceding the election
Massachusetts:Section I, Article II[32]	30	Seven years
Michigan:Section 22[33]	30			For at least four years preceding the election
Minnesota: Article V, Section 2[34]	25	At least two years before the election		Yes
Mississippi: Article V[35]	30	Five years	Twenty years
Missouri: Article IV[36]	30	For at least ten years	For at least fifteen years
Montana: Article VI[37]	25	For least two years at his election	Yes
Nebraska: Article IV[38]	30	For at least five years	Yes
Nevada: Article V, Section I[39]	25	For at least two years		Yes		Yes	While in office, the governor may not hold any federal level office.
New Hampshire: Constitution of New Hampshire[40]	30	For at least seven years on election day		Yes
New Jersey: Article V[41]	30	For at least seven years	For at least twenty years			Yes	No governor shall hold office in any other state or under the federal government, nor shall a sitting governor be elected to any legislative seat. Governors who accept any state or federal position or profit are considered to have vacated their seat.
New Mexico: Article V, Section 3[42]	30	Must have been a resident of New Mexico continuously for five years on the day of the election	Yes
New York: Article IV[43]	30	For at least five years prior to the election	Yes
North Carolina: Article III[44]	30	For at least two years	For at least five years
North Dakota: Constitution of North Dakota[45]	30	For at least five years		Yes
Ohio: Constitution of Ohio[46]	18						A candidate for the governor's office may not hold any congressional or federal office or any other state office.
Oklahoma: Constitution of Oklahoma[47]	31	For at least ten years	Yes
Oregon: Constitution of Oregon[48]	30	For at least three years	Yes				The age requirements do not apply to someone who succeeds to office under Section 8a of Article V.
Pennsylvania: Constitution of Pennsylvania[49]	30	For at least seven years	Yes			Yes	The governor may not hold Congressional office, any other office under the Commonwealth, or any federal office. The exception is that the governor may be a reserve member of the National Guard.
Rhode Island: Article III, Of Qualification of Office[50]				Yes		Yes	Governors shall not be serving a sentence for, on probation for, or on parole for any felony.
South Carolina: Article IV[51]	30	For at least five years	Yes			Yes	The statute that a candidate for the governor must believe in the existence of the "Supreme Being" was declared unconstitutional by the South Carolina Supreme Court in 1996; although it has not been repealed, it is unenforceable. Furthermore, the Governor may not hold office or a commission under any other power, excepting that of a militia.
South Dakota: Article IV[52]	21	For at least two years as of the election	Yes
Tennessee: Article III[53]	30	For at least seven years upon his election	Yes
Texas: Article 4, Section 4[54]	30	For at least five years immediately preceding his election	Yes		Yes	Yes	The Governor... shall not hold any other of­fice: civ­il, mili­tary or corpor­ate; nor shall he prac­tice any profes­sion, and re­ceive compen­sation, re­ward, fee, or the prom­ise there­of for the same; nor receive any sal­ary, reward or compen­sation or the promise there­of from any per­son or corpor­ation, for any service rend­ered or performed dur­ing the time he is Gover­nor, or to be there­after rendered or performed.
Utah: Article VII[55]	30	For at least five years on the day of the election	Yes	Yes		Yes	Sitting Governors may not hold any federal office, any state office other than the governorship, or be elected to the United States Senate during his term.
Vermont: Chapter II[56]		A candidate for governor must be a resident of Vermont for at least four years on the day of the election				Yes	Governors may not hold any legislative office or any other constitutional office. Excepting positions in military reserves, they also may not hold any office under the federal government. Nor is the governor eligible for any appointed position made by any branch of the Vermont government.
Virginia: Article VI, Section 1[57]	30	For at least five years at the time of the election	Yes	For at least one year preceding the election
Washington: Article III, Section 2[58]			Yes	Yes
West Virginia: Article VII	30	For at least five years preceding the election	Yes	Yes		Yes	Under Article IV, Section 10, no individual who has fought a duel with deadly weapons, sent a challenge for such a duel, or knowingly acted as a second in such a duel in West Virginia or in any other state may hold any office in West Virginia.
Wisconsin: Constitution of Wisconsin[59]	18[60]		Yes	Yes		Partially	No gubernatorial may hold any office, honor or profit under any foreign power, nor hold any federal office, be a convicted felon, or be convicted of any misdemeanor involving a violation of the public trust.
Wyoming: Article 4[61]	30	For at least five years preceding the election	Yes	On the day of the election		Yes	Any governor who asks for, receives, or agrees to receive a bribe automatically forfeits his office and his right to hold any other office in Wyoming upon his conviction.

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• The flags and seals of governors of the U.S. states
• Governor and lieutenant governor (non-U.S.)
• List of U.S. state governors born outside the United States
• Mexican state governors
• Premier (Australia) – similar position of states/territorial government in Australia
• Premier (Canada) – similar position of provincial/territorial government in Canada