List of governors of Iowa

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Governor of Iowa
Seal of the State of Iowa
Incumbent
Kim Reynolds
since May 24, 2017
StyleThe Honorable
ResidenceTerrace Hill
Term lengthFour years, no term limits
Inaugural holderAnsel Briggs; 1846
FormationConstitution of Iowa
SuccessionEvery four years, unless re-elected
Salary$130,000 (2013)[1]

The Governor of Iowa is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Iowa. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Iowa's state government[2] and is charged with enforcing state laws.[3] The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Iowa State Legislature,[4] to convene the legislature,[5] and to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.[6] The governor is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.[7]

There have been 41 individuals who served as governor of Iowa, including the current governor, Kim Reynolds who was sworn in on May 24, 2017. The longest-serving governor is Terry Branstad, who served from 1983 to 1999, and then again from 2011 to 2017. He is the longest-serving governor in U.S. history, surpassing the previous record of 21 years set by George Clinton of New York. The shortest-serving governor was Robert D. Fulton, who served 16 days.

List of Governors

Governors of the Territory of Iowa

For the period before Iowa Territory was formed, see the list of Governors of Wisconsin Territory.

Iowa Territory was formed on July 4, 1838, from Wisconsin Territory. It had three governors appointed by the President of the United States. The first governor did not arrive for six weeks after the territory had been created; in the interim, territorial secretary William B. Conway acted as governor.[8]

# Image Governor Took office Left office Appointed by
1 Portrait of a man. Robert Lucas August 15, 1838 May 13, 1841[a] Martin Van Buren
2 Portrait of a man. John Chambers May 13, 1841[a] November 18, 1845[b] William Henry Harrison
3 Portrait of a man. James Clarke November 18, 1845[b] December 28, 1846[c] James K. Polk

Governors of the State of Iowa

The southeast portion of Iowa Territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Iowa on December 3, 1846; the remainder became unorganized territory.

The first state constitution of 1846 created the office of governor, to have a four-year term,[11] with no specific start date for the term. The original constitution of 1857 reduced this term to two years,[12] but an amendment in 1972 increased this back to four years.[13] The 1857 constitution set the start of the term to the second Monday in the January following the election,[14] which was changed to the day after that by a 1988 amendment.[15]

The office of lieutenant governor was created in the 1857 constitution, elected for the same term as the governor.[16] An amendment in 1988 specified that the lieutenant governor would be elected on the same ticket as the governor.[17] If the office of governor becomes vacant, the office devolves upon the lieutenant governor for the remainder of the term or vacancy.[18] Prior to 1857, if the office of governor became vacant, the state secretary of state would act as governor.[19] There is no term limit on the number of terms a governor may serve.

Parties

  Democratic (10)   Whig (1)   Republican (31)

#[d] Image Governor Term start Term end Party Lt. Governor[e][f] Term[g]
1 bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Ansel Briggs December 3, 1846 December 4, 1850 Democratic None 1[h]
2 bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Stephen P. Hempstead December 4, 1850 December 9, 1854 Democratic 2
3 bgcolor=Template:Whig Party (United States)/meta/color |  James W. Grimes December 9, 1854 January 13, 1858 Whig 3[i]
4 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Ralph P. Lowe January 13, 1858 January 11, 1860 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Oran Faville 4[j]
5 rowspan=2 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Samuel J. Kirkwood January 11, 1860 January 14, 1864 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Nicholas J. Rusch 5–6
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  John R. Needham
6 rowspan=2 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  William M. Stone January 14, 1864 January 16, 1868 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Enoch W. Eastman 7–8
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Benjamin F. Gue
7 rowspan=3 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Samuel Merrill January 16, 1868 January 11, 1872 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  John Scott 9–10
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Madison Miner Walden[k]
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Henry C. Bulis
8 rowspan=2 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Cyrus C. Carpenter January 11, 1872 January 13, 1876 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Henry C. Bulis 11–12
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Joseph Dysart
9 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Samuel J. Kirkwood January 13, 1876 February 1, 1877 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Joshua G. Newbold 13...[l]
10 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Joshua G. Newbold February 1, 1877 January 17, 1878 Republican Vacant ...13[m]
11 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  John H. Gear January 17, 1878 January 12, 1882 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Frank T. Campbell 14–15
12 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Buren R. Sherman January 12, 1882 January 14, 1886 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Orlando H. Manning 16–17
13 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  William Larrabee January 14, 1886 February 27, 1890[n] Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  John A. T. Hull 18–19
14 rowspan=2 bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Horace Boies February 27, 1890[n] January 11, 1894 Democratic bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Alfred N. Poyneer[o] 20–21
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Samuel L. Bestow
15 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Frank D. Jackson January 11, 1894 January 16, 1896 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Warren S. Dungan 22
16 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Francis M. Drake January 16, 1896 January 13, 1898 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Matt Parrott 23
17 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  L. M. Shaw January 13, 1898 January 16, 1902 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  James C. Milliman 24–25
18 rowspan=2 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Albert B. Cummins January 16, 1902 November 24, 1908 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  John Herriott 26–28...[l][p]
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Warren Garst
19 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Warren Garst November 24, 1908 January 14, 1909 Republican Vacant ...28[m]
20 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Beryl F. Carroll January 14, 1909 January 16, 1913 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  George W. Clarke 29–30
21 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  George W. Clarke January 16, 1913 January 11, 1917 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  William L. Harding 31–32
22 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  William L. Harding January 11, 1917 January 13, 1921 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Ernest Robert Moore 33–34
23 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Nathan E. Kendall January 13, 1921 January 15, 1925 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  John Hammill 35–36
24 rowspan=2 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  John Hammill January 15, 1925 January 15, 1931 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Clem F. Kimball[q] 37–39
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Arch W. McFarlane
25 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Dan W. Turner January 15, 1931 January 12, 1933 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Arch W. McFarlane 40
26 bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Clyde L. Herring January 12, 1933 January 14, 1937 Democratic bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Nelson G. Kraschel 41–42
27 bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Nelson G. Kraschel January 14, 1937 January 12, 1939 Democratic bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  John K. Valentine 43
28 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  George A. Wilson January 12, 1939 January 14, 1943 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Bourke B. Hickenlooper 44–45
29 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Bourke B. Hickenlooper January 14, 1943 January 11, 1945 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Robert D. Blue 46
30 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Robert D. Blue January 11, 1945 January 13, 1949 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Kenneth A. Evans 47–48
31 rowspan=3 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  William S. Beardsley January 13, 1949 November 21, 1954 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Kenneth A. Evans 49–51...[q]
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  William H. Nicholas
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Leo Elthon
32 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Leo Elthon November 21, 1954 January 13, 1955 Republican Vacant ...51[m]
33 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Leo Hoegh January 13, 1955 January 17, 1957 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Leo Elthon 52
34 rowspan=2 bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Herschel C. Loveless January 17, 1957 January 12, 1961 Democratic bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  William H. Nicholas[o] 53–54
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Edward Joseph McManus
35 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Norman A. Erbe January 12, 1961 January 17, 1963 Republican bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  W. L. Mooty[r] 55
36 rowspan=2 bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Harold Hughes January 17, 1963 January 1, 1969 Democratic bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  W. L. Mooty 56–58...[l]
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Robert D. Fulton
37 bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Robert D. Fulton January 1, 1969 January 16, 1969 Democratic Vacant ...58[m]
38 rowspan=3 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Robert D. Ray January 16, 1969 January 14, 1983 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Roger Jepsen 59–63[s]
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Arthur A. Neu
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Terry Branstad
39 rowspan=3 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Terry Branstad January 14, 1983 January 15, 1999 Republican bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Robert T. Anderson[r] 64–67
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Jo Ann Zimmerman[r]
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Joy Corning
40 bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Tom Vilsack January 15, 1999 January 12, 2007 Democratic bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Sally Pederson 68–69
41 bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Chet Culver January 12, 2007 January 14, 2011 Democratic bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color |  Patty Judge 70
42 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Terry Branstad January 14, 2011 May 24, 2017 Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Kim Reynolds 71–72[t]
43 bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Kim Reynolds May 24, 2017 Incumbent Republican bgcolor=Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color |  Adam Gregg
Acting 		73...[u]

Living former U.S. governors of Iowa

As of May 2017, there are five former U.S. governors of Iowa who are currently living at this time, the oldest U.S. governor of Iowa being Robert D. Ray (1969–1983, born 1928). The most recent U.S. governor of Iowa to die was Leo Hoegh (1955–1957, born 1908), on July 15, 2000. The most recently serving U.S. governor of Iowa to die was Harold Hughes (1963–1969, born 1922), on October 23, 1996.

Governor Term Date of birth (and age)
Robert D. Fulton 1969 (1929-05-13) May 13, 1929 (age 95)
Robert D. Ray 1969–1983 (1928-09-26) September 26, 1928 (age 95)
Terry Branstad 1983–1999
2011–2017 		(1946-11-17) November 17, 1946 (age 77)
Tom Vilsack 1999–2007 (1950-12-13) December 13, 1950 (age 73)
Chet Culver 2007–2011 (1966-01-25) January 25, 1966 (age 58)

Notes

  1. ^ a b Chambers was appointed on March 25 to the position of territorial governor, to take office when sworn in. He arrived in the state on May 12 and took office the next day. Lucas was out of the capital at the time and did not formally resign his commission until June 17, per a letter written to U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster.[9]
  2. ^ a b Clark was appointed on November 18;[10] it is unknown what specific date he assumed office.
  3. ^ Although Ansel Briggs was sworn in as governor of the state on December 3, it remained a territory until December 28.[10]
  4. ^ There is no official numbering, and different governors have interpreted it differently, based on if repeat terms are numbered.[20] This article includes numbering for every distinct term in office.
  5. ^ The office of Lieutenant Governor was created in the 1857 constitution.[16]
  6. ^ Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
  7. ^ This indicates which terms a governor served; some served in multiple terms, indicated by a number with a trailing ellipsis (for those who started a term but did not finish it) or preceding ellipsis (for those who ended a term but did not start it), while others served for multiple terms, indicated by a given number range.
  8. ^ Briggs was sworn into office 25 days before the state was formally admitted.[21]
  9. ^ The election schedule changed during Grimes' term, switching to odd-numbered years and shortening his term by nearly a year.
  10. ^ Lowe was the first governor elected under the 1857 constitution, which shortened terms to two years.
  11. ^ Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States House of Representatives.
  12. ^ a b c Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
  13. ^ a b c d As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.
  14. ^ a b All sources state Boies was sworn in on February 27, 1890, with no explanation given for the delay.
  15. ^ a b Represented the Republican Party.
  16. ^ Amendment 11 to the Iowa constitution, passed in 1904, shifted the state's election cycle forward one year, such that terms would begin on odd years. This lengthened Cummins' second term to three years, 1904 to 1907.
  17. ^ a b Died in office.
  18. ^ a b c Represented the Democratic Party.
  19. ^ Ray was the first governor elected following a constitutional amendment that lengthened terms to four years; his latter two terms were four years long.
  20. ^ Resigned to become Ambassador to China
  21. ^ Governor Reynolds' term expires on January 11, 2019.

References

General
  • "Governors of Iowa". National Governors Association. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
Constitutions
Specific
  1. ^ "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  2. ^ IA Const. art. IV, § 1
  3. ^ IA Const. art. IV, § 9
  4. ^ IA Const. art III, § 16
  5. ^ IA Const. art. IV, § 11
  6. ^ IA Const., art. IV, § 16
  7. ^ IA Const. art. IV, § 7
  8. ^ Shambaugh, Benjamin F., ed. (1903). "The Messages and Proclamations of the Governors of Iowa". The Messages and Proclamations of the Governors of Iowa. Vol. 1. Iowa City, Iowa: State Historical Society of Iowa. p. 208.
  9. ^ Executive Journal of Iowa 1838–1841, Governor Robert Lucas. State Historical Society of Iowa. 1906. pp. 277–279.
  10. ^ a b Benjamin F. Gue (1903). Iowa biography. Century History Company. p. 52.
  11. ^ 1846 Const. article V, § 2
  12. ^ IA Const. art. IV, § 2
  13. ^ IA Const. amendment 32
  14. ^ IA Const. art. IV, § 15
  15. ^ IA Const. amendment 42
  16. ^ a b IA Const. art. IV, § 3
  17. ^ IA Const. amendment 41
  18. ^ IA Const. art. IV, § 17
  19. ^ 1846 Const. art V, § 18
  20. ^ "No 41st Governor for Iowa?". The Gazette (Cedar Rapids). November 5, 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  21. ^ Secretary Of State, Iowa (1951). Iowa Official Register – 1951–1952. p. 97.

External links

Template:Iowa year nav

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