List of governors of Kansas
| Governor of Kansas | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Standard of the Governor | |
 Laura Kelly since January 14, 2019 | |
| Residence | Cedar Crest |
| Term length | Four years, renewable once consecutively |
| Inaugural holder | Charles L. Robinson |
| Formation | February 9, 1861 |
| Salary | $99,636 (2017)[1] |
| Website | governor |
The governor of Kansas is the head of state of Kansas[2] and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.[3] The governor has a duty to enforce state laws,[2] and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Kansas Legislature,[4] to convene the legislature at any time,[5] and to grant pardons.[6]
The governor has a 4-year term, commencing on the second Monday of January after election.[7] The governor originally had a 2-year term; this was changed to four years by a constitutional amendment in 1974. The lieutenant governor is elected at the same time as the governor.[7] When the office of governor becomes vacant for any reason, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the remainder of the term.[8]
Since becoming a state, Kansas has had 48 governors. The state's longest-serving governors were Robert Docking, John W. Carlin, and Bill Graves, each of whom served 8 years and 4 days (Docking served four two-year terms; Carlin and Graves each served 2 4-year terms). The shortest-serving governor was John McCuish, who served only 11 days after the resignation of Fred Hall.
The current governor is Democrat Laura Kelly, who took office on January 14, 2019.
History[]
The office was created in 1861 when Kansas was officially admitted to the United States as the 34th state. Prior to statehood in 1861, the office was preceded by a Presidential appointed Governor of Kansas Territory with similar powers.
Despite being an executive branch official, the Governor also possesses legislative and judicial powers. The Governor's responsibilities include making yearly "State of the State" addresses to the Kansas Legislature, submitting the budget, ensuring that state laws are enforced, and that the peace is preserved.
Gubernatorial term of office and requirements for running[]
There is no lifetime limit on the number of times he or she may be elected, but a governor who has been elected to two consecutive terms must be out of office for at least one election cycle before being eligible once again for re-election. Elections occur at the same time as the Congressional midterm elections, and each term begins on the second Monday of January following the election. The lieutenant governor is subject to the same limitations and runs on a combined ticket with the governor.[9] From the establishment of the state in 1859 with the Wyandotte Constitution until 2018, there was neither an age requirement nor a residency requirement to run for the office; as of 2017 three Kansan teenagers were doing so.[10] In 2018, a law was passed establishing the age to run for Governor and Lieutenant Governor at 25, beginning with the 2022 election.[11]
If the governor becomes incapacitated, the lieutenant governor assumes the duties of the governor. However, if both offices become vacant, the line of succession is determined by the legislature. Under present law, the President of the Senate would be next in line to assume the governorship, followed by the Speaker of the House.
Residence[]
Since 1962, the Governor of Kansas has resided in the governor's mansion, known as Cedar Crest. It was designed by the architect firm Wight and Wight. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Succession[]
Governors[]
Governors of Kansas Territory[]
- The area that became Kansas was part of Louisiana Territory, later renamed Missouri Territory, until 1821, and unorganized until it became its own territory on May 30, 1854; see List of governors of Missouri for the period from 1805 to 1821.
- A small part of Kansas was once claimed as part of the Republic of Texas (see List of presidents of the Republic of Texas, and before that, was part of Mexico (see Spanish governors of New Mexico).
| No. | Governor | Term in office | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
Andrew Horatio Reeder July 12, 1807 – July 5, 1864 (aged 56) |
July 7, 1854 – August 16, 1855 |
Franklin Pierce |
| 2 | 
|
Wilson Shannon February 24, 1802 – August 30, 1877 (aged 75) |
September 5, 1855 – August 18, 1856 | |
| 3 | 
|
John W. Geary December 30, 1819 – February 8, 1873 (aged 53) |
September 9, 1856 – March 20, 1857 | |
| 4 | 
|
Robert J. Walker July 19, 1801 – November 11, 1869 (aged 68) |
May 27, 1857 – December 15, 1857 |
James Buchanan |
| 5 | 
|
James W. Denver October 23, 1817 – August 9, 1892 (aged 74) |
December 1857 – November 1858 | |
| 6 | 
|
Samuel Medary February 25, 1801 – November 7, 1864 (aged 63) |
December 1858 – December 1860 | |
Governors of Kansas[]
The eastern bulk of Kansas Territory was admitted to the Union as Kansas on January 29, 1861; the remainder become unorganized territory which would shortly be assigned to Colorado Territory. The Kansas Constitution provided that a governor and lieutenant governor be elected every 2 years.[12] An amendment in 1972 increased terms to four years,[13] and provided that the governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket. In the original constitution, should the office of governor be vacant, the powers would devolve upon the lieutenant governor, who nonetheless would remain in that office;[14] an amendment in 1972 changed that so that, in such an event, the lieutenant governor becomes governor, and relies on the legislature to provide for succession after that.[15]
| No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor[a] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
Charles L. Robinson July 21, 1818 – August 17, 1894 (aged 76) |
February 9, 1861 – January 12, 1863 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | Joseph Pomeroy Root | |||
| 2 | 
|
Thomas Carney August 20, 1824 – July 28, 1888 (aged 63) |
January 12, 1863 – January 9, 1865 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | Thomas A. Osborn | |||
| 3 | 
|
Samuel J. Crawford April 10, 1835 – October 21, 1913 (aged 78) |
January 9, 1865 – November 4, 1868 (resigned)[b] |
Republican | James McGrew | |||
| Nehemiah Green | ||||||||
| 4 | 
|
Nehemiah Green March 8, 1837 – January 12, 1890 (aged 52) |
November 4, 1868 – January 11, 1869 (successor took office) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | ||
| 5 | 
|
James M. Harvey September 21, 1833 – April 15, 1894 (aged 60) |
January 11, 1869 – January 13, 1873 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | Charles Vernon Eskridge | |||
| Peter Percival Elder | ||||||||
| 6 | 
|
Thomas A. Osborn October 26, 1836 – February 4, 1898 (aged 61) |
January 13, 1873 – January 8, 1877 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | Elias S. Stover | |||
| 1874 | Melville J. Salter | |||||||
| 7 | 
|
George T. Anthony June 9, 1824 – August 5, 1896 (aged 72) |
January 8, 1877 – January 13, 1879 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1876 | |||
| Lyman U. Humphrey | ||||||||
| 8 | 
|
John St. John February 25, 1833 – August 31, 1916 (aged 83) |
January 13, 1879 – January 8, 1883 (lost election) |
Republican | 1878 | |||
| 1880 | David Wesley Finney[c] | |||||||
| 9 | 
|
George Washington Glick July 4, 1827 – April 13, 1911 (aged 83) |
January 8, 1883 – January 12, 1885 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1882 | |||
| 10 | 
|
John Martin March 10, 1839 – October 2, 1889 (aged 50) |
January 12, 1885 – January 14, 1889 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1884 | Alexander P. Riddle | ||
| 1886 | ||||||||
| 11 | 
|
Lyman U. Humphrey July 25, 1844 – September 12, 1915 (aged 71) |
January 14, 1889 – January 8, 1893 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1888 | Andrew Jackson Felt | ||
| 1890 | ||||||||
| 12 | 
|
Lorenzo D. Lewelling December 21, 1846 – September 3, 1900 (aged 53) |
January 8, 1893 – January 14, 1895 (lost election) |
Populist | 1892 | Percy Daniels | ||
| 13 | 
|
Edmund Needham Morrill February 12, 1834 – March 14, 1909 (aged 75) |
January 14, 1895 – January 11, 1897 (lost election) |
Republican | 1894 | James Armstrong Troutman | ||
| 14 | 
|
John W. Leedy March 8, 1849 – March 24, 1935 (aged 86) |
January 11, 1897 – January 9, 1899 (lost election) |
Populist | 1896 | Alexander Miller Harvey | ||
| 15 | 
|
William Eugene Stanley December 28, 1844 – October 13, 1910 (aged 65) |
January 9, 1899 – January 12, 1903 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1898 | Harry E. Richter | ||
| 1900 | ||||||||
| 16 | 
|
Willis J. Bailey October 12, 1854 – May 19, 1932 (aged 77) |
January 12, 1903 – January 9, 1905 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1902 | David John Hanna | ||
| 17 | 
|
Edward W. Hoch March 17, 1849 – June 1, 1925 (aged 76) |
January 9, 1905 – January 11, 1909 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1904 | |||
| 1906 | William James Fitzgerald | |||||||
| 18 | 
|
Walter R. Stubbs November 7, 1858 – March 25, 1929 (aged 70) |
January 11, 1909 – January 13, 1913 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1908 | |||
| 1910 | Richard Joseph Hopkins | |||||||
| 19 | 
|
George H. Hodges February 6, 1866 – October 7, 1947 (aged 81) |
January 13, 1913 – January 11, 1915 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1912 | Sheffield Ingalls[c] | ||
| 20 | 
|
Arthur Capper July 14, 1865 – December 19, 1951 (aged 86) |
January 11, 1915 – January 13, 1919 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1914 | William Yoast Morgan | ||
| 1916 | ||||||||
| 21 | 
|
Henry Justin Allen September 11, 1868 – January 17, 1950 (aged 81) |
January 13, 1919 – January 8, 1923 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1918 | Charles Solomon Huffman | ||
| 1920 | ||||||||
| 22 | 
|
Jonathan M. Davis April 27, 1871 – June 27, 1943 (aged 72) |
January 8, 1923 – January 12, 1925 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1922 | Benjamin S. Paulen[c] | ||
| 23 | 
|
Benjamin S. Paulen July 14, 1869 – July 11, 1961 (aged 91) |
January 12, 1925 – January 14, 1929 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1924 | De Lanson Alson Newton Chase | ||
| 1926 | ||||||||
| 24 | 
|
Clyde M. Reed October 19, 1871 – November 8, 1949 (aged 78) |
January 14, 1929 – January 12, 1931 (lost primary) |
Republican | 1928 | Jacob W. Graybill[c] | ||
| 25 | 
|
Harry Hines Woodring May 31, 1887 – September 9, 1967 (aged 80) |
January 12, 1931 – January 9, 1933 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1930 | |||
| 26 | 
|
Alf Landon September 9, 1887 – October 12, 1987 (aged 100) |
January 9, 1933 – January 11, 1937 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1932 | Charles W. Thompson | ||
| 1934 | ||||||||
| 27 | 
|
Walter A. Huxman February 16, 1887 – June 25, 1972 (aged 85) |
January 11, 1937 – January 9, 1939 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1936 | William M. Lindsay | ||
| 28 | 
|
Payne Ratner October 3, 1896 – December 27, 1974 (aged 78) |
January 9, 1939 – January 11, 1943 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1938 | Carl E. Friend | ||
| 1940 | ||||||||
| 29 | 
|
Andrew Frank Schoeppel November 23, 1894 – January 21, 1962 (aged 67) |
January 11, 1943 – January 13, 1947 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1942 | Jess C. Denious | ||
| 1944 | ||||||||
| 30 | 
|
Frank Carlson January 23, 1893 – May 30, 1987 (aged 94) |
January 13, 1947 – November 28, 1950 (resigned)[d] |
Republican | 1946 | Frank L. Hagaman | ||
| 1948 | ||||||||
| 31 | 
|
Frank L. Hagaman June 1, 1894 – June 23, 1966 (aged 72) |
November 28, 1950 – January 8, 1951 (successor took office) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | ||
| 32 | 
|
Edward F. Arn May 19, 1906 – January 22, 1998 (aged 91) |
January 8, 1951 – January 10, 1955 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1950 | Fred Hall | ||
| 1952 | ||||||||
| 33 | 
|
Fred Hall July 24, 1916 – March 18, 1970 (aged 53) |
January 10, 1955 – January 3, 1957 (resigned)[e] |
Republican | 1954 | John McCuish | ||
| 34 | 
|
John McCuish June 22, 1906 – March 12, 1962 (aged 55) |
January 3, 1957 – January 14, 1957 (successor took office) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | ||
| 35 | 
|
George Docking February 23, 1904 – January 20, 1964 (aged 59) |
January 14, 1957 – January 9, 1961 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1956 | Joseph W. Henkle Sr. | ||
| 1958 | ||||||||
| 36 | 
|
John Anderson Jr. May 8, 1917 – September 15, 2014 (aged 97) |
January 9, 1961 – January 11, 1965 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1960 | Harold H. Chase | ||
| 1962 | ||||||||
| 37 | 
|
William H. Avery August 11, 1911 – November 4, 2009 (aged 98) |
January 11, 1965 – January 9, 1967 (lost election) |
Republican | 1964 | John Crutcher[c] | ||
| 38 | 
|
Robert Docking October 9, 1925 – October 8, 1983 (aged 57) |
January 9, 1967 – January 13, 1975 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1966 | |||
| 1968 | James H. DeCoursey Jr. | |||||||
| 1970 | Reynolds Shultz[c] | |||||||
| 1972 | Dave Owen[c] | |||||||
| 39 | 
|
Robert Frederick Bennett May 23, 1927 – October 9, 2000 (aged 73) |
January 13, 1975 – January 8, 1979 (lost election) |
Republican | 1974[f] | Shelby Smith | ||
| 40 | 
|
John W. Carlin August 5, 1940 |
January 8, 1979 – January 12, 1987 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1978 | Paul Dugan | ||
| 1982 | Thomas Docking | |||||||
| 41 | 
|
Mike Hayden March 16, 1944 |
January 12, 1987 – January 14, 1991 (lost election) |
Republican | 1986 | Jack D. Walker | ||
| 42 | 
|
Joan Finney February 12, 1925 – July 28, 2001 (aged 76) |
January 14, 1991 – January 9, 1995 (not candidate for election) |
Democratic | 1990 | Jim Francisco | ||
| 43 | 
|
Bill Graves January 9, 1953 |
January 9, 1995 – January 13, 2003 (term limited) |
Republican | 1994 | Sheila Frahm (resigned June 11, 1996) | ||
| Vacant | ||||||||
| Gary Sherrer (appointed July 18, 1996) | ||||||||
| 1998 | ||||||||
| 44 | 
|
Kathleen Sebelius May 15, 1948 |
January 13, 2003 – April 28, 2009 (resigned)[g] |
Democratic | 2002 | John E. Moore | ||
| 2006 | Mark Parkinson | |||||||
| 45 | 
|
Mark Parkinson June 24, 1957 |
April 28, 2009 – January 10, 2011 (not candidate for election) |
Democratic | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | ||
| Troy Findley (appointed May 15, 2009) | ||||||||
| 46 | 
|
Sam Brownback September 15, 1956 |
January 10, 2011 – January 31, 2018 (resigned)[h] |
Republican | 2010 | Jeff Colyer | ||
| 2014 | ||||||||
| 47 | 
|
Jeff Colyer June 3, 1960 |
January 31, 2018 – January 14, 2019 (lost primary) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Tracey Mann (appointed February 14, 2018) | ||
| 48 | 
|
Laura Kelly January 24, 1950 |
January 14, 2019 – Incumbent[i] |
Democratic | 2018 | Lynn Rogers (resigned January 2, 2021) | ||
| David Toland (appointed January 2, 2021) | ||||||||
See also[]
- List of Kansas state legislatures
Notes[]
- ^ Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
- ^ Crawford resigned to take command of the 19th Kansas Infantry.
- ^ a b c d e f g Represented the Republican Party
- ^ Carlson resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
- ^ Hall resigned so that his successor would appoint him to the Kansas Supreme Court.
- ^ First term under a 1972 constitutional amendment which lengthened terms to four years.
- ^ Sebelius resigned to become United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.
- ^ Brownback resigned on January 31, 2018, to become United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.
- ^ Kelly's first term expires on January 9, 2023.
References[]
- General
- "Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson." State of Kansas. Retrieved September 7, 2009.
- "Governors of Kansas." National Governors Association. Retrieved September 7, 2009.
- "Kansas Governors by Terms in Office." Kansas State Historical Society. Retrieved September 7, 2009.
- Constitutions
- "Constitution of the State of Kansas" (1859). State Library of Kansas. Retrieved September 7, 2009.
- Specific
- ^ "Kansas Government Employee Payroll List". Retrieved January 14, 2019.
- ^ a b KS Const. art. I, § 3.
- ^ KS Const. art. VIII, § 4.
- ^ KS Const. art. II, § 14.
- ^ KS Const. art. I, § 5.
- ^ KS Const. art. I, § 7.
- ^ a b KS Const. art. I, § 1.
- ^ KS Const. art. I, § 11.
- ^ Constitution of the State of Kansas Archived November 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Woodall, Hunter (September 28, 2017). "As third teen joins Kansas governor race, consider this: No rule says a dog can't run". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
- ^ KWCH (May 18, 2018). "New law sets minimum age for Kansas governor candidates". KWCH.
- ^ 1861 Const. art. I, § 1
- ^ KS Const. art. 1, § 1
- ^ 1861 Const. art I, § 11
- ^ KS Const. art I, § 11
External links[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Governors of Kansas. |
- Office of the Governor of Kansas website
| Territorial (1854–1861) |
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| State (since 1861) |
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- Lists of state governors of the United States
- Governors of Kansas
- Government of Kansas
- Lists of Kansas politicians