List of governors of California

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Gavin Newsom, the 40th and current Governor of California

The governor of California is the head of government of California, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced. The governor is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The current governor is Gavin Newsom, who has been in office since 2019.

Thirty-nine people have served as governor, over 40 distinct terms; many have been influential nationwide in areas far-flung from politics. Leland Stanford founded Stanford University in 1891. Earl Warren, later Chief Justice of the United States, won an election with the nominations of the three major parties – the only person ever to run essentially unopposed for governor of California. Ronald Reagan, who was president of the Screen Actors Guild and later President of the United States, and Arnold Schwarzenegger both came to prominence through acting. Gray Davis, the 37th governor of California, was the second governor in American history to be recalled by voters. The shortest tenure was that of Milton Latham, who served only five days before being elected by the legislature to fill a vacant United States Senate seat. The longest tenure is that of Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown Jr., who previously served as governor from 1975 to 1983 and again from 2011 to 2019, the only governor to serve non-consecutive terms. He is the son of former governor Edmund Gerald "Pat" Brown Sr. who served from 1959 to 1967.

List of governors[]

California was obtained by the United States in the Mexican Cession following the Mexican–American War. Unlike most other states, it was never organized as a territory, and was admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850.

The original California Constitution of 1849 called for elections every two years, with no set start date for the term. An amendment ratified in 1862 increased the term to four years,[1] and the 1879 constitution set the term to begin on the first Monday after January 1 following an election.[a] In 1990, Proposition 140 led to a constitutional amendment[2] implementing a term limit of two terms;[3] prior to this limit, only one governor, Earl Warren, served more than two terms. Jerry Brown was able to be elected to a third term in 2010 because his previous terms were before the term limit was enacted. The 1849 constitution also created the office of lieutenant governor, who, in cases of vacancy in the office of governor, becomes governor.[4] The governor and lieutenant governor are not elected on the same ticket.

Governors of the State of California[b]
No. Image Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor[c]
1 Peter Hardeman Burnett - circa 1860.jpg   Peter Hardeman Burnett December 20, 1849[d]

January 9, 1851
(resigned)[e]
Democratic 1849   John McDougal
2 John McDougall.jpg John McDougal January 9, 1851

January 8, 1852
(not candidate for election)
Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
David C. Broderick
(acting)
3 John Bigler painting.jpg John Bigler January 8, 1852

January 9, 1856
(lost election)
1851 Samuel Purdy
1853
4 JNeelyJohnson.jpg J. Neely Johnson January 9, 1856

January 8, 1858
(not candidate for election)
American 1855 Robert M. Anderson
5 John B Weller by William F Cogswell, 1879.jpg John B. Weller January 8, 1858

January 9, 1860
(not candidate for election)
Democratic 1857 Joseph Walkup
6 MiltonLatham.jpg Milton Latham January 9, 1860

January 14, 1860
(resigned)[f]
1859 John G. Downey
7 John G. Downey.jpg John G. Downey January 14, 1860

January 10, 1862
(not candidate for election)
Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
Isaac N. Quinn
(acting)
(term ended January 7, 1861)
Pablo de la Guerra
(acting)
8 LelandStanford3.jpg Leland Stanford January 10, 1862

December 10, 1863
(not candidate for election)
Republican 1861 John F. Chellis
9 FrederickFerdinandLow.png Frederick Low December 10, 1863

December 5, 1867
(not candidate for election)
1863[g] Tim N. Machin
10 Henry Haight.jpg Henry Huntly Haight December 5, 1867

December 8, 1871
(lost election)
Democratic 1867 William Holden
11 Newton Booth - Brady-Handy.jpg Newton Booth December 8, 1871

February 27, 1875
(resigned)[h]
Republican 1871 Romualdo Pacheco
12 Romualdo Pacheco - Brady-Handy.jpg Romualdo Pacheco February 27, 1875

December 9, 1875
(not candidate for election)
Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
William Irwin
(acting)
13 William Irwin painting.jpg William Irwin December 9, 1875

January 8, 1880
(not candidate for election)
Democratic 1875 James A. Johnson
14 George Clement Perkins, a Senator from California.jpg George Clement Perkins January 8, 1880

January 10, 1883
(not candidate for election)
Republican 1879 John Mansfield
15 General George Stoneman.jpg George Stoneman January 10, 1883

January 8, 1887
(not candidate for election)
Democratic 1882 John Daggett
16 Washington Bartlett.jpg Washington Bartlett January 8, 1887

September 12, 1887
(died in office)
1886 Robert Waterman[i]
17 Robert Waterman.jpg Robert Waterman September 12, 1887

January 8, 1891
(not candidate for election)
Republican Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
Stephen M. White[j]
(acting)
18 Governor H. H. Markham.jpg Henry Markham January 8, 1891

January 11, 1895
(not candidate for election)
1890 John B. Reddick
19 James H. Budd.jpg James Budd January 11, 1895

January 4, 1899
(not candidate for election)
Democratic 1894 Spencer G. Millard[i]
(died October 24, 1895)
William T. Jeter
20 HenryGage.jpg Henry Gage January 4, 1899

January 7, 1903
(not candidate for election)
Republican 1898 Jacob H. Neff
21 GeorgeCPardee.jpg George Pardee January 7, 1903

January 9, 1907
(not candidate for election)
1902 Alden Anderson
22 James Gillett.jpg James Gillett January 9, 1907

January 3, 1911
(not candidate for election)
1906 Warren R. Porter
23 Souvenir of the unveiling, dedication and presentation of the Abraham Lincoln G. A. R. memorial monument - dedicated to the veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865, at Long Beach, California, July 3rd, (14576262447).jpg Hiram Johnson January 3, 1911

March 15, 1917
(resigned)[k]
Republican 1910 Albert Joseph Wallace
Progressive 1914 John M. Eshleman
(died February 28, 1916)
Vacant
William Stephens[i]
(took office July 22, 1916)
24 Portrait of William Stephens.jpg William Stephens March 15, 1917

January 8, 1923
(not candidate for election)
Republican Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
Vacant
1918 C. C. Young
25 Friend Richardson.jpg Friend Richardson January 8, 1923

January 4, 1927
(not candidate for election)
1922
26 CC Young.jpg C. C. Young January 4, 1927

January 6, 1931
(lost renomination)[l]
1926 Buron Fitts
(resigned November 30, 1928)
Vacant
Herschel L. Carnahan
(appointed December 4, 1928)
27 Gov James Rolph.jpg James Rolph January 6, 1931

June 2, 1934
(died in office)
1930 Frank Merriam
28 FrankMerriam.jpg Frank Merriam June 2, 1934

January 2, 1939
(lost election)
Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
Vacant
1934 George J. Hatfield
29 Culbert L. Olson-1942.png Culbert Olson January 2, 1939

January 4, 1943
(lost election)
Democratic 1938 Ellis E. Patterson
30 Earl Warren Portrait, half figure, seated, facing front, as Governor.jpg Earl Warren January 4, 1943

October 5, 1953
(resigned)[m]
Republican[n] 1942 Frederick F. Houser
1946 Goodwin Knight
1950
31 GoodwinKnight.jpg Goodwin Knight October 5, 1953

January 5, 1959
(not candidate for election)[o]
Republican Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
Harold J. Powers
1954
32 Pat Brown (California Governor 1962).jpg Pat Brown January 5, 1959

January 2, 1967
(lost election)
Democratic 1958 Glenn M. Anderson
1962
33 Ronald-Reagan-governor-California.jpg Ronald Reagan January 2, 1967

January 6, 1975
(not candidate for election)
Republican 1966 Robert Finch
(resigned January 8, 1969)
Edwin Reinecke
(resigned October 2, 1974)
1970
John L. Harmer
34 Jerry Brown in 1978 crop.jpg Jerry Brown January 6, 1975

January 3, 1983
(not candidate for election)
Democratic 1974 Mervyn M. Dymally
1978 Michael Curb[i]
35 George Deukmejian Official Portrait crop 2.jpg George Deukmejian January 3, 1983

January 7, 1991
(not candidate for election)
Republican 1982 Leo T. McCarthy[j]
1986
36 Pete Wilson.jpg Pete Wilson January 7, 1991

January 4, 1999
(term limited)
1990
1994 Gray Davis[j]
37 Gray Davis Bio.gif Gray Davis January 4, 1999

November 17, 2003
(recalled)[p]
Democratic 1998 Cruz Bustamante[j]
2002
38 A. Schwarzenegger.jpg Arnold Schwarzenegger November 17, 2003

January 3, 2011
(term limited)
Republican 2003
(special)[p]
2006 John Garamendi[j]
(resigned November 3, 2009)
Mona Pasquil[j]
(acting)
Abel Maldonado[i][q]
(appointed April 27, 2010)
39 Edmund G Brown Jr.jpg Jerry Brown January 3, 2011

January 7, 2019
(term limited)
Democratic 2010
Gavin Newsom[q]
(took office January 10, 2011)
2014
40 Gavin Newsom by Gage Skidmore.jpg Gavin Newsom January 7, 2019

Incumbent[r]
2018 Eleni Kounalakis
2021
(special)[s]
No. Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor

Succession[]

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ The rule of the term beginning on the first Monday after January 1 does not seem to have been followed until 1939; all terms between 1880 and 1931, except for 1923, began on the "wrong" day, often just one or two days off. This is well sourced, and it is unknown why the terms did not match the constitution, or why they began to match the constitution in 1939.
  2. ^ Data is sourced from the National Governors Association, unless supplemental references are required.
  3. ^ Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
  4. ^ A civilian government was formed in late 1849 prior to official statehood, and operated as the state government for ten months before official statehood was granted.[5]
  5. ^ Burnett resigned, citing personal reasons; he was reportedly unhappy with the legislature, and wanted more time to manage his business.[6]
  6. ^ Latham resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[7]
  7. ^ First term under an 1862 constitutional amendment, which lengthened terms to four years.[1]
  8. ^ Booth resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[8]
  9. ^ a b c d e Represented the Republican Party
  10. ^ a b c d e f Represented the Democratic Party
  11. ^ Johnson resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[9]
  12. ^ Richardson lost the Republican nomination to James Rolph.[10]
  13. ^ Warren resigned to be Chief Justice of the United States.[11]
  14. ^ Warren ran as a Republican for his first and third terms. For his second term, he won the nomination of the Republican, Democratic, and Progressive parties.[12]
  15. ^ Knight instead unsuccessfully ran for United States Senate.[13]
  16. ^ a b Davis was recalled and Schwarzenegger elected to replace him in a special election.[14]
  17. ^ a b Newsom delayed his swearing in as lieutenant governor until January 10, 2011, to remain mayor of San Francisco; Maldonado stayed on as lieutenant governor until then.[15]
  18. ^ Newsom's first term expires on January 2, 2023.
  19. ^ Newsom survived a recall election.[16]

References[]

General
  • "Governors of California". California State Library. Official Site of the State of California. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  • "Former California Governors". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  • Sobel, Robert (1978). Biographical directory of the governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. I. Meckler Books. ISBN 9780930466015. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  • "Chronology of California's Lieutenant Governors". Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
Constitutions
Specific
  1. ^ a b Henning, W.F. (1899). Constitution of the State of California. C.W. Palm Company. Retrieved January 18, 2008.
  2. ^ "California Ballot Propositions 1990-1999". Los Angeles County Law Library. Archived from the original on October 7, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
  3. ^ CA Const. art. V, § 2
  4. ^ CA Const. art. V, § 10
  5. ^ "Peter Hardeman Burnett". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  6. ^ Durham, Walter T. (1997). Volunteer Forty-niners: Tennesseans and the California Gold Rush. Vanderbilt University Press. p. 193. ISBN 0-8265-1298-4. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  7. ^ "Milton Slocum Latham". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  8. ^ "Newton Booth". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  9. ^ "Hiram Warren Johnson". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  10. ^ "Rolph Victor in California Race". Nashville Banner. Nashville, Tennessee. August 28, 1930. p. 13. Retrieved February 14, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Earl Warren". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  12. ^ "Biography of Earl Warren". Earl Warren College. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  13. ^ "Goodwin Jess Knight". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  14. ^ "Statewide Special Election". California Secretary of State. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved October 15, 2008.
  15. ^ Upton Oot, John (January 7, 2011). "Newsom's Dual Role Raises Legal Quandary". The Bay Citizen. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  16. ^ Ronayne, Kathleen; Blood, Michael R. (September 15, 2021). "California Gov. Gavin Newsom beats back GOP-led recall". Associated Press. Retrieved September 20, 2021.

External links[]

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