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List of governors of California

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Number of Governors of California by party affiliation
Party Governors
Republican 22
Democratic 15
American 1

The following is a list of Governors of the State of California. The governor is the highest executive authority in California and commander-in-chief of the state militia, with the duty to enforce the laws of the state and the ability to veto bills passed by the legislature. The governor is also a member of the Regents of the University of California, the governing board of the University of California. Since becoming a state in 1850, 38 people have served as governor, all men, and there have been no non-consecutive terms.

According to the California Elections Code, elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November (§1001).[A] According to Article 5, §2 of the California Constitution, each governor's term lasts 4 years.[B] In 1990, the electorate adopted an amendment to Article 5,[C] §2 implementing a term limit of two terms; prior to this limit, only one governor had been elected to more than two terms, Earl Warren. The term of office of a governor begins on the first Monday after January 1 after the election.

Many governors of California have been influential nationwide, in areas far-flung from politics. Leland Stanford founded Stanford University in 1891. Earl Warren, the longest-serving governor, won an election with the nominations of the three major parties - the only person ever to run essentially unopposed for governor of California. He later became Chief Justice of the United States. Ronald Reagan, who was president of the Screen Actors Guild and later President of the United States, and current governor Arnold Schwarzenegger both came to prominence through acting. Gray Davis was the first governor of California, and second governor in American history, to be recalled by voters.

List of Governors

# Picture Name Took office Left office Party Lieutenant Governor Notes
1 Peter Hardeman Burnett December 20 1849 January 9 1851 Democratic John McDougall [1][2]
2 John McDougall January 9 1851 January 8 1852 Democratic David C. Broderick[3] [4]
3 John Bigler January 8 1852 January 9 1856 Democratic Samuel Purdy
4 J. Neely Johnson January 9 1856 January 8 1858 American Robert M. Anderson
5 John B. Weller January 8 1858 January 9 1860 Democratic John Walkup
6 Milton Latham January 9 1860 January 14 1860 Lecompton Democratic John G. Downey [5]
7 John G. Downey January 14 1860 January 10 1862 Lecompton Democratic Isaac N. Quinn[3]
Pablo de la Guerra[6] 		[4]
8 File:Lelandstanfordsmall.jpg Leland Stanford January 10 1862 December 10 1863 Republican John F. Chellis
9 Frederick Low December 10 1863 December 5 1867 Unionist Republican Tim N. Machin
10 Henry Huntly Haight December 5 1867 December 8 1871 Democratic William Holden
11 Newton Booth December 8 1871 February 27 1875 Republican Romualdo Pacheco [7]
12 Romualdo Pacheco February 27 1875 December 9 1875 Republican William Irwin[3] [4]
13 William Irwin December 9 1875 January 8 1880 Democratic James A. Johnson
14 George Clement Perkins January 8 1880 January 10 1883 Republican John Mansfield
15 George Stoneman January 10 1883 September 8 1887 Democratic John Daggett
16 Washington Bartlett September 8 1887 September 12 1887 Democratic Robert Waterman [8]
17 Robert Waterman September 12 1887 January 8 1891 Republican Stephen M. White[9] [4]
18 Henry Markham January 8 1891 January 11 1895 Republican John B. Reddick
19 James Budd January 11 1895 January 4 1899 Democratic Spencer G. Millard[8]
William T. Jeter
20 Henry Gage January 4 1899 January 6 1903 Republican Jacob H. Neff
21 File:GeorgePardee.jpg George Pardee January 6 1903 January 9 1907 Republican Alden Anderson
22 File:JamesGillett.jpg James Gillett January 9 1907 January 3 1911 Republican Warren R. Porter
23 Hiram Johnson January 3 1911 March 15 1917 Republican A. J. Wallace
John M. Eshleman[8]
William Stephens
24 File:WilliamStephens.jpg William Stephens March 15 1917 January 9 1923 Republican vacant
Clement C. Young
25 File:FriendRichardson.jpg Friend Richardson January 9 1923 January 4 1927 Republican Clement C. Young
26 File:CCYoung.jpg Clement C. Young January 4 1927 January 6 1931 Republican Buron Fitts[10]
H. L. Carnahan
27 File:JamesRolph.jpg James Rolph Jr. January 6 1931 June 2 1934 Republican Frank Merriam [8]
28 Frank Merriam June 2 1934 January 2 1939 Republican vacant
George J. Hatfield 		[4]
29 File:CulbertOlson.jpg Culbert Olson January 2 1939 January 4 1943 Democratic Ellis E. Patterson
30 Earl Warren January 4 1943 October 5 1953 Republican, multiple Frederick F. Houser
Goodwin Jess Knight 		[11][12]
31 Goodwin Jess Knight October 5 1953 January 5 1959 Republican Harold J. Powers[13] [14]
32 File:PatBrown.jpg Edmund Gerald "Pat" Brown, Sr. January 5 1959 January 3 1967 Democratic Glenn M. Anderson
33 File:REAGANWH.jpg Ronald Reagan January 3 1967 January 6 1975 Republican Robert Finch[15]
Edwin Reinecke[10]
John L. Harmer
34 File:Mayorjerrybrown.jpg Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. January 6 1975 January 3 1983 Democratic Mervyn M. Dymally
Michael Curb
35 File:GeorgeDeukmejian.jpg George Deukmejian January 3 1983 January 7 1991 Republican Leo T. McCarthy
36 Pete Wilson January 7 1991 January 4 1999 Republican Leo T. McCarthy
Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis
37 Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. January 4 1999 November 17 2003 Democratic Cruz Bustamante [16]
38 File:Arnold Schwarzenegger bio.jpg Arnold Schwarzenegger November 17 2003 Incumbent Republican Cruz Bustamante
John Garamendi 		[17][18]

Notes

  1. ^ 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 as part of the Compromise of 1850.
  2. ^ Resigned, citing personal reasons.
  3. ^ a b c As president of the senate, acted as lieutenant governor.
  4. ^ a b c d e As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.
  5. ^ Resigned to take a self-appointed seat in the United States Senate.
  6. ^ Elected president of the senate, therefore becoming new acting lieutenant governor.
  7. ^ Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
  8. ^ a b c d Died in office.
  9. ^ As president pro tempore of the state senate, acted as lieutenant governor.
  10. ^ a b Resigned.
  11. ^ 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. ^ Resigned to become Chief Justice of the United States.
  13. ^ As president pro tempore of the state senate, filled unexpired term.
  14. ^ As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term, and was subsequently elected in his own right.
  15. ^ Resigned to be United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.
  16. ^ Recalled in a special election.
  17. ^ Elected in a special election to replace Governor Davis should he be recalled.
  18. ^ Governor Schwarzenegger's second term expires in 2011; he is term limited.

Higher offices held

This is a table of the higher federal offices and other governorships held by governors. All representatives and senators represented California except where noted. * denotes offices that the governor resigned to take.

Name Gubernatorial term Higher offices held
John B. Weller 1858–1860 U.S. Representative from Ohio, U.S. Senator, Minister to Mexico
Milton Latham 1860 U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator*
Leland Stanford 1862–1863 U.S. Senator
Frederick Low 1863–1867 U.S. Representative, Envoy to the Great Qing Empire (China)
Newton Booth 1871–1875 U.S. Senator*
Romualdo Pacheco 1875 U.S. Representative
George Clement Perkins 1880–1883 U.S. Senator
Henry Markham 1891–1895 U.S. Representative
James Budd 1895–1899 U.S. Representative
Henry Gage 1899–1903 Minister to Portugal
James Gillett 1907–1911 U.S. Representative
Hiram Johnson 1911–1917 U.S. Senator
William Stephens 1917–1923 U.S. Representative
Earl Warren 1943–1953 Chief Justice of the United States*
Ronald Reagan 1967–1976 President of the United States
Pete Wilson 1991–1999 U.S. Senator

Living former governors

As of July 2007, four former governors were alive, the oldest being George Deukmejian (1983–1991, born 1928). The most recent governor to die was Ronald Reagan (1967–1975), on June 5 2004.

Name Gubernatorial term Date of birth
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. 1975–1983 April 7 1938
George Deukmejian 1983–1991 July 6 1928
Pete Wilson 1991–1999 August 23 1933
Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. 1999–2003 December 26 1942

See also

References

General
  • "Governors of California". Official Site of the State of California. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  • "Governors of California". National Governors Association. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
Specific
A "Elections Code Section 1000-1003". California State Code. Official California Legislative Information. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
B "Article 5 - Executive". California Constitution. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
C "California Ballot Propositions 1990-1999". Los Angeles County Law Library. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
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