List of governors of Kentucky

The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government of Kentucky,^[1] and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.^[2] The governor has a duty to enforce state laws;^[3] the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Kentucky General Assembly;^[4] the power to convene the legislature;^[5] and the power to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.^[6] He is also empowered to reorganize the state government or reduce it in size. Historically, the office has been regarded as one of the most powerful executive positions in the United States.^[7]

Fifty-eight individuals have held the office of Governor. Prior to a 1992 amendment to the state's constitution, the Governor was prohibited from succeeding himself in office, though four men (Isaac Shelby, John L. Helm, James B. McCreary and Happy Chandler) served multiple non-consecutive terms. Paul E. Patton, the first Kentucky Governor eligible for a second consecutive term under the amendment, won his reelection bid in 1999. James Garrard succeeded himself in 1800, before the constitutional provision existed.

William Goebel, who was elected to the office in the disputed election of 1899, remains the only Governor of any U.S. state to die from assassination while in office.^[8] Martha Layne Collins, who held the office from 1983 to 1987, was the first woman to serve as governor and was only the third woman to serve as governor of any U.S. state who was not the wife or widow of a previous governor.^[7] The 63rd and current Kentucky Governor is Democrat Andy Beshear, who took office on December 10, 2019.

Governors[]

Kentucky was initially Kentucky County in Virginia. It achieved statehood and was admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792; see the list of governors of Virginia for the period before statehood. There have been 57 governors, serving 61 distinct terms.

An unelected group proclaimed Kentucky's secession from the Union on November 20, 1861, and it was annexed by the Confederate States of America on December 10, 1861. The Confederate government elected two governors (listed separately), but it never held much control over the state, and the main line of governors was preserved.

The original 1792 Kentucky Constitution had the governor chosen by an electoral college for a term of four years.^[9] The second constitution in 1799 changed this to a popular vote, and prevented governors from succeeding themselves within seven years of their terms.^[10] The third constitution in 1850 reduced the succession limitation to four years.^[11] A 1992 amendment to the constitution allowed governors to have a second term before being prevented from succeeding themselves for four years.^[12]

Governors of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
No.^[a]		Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor^[b]^[c]
1	Isaac Shelby	June 4, 1792 – June 7, 1796 (not candidate for election)	Democratic- Republican		Office did not exist
2	James Garrard	June 7, 1796 – September 5, 1804 (term limited)	Democratic- Republican		Office did not exist
2	James Garrard	June 7, 1796 – September 5, 1804 (term limited)	Democratic- Republican			Alexander Scott Bullitt
3	Christopher Greenup	September 5, 1804 – September 1, 1808 (term limited)	Democratic- Republican			John Caldwell (died November 19, 1804)
					Vacant
						Thomas Posey (acting, elected Speaker in 1805)
4	Charles Scott	September 1, 1808 – August 24, 1812 (term limited)	Democratic- Republican			Gabriel Slaughter
5	Isaac Shelby	August 24, 1812 – September 5, 1816 (term limited)	Democratic- Republican			Richard Hickman
6	George Madison	September 5, 1816 – October 14, 1816 (died in office)	Democratic- Republican			Gabriel Slaughter
7	Gabriel Slaughter	October 14, 1816 – August 29, 1820 (not candidate for election)	Democratic- Republican	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	Vacant
8	John Adair	August 29, 1820 – August 24, 1824 (term limited)	Democratic- Republican			William T. Barry
9	Joseph Desha	August 24, 1824 – August 26, 1828 (term limited)	Democratic- Republican			Robert B. McAfee
10	Thomas Metcalfe	August 26, 1828 – September 4, 1832 (term limited)	National Republican	1828		John Breathitt^[d]
11	John Breathitt	September 4, 1832 – February 21, 1834 (died in office)	Democratic			James Turner Morehead^[e]
12	James Turner Morehead	February 21, 1834 – August 30, 1836 (not candidate for election)	National Republican^[f]	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	Vacant
13	James Clark	August 30, 1836 – August 27, 1839 (died in office)	Whig			Charles A. Wickliffe
14	Charles A. Wickliffe	August 27, 1839 – September 2, 1840 (not candidate for election)	Whig	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	Vacant
15	Robert P. Letcher	September 2, 1840 – September 4, 1844 (term limited)	Whig			Manlius Valerius Thomson
16	William Owsley	September 4, 1844 – September 6, 1848 (term limited)	Whig			Archibald Dixon
17	John J. Crittenden	September 6, 1848 – July 31, 1850 (resigned)^[g]	Whig	^[h]		John L. Helm
18	John L. Helm	July 31, 1850 – September 2, 1851 (not candidate for election)	Whig	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	Vacant
19	Lazarus W. Powell	September 2, 1851 – September 4, 1855 (term limited)	Democratic			John Burton Thompson^[i]
20	Charles S. Morehead	September 4, 1855 – August 30, 1859 (term limited)	Know Nothing	1855		James Greene Hardy
21	Beriah Magoffin	August 30, 1859 – August 18, 1862 (resigned)^[j]	Democratic			Linn Boyd (died December 17, 1859)
21	Beriah Magoffin	August 30, 1859 – August 18, 1862 (resigned)^[j]	Democratic		Vacant
22	James Fisher Robinson	August 18, 1862 – September 1, 1863 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	Succeeded from President of the Senate	Vacant
23	Thomas E. Bramlette	September 1, 1863 – September 3, 1867 (term limited)	Democratic			Richard Taylor Jacob
24	John L. Helm	September 3, 1867 – September 8, 1867 (died in office)	Democratic			John W. Stevenson
25	John W. Stevenson	September 8, 1867 – February 3, 1871 (resigned)^[k]	Democratic	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	Vacant
25	John W. Stevenson	September 8, 1867 – February 3, 1871 (resigned)^[k]	Democratic	(special)
26	Preston Leslie	February 3, 1871 – August 31, 1875 (term limited)	Democratic	Succeeded from President of the Senate
26	Preston Leslie	February 3, 1871 – August 31, 1875 (term limited)	Democratic	1871		John G. Carlisle
27	James B. McCreary	August 31, 1875 – September 2, 1879 (term limited)	Democratic	1875		John C. Underwood
28	Luke P. Blackburn	September 2, 1879 – September 5, 1883 (term limited)	Democratic	1879		James E. Cantrill
29	J. Proctor Knott	September 5, 1883 – August 30, 1887 (term limited)	Democratic	1883		James R. Hindman
30	Simon Bolivar Buckner	August 30, 1887 – September 2, 1891 (term limited)	Democratic	1887		James William Bryan
31	John Y. Brown	September 2, 1891 – December 10, 1895 (term limited)	Democratic	1891		Mitchell Cary Alford
32	William O'Connell Bradley	December 10, 1895 – December 12, 1899 (term limited)	Republican	1895		William Jackson Worthington
33	William S. Taylor	December 12, 1899 – January 31, 1900 (removed from office)^[l]	Republican	1899		John Marshall
34	William Goebel	January 31, 1900 – February 3, 1900 (died in office)^[l]	Democratic	1899		J. C. W. Beckham
35	J. C. W. Beckham	February 3, 1900 – December 10, 1907 (term limited)	Democratic	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor^[l]	Vacant
				(special)	Vacant
				1903		William P. Thorne
36	Augustus E. Willson	December 10, 1907 – December 12, 1911 (term limited)	Republican	1907		William Hopkinson Cox
37	James B. McCreary	December 12, 1911 – December 7, 1915 (term limited)	Democratic	1911		Edward J. McDermott
38	Augustus Owsley Stanley	December 7, 1915 – May 19, 1919 (resigned)^[m]	Democratic	1915		James D. Black
39	James D. Black	May 19, 1919 – December 9, 1919 (lost election)	Democratic	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	Vacant
40	Edwin P. Morrow	December 9, 1919 – December 11, 1923 (term limited)	Republican	1919		S. Thruston Ballard
41	William J. Fields	December 11, 1923 – December 13, 1927 (term limited)	Democratic	1923		Henry Denhardt
42	Flem D. Sampson	December 13, 1927 – December 8, 1931 (term limited)	Republican	1927		James Breathitt Jr.^[d]
43	Ruby Laffoon	December 8, 1931 – December 10, 1935 (term limited)	Democratic	1931		Happy Chandler
44	Happy Chandler	December 10, 1935 – October 9, 1939 (resigned)^[n]	Democratic	1935		Keen Johnson
45	Keen Johnson	October 9, 1939 – December 7, 1943 (term limited)	Democratic	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	Vacant
45	Keen Johnson	October 9, 1939 – December 7, 1943 (term limited)	Democratic	1939		Rodes K. Myers
46	Simeon Willis	December 7, 1943 – December 9, 1947 (term limited)	Republican	1943		Kenneth H. Tuggle
47	Earle Clements	December 9, 1947 – November 27, 1950 (resigned)^[o]	Democratic	1947		Lawrence Wetherby
48	Lawrence Wetherby	November 27, 1950 – December 13, 1955 (term limited)	Democratic	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	Vacant
48	Lawrence Wetherby	November 27, 1950 – December 13, 1955 (term limited)	Democratic	1951		Emerson Beauchamp
49	Happy Chandler	December 13, 1955 – December 8, 1959 (term limited)	Democratic	1955		Harry Lee Waterfield
50	Bert Combs	December 8, 1959 – December 10, 1963 (term limited)	Democratic	1959		Wilson W. Wyatt
51	Ned Breathitt	December 10, 1963 – December 12, 1967 (term limited)	Democratic	1963		Harry Lee Waterfield
52	Louie Nunn	December 12, 1967 – December 7, 1971 (term limited)	Republican	1967		Wendell Ford^[d]
53	Wendell Ford	December 7, 1971 – December 28, 1974 (resigned)^[p]	Democratic	1971		Julian Carroll
54	Julian Carroll	December 28, 1974 – December 11, 1979 (term limited)	Democratic	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	Vacant
54	Julian Carroll	December 28, 1974 – December 11, 1979 (term limited)	Democratic	1975		Thelma Stovall
55	John Y. Brown Jr.	December 11, 1979 – December 13, 1983 (term limited)	Democratic	1979		Martha Layne Collins
56	Martha Layne Collins	December 13, 1983 – December 8, 1987 (term limited)	Democratic	1983		Steve Beshear
57	Wallace Wilkinson	December 8, 1987 – December 10, 1991 (term limited)	Democratic	1987		Brereton Jones
58	Brereton Jones	December 10, 1991 – December 12, 1995 (term limited)	Democratic	1991		Paul E. Patton
59	Paul E. Patton	December 12, 1995 – December 9, 2003 (term limited)	Democratic	1995		Steve Henry
59	Paul E. Patton	December 12, 1995 – December 9, 2003 (term limited)	Democratic	1999		Steve Henry
60	Ernie Fletcher	December 9, 2003 – December 11, 2007 (lost election)	Republican	2003		Steve Pence
61	Steve Beshear	December 11, 2007 – December 8, 2015 (term limited)	Democratic	2007		Daniel Mongiardo
				2011		Jerry Abramson (resigned November 13, 2014)
				2011		Crit Luallen
62	Matt Bevin	December 8, 2015 – December 10, 2019 (lost election)	Republican	2015		Jenean Hampton
63	Andy Beshear	December 10, 2019 – Incumbent^[q]	Democratic	2019		Jacqueline Coleman

Confederate governors[]

George W. Johnson, 1st Confederate Governor of Kentucky

Richard Hawes, 2nd Confederate Governor of Kentucky

During the Civil War, a group of secessionists met at Russellville to form a Confederate government for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. This government never successfully displaced the government in Frankfort, and Kentucky remained in the Union through the entire war. Two men were elected governor of the Confederate government: George W. Johnson, who served from November 20, 1861, to his death on April 8, 1862, at the Battle of Shiloh, and, on Johnson's death, Richard Hawes, who served until the Confederate surrender on April 9, 1865. The Confederate government disbanded shortly after the end of the war in 1865.^[15]

Notes[]

^ The state labels Matt Bevin as the 62nd governor;^[13] based on this, subsequent terms of repeat governors are numbered.
^ The office of Lieutenant Governor was created in the 1799 constitution.^[14]
^ Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
^ ^a ^b ^c Represented the Democratic Party.
^ Represented the National Republican Party.
^ The National Republican Party changed its name to the Whig Party in 1834.
^ Crittenden resigned to be Attorney General of the United States.
^ The 1850 Constitution shifted the election schedule forward, shortening this term by a year.
^ Represented the Whig Party.
^ Magoffin resigned due to his disagreement with the state legislature over neutrality in the American Civil War.
^ Stevenson resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
^ ^a ^b ^c Taylor won the 1899 election and was sworn into office. However, the legislature challenged the validity of his win, claiming ballot fraud. His challenger, Goebel, was shot on January 30, 1900, but was named governor by the legislature and sworn in the next day; he died three days later. Since Lieutenant Governor Marshall's win had also been invalidated, Beckham, having been named lieutenant governor, succeeded Goebel.
^ Stanley resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
^ Chandler resigned so that his successor would appoint him to the United States Senate.
^ Clements resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
^ Ford resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
^ Beshear's first term expires on December 12, 2023.

References[]

General

"Kentucky's Governors". Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Archived from the original on July 8, 2010. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
"Governors of Kentucky". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on 2011-03-16. Retrieved January 18, 2008.
"Texts of the Constitutions of Kentucky". Kentucky Court of Justice. Archived from the original on 2010-03-18. Retrieved January 18, 2008.

Constitution

"Kentucky Constitution". Kentucky Legislature. Archived from the original on 2010-06-17. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
"1792 Kentucky Constitution" (PDF). Commonwealth of Kentucky. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-03-13. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
"1799 Kentucky Constitution" (PDF). Commonwealth of Kentucky. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-03-13. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
"1850 Kentucky Constitution" (PDF). Commonwealth of Kentucky. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-03-13. Retrieved July 13, 2010.

Specific

^ KY Const. art. 69.
^ KY Const. art. 75.
^ KY Const. art. 81
^ KY Const. art. 88.
^ KY Const. art. 80.
^ KY Const. art. 77.
^ ^a ^b Kleber, John E., ed. (1992). "Governor, Office of". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0.
^ Kleber, John E., ed. (1992). "Goebel Assassination". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0.
^ 1799 Const. art. II, § 2–3
^ 1799 Const. art. III, § 3–4
^ 1850 Const. art. III, § 3
^ KY Const. art. 71
^ "Governor Matt Bevin". Governor of Kentucky. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
^ 1799 Const. art. II, § 15
^ Kleber, John E., ed. (1992). "Confederate Government". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0.

External links[]

Office of the Governor of Kentucky

[14] The state labels Matt Bevin as the 62nd governor;^[13] based on this, subsequent terms of repeat governors are numbered.

[16] The office of Lieutenant Governor was created in the 1799 constitution.^[14]

[17] Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.

[ltdem-18] Represented the Democratic Party.

[19] Represented the National Republican Party.

[20] The National Republican Party changed its name to the Whig Party in 1834.

[21] Crittenden resigned to be Attorney General of the United States.

[22] The 1850 Constitution shifted the election schedule forward, shortening this term by a year.

[23] Represented the Whig Party.

[24] Magoffin resigned due to his disagreement with the state legislature over neutrality in the American Civil War.

[25] Stevenson resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.

[elect-1899-26] Taylor won the 1899 election and was sworn into office. However, the legislature challenged the validity of his win, claiming ballot fraud. His challenger, Goebel, was shot on January 30, 1900, but was named governor by the legislature and sworn in the next day; he died three days later. Since Lieutenant Governor Marshall's win had also been invalidated, Beckham, having been named lieutenant governor, succeeded Goebel.

[27] Stanley resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.

[28] Chandler resigned so that his successor would appoint him to the United States Senate.

[29] Clements resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.

[30] Ford resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.

[31] Beshear's first term expires on December 12, 2023.

[1] KY Const. art. 69.

[2] KY Const. art. 75.

[3] KY Const. art. 81

[4] KY Const. art. 88.

[5] KY Const. art. 80.

[6] KY Const. art. 77.

[encyclopedia-7] Kleber, John E., ed. (1992). "Governor, Office of". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0.

[8] Kleber, John E., ed. (1992). "Goebel Assassination". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0.

[9] 1799 Const. art. II, § 2–3

[10] 1799 Const. art. III, § 3–4

[11] 1850 Const. art. III, § 3

[12] KY Const. art. 71

[13] "Governor Matt Bevin". Governor of Kentucky. Retrieved November 19, 2018.

[15] 1799 Const. art. II, § 15

[32] Kleber, John E., ed. (1992). "Confederate Government". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0.

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v t Governors of Kentucky
Italics indicate Confederate governors
Shelby Garrard Greenup Scott Shelby Madison Slaughter Adair Desha Metcalfe J. Breathitt J. Morehead Clark Wickliffe Letcher Owsley Crittenden Helm Powell C. Morehead Magoffin G.W. Johnson Robinson Hawes Bramlette Helm Stevenson Leslie McCreary Blackburn Knott Buckner Brown Bradley Taylor Goebel Beckham Willson McCreary Stanley Black Morrow Fields Sampson Laffoon Chandler K. Johnson Willis Clements Wetherby Chandler Combs N. Breathitt Nunn Ford Carroll Brown Jr. Collins Wilkinson Jones Patton Fletcher S. Beshear Bevin A. Beshear
List of governors of Kentucky

v t Years in Kentucky (1792–present)
18th-19th century	1792 1793 1794 1795 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800 1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900
20th century	1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
21st century	2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2026

v t Chief executives of the United States
Federal	President of the United States list
State governors (current list)	Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California list Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia list Hawaii list Idaho Illinois list Indiana list Iowa Kansas Kentucky list Louisiana Maine list Maryland list Massachusetts Michigan list Minnesota list Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire list New Jersey list New Mexico list New York list North Carolina list North Dakota list Ohio Oklahoma list Oregon list Pennsylvania Rhode Island list South Carolina list South Dakota list Tennessee list Texas list Utah Vermont list Virginia list Washington West Virginia Wisconsin list Wyoming
Territorial (current list)	American Samoa District of Columbia list Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico list United States Virgin Islands
Defunct	Cuba Dakota Territory Panama Canal Zone Philippine Islands (until 1935) Philippine Commonwealth (until 1946) Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands Santo Domingo

v t Commonwealth of Kentucky
Frankfort (capital)
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