List of governors of Kansas
| Governor of Kansas | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Standard of the Governor | |
| Residence | Cedar Crest |
| Term length | Four years, renewable once |
| Inaugural holder | Charles L. Robinson |
| Formation | February 9, 1861 |
| Salary | $99,636 (2017)[1] |
| Website | governor |
The Governor of Kansas is the head of the executive branch of Kansas's state government[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 four-year term, commencing on the second Monday of January after election.[7] The governor originally had a two-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 47 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 two four-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 lack of requirements for running
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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] Furthermore, there is neither an age requirement nor a residency requirement to run for the office; as of 2017 three Kansan teenagers were doing so.[10]
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.
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 7, 1854 – August 16, 1855 |
Franklin Pierce |
| 2 | 
|
Wilson Shannon | September 5, 1855 – August 18, 1856 | |
| 3 | 
|
John W. Geary | September 9, 1856 – March 20, 1857 | |
| 4 | 
|
Robert J. Walker | May 27, 1857 – December 15, 1857 |
James Buchanan |
| 5 | 
|
James W. Denver | December 1857 – November 1858 | |
| 6 | 
|
Samuel Medary | 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 two years.[11] An amendment in 1972 increased terms to four years,[12], 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;[13] 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.[14]
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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.
- ^ 1861 Const. art. I, § 1
- ^ KS Const. art. 1, § 1
- ^ 1861 Const. art I, § 11
- ^ KS Const. art I, § 11
External links
- Office of the Governor of Kansas website
