List of governors of Nebraska

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Governor of Nebraska
Seal of Nebraska
Incumbent
Pete Ricketts
since January 8, 2015
StyleThe Honorable
ResidenceNebraska Governor's Mansion
Term length4 years, renewable once
Inaugural holderDavid Butler
FormationConstitution of Nebraska
Salary$105,000 (2013)[1]

The Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the U.S. state of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Constitution of Nebraska. The officeholder is elected to a four-year term, with elections held two years after presidential elections. He or she may be elected any number of times, but not more than twice in a row. The current officeholder is Pete Ricketts, a Republican, who was sworn in on January 8, 2015. The current Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska is Mike Foley, who also assumed office on January 8, 2015.

Governors of Nebraska must be at least 30 years old and have been citizens and residents of the state for five years before being elected. Before 1966, the governor was elected to a two-year term. In 1962, a constitutional amendment extended the gubernatorial term to four years, effective with the 1966 election. In 1966, another amendment imposed a term limit of two consecutive terms. The lieutenant governor is subject to the same limitations and runs on a combined ticket with the governor. Charles W. Bryan is the only Governor of Nebraska to serve non-consecutive terms.

If the governor becomes incapacitated or is out of the state, the lieutenant governor acts as governor; if there is a vacancy or permanent incapacitation, the lieutenant governor becomes governor and serves the balance of the term. However, if both offices become vacant, the next person in the line of succession is the Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature.

Territorial governors

See List of governors of Missouri for the period from 1805 to 1821. Between 1821 and 1854, the land was unorganized territory.

Before statehood, governors were appointed to a four-year term by the President of the United States.[A]

Parties

  Democratic (8)   Republican (2)

# Governor
(Birth–Death)		 Party Took office Left office Notes
  William Walker
(1800–1874) 		July 23, 1853 October 16, 1854 Not recognized by the federal government
1 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Francis Burt
(1807–1854) 		Democratic October 16, 1854 October 18, 1854 Died
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Thomas B. Cuming
(1827–1858) 		Democratic October 18, 1854 February 23, 1855 Acting
2 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Mark W. Izard
(1799–1866) 		Democratic February 23, 1855 October 25, 1857 Resigned
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Thomas B. Cuming
(1827–1858) 		Democratic October 25, 1857 January 12, 1858 Acting
3 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  William A. Richardson
(1811–1875) 		Democratic January 12, 1858 December 5, 1858 Resigned
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  J. Sterling Morton
(1832–1902) 		Democratic December 5, 1858 May 2, 1859 Acting
4 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Samuel W. Black
(1816–1862) 		Democratic May 2, 1859 February 24, 1861 Resigned
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  J. Sterling Morton
(1832–1902) 		Democratic February 24, 1861 March 6, 1861 Acting
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Algernon S. Paddock
(1830–1897) 		Republican March 6, 1861 May 15, 1861 Acting
5 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Alvin Saunders
(1817–1899) 		Republican May 15, 1861 March 1, 1867

State governors

Popularly elected, beginning in 1866, to a two-year term. In 1962, the voters approved a constitutional amendment expanding terms beginning in 1966 to four years. In 1966, the voters limited the number of consecutive full terms that any one governor could serve to two (i.e. only one possible re-election while still in office after election to a full term.)[B]

Parties

  Republican (26)   Democratic (12)   Fusion (Democratic/Populist) (2)

# Governor
(Birth–Death)		 Party Took office Left office Lt. Governor Notes
1 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  David Butler
(1829–1891) 		Republican February 21, 1867 June 2, 1871 None [2]
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  William H. James
(1831–1920) 		Republican June 2, 1871 January 13, 1873 None Secretary of State[3]
2 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Robert Wilkinson Furnas
(1824–1905) 		Republican January 13, 1873 January 11, 1875 None
3 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Silas Garber
(1833–1905) 		Republican January 11, 1875 January 9, 1879 None
Othman A. Abbott
4 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Albinus Nance
(1848–1911) 		Republican January 9, 1879 January 4, 1883 Edmund C. Carns
5 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  James W. Dawes
(1844–1918) 		Republican January 4, 1883 January 6, 1887 Alfred W. Agee
Hibbard H. Shedd
6 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  John Milton Thayer
(1820–1906) 		Republican January 6, 1887 February 8, 1892 Hibbard H. Shedd
George D. Meiklejohn
Thomas J. Majors 		[4]
7 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  James E. Boyd
(1834–1906) 		Democratic February 8, 1892 January 13, 1893 Thomas J. Majors [4]
8 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Lorenzo Crounse
(1834–1909) 		Republican January 13, 1893 January 3, 1895 Thomas J. Majors
9   Silas A. Holcomb
(1858–1920) 		Fusion
(Democratic/Populist) 		January 3, 1895 January 5, 1899 Robert E. Moore
James E. Harris
10   William A. Poynter
(1848–1909) 		Fusion
(Democratic/Populist) 		January 5, 1899 January 3, 1901 Edward A. Gilbert
11 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Charles H. Dietrich
(1853–1924) 		Republican January 3, 1901 May 1, 1901 Ezra P. Savage Resigned[5]
12 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Ezra P. Savage
(1842–1920) 		Republican May 1, 1901 January 8, 1903 None Lieutenant Governor[6]
13 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  John H. Mickey
(1845–1910) 		Republican January 8, 1903 January 3, 1907 Edmund G. McGilton
14 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  George L. Sheldon
(1870–1960) 		Republican January 3, 1907 January 7, 1909 Melville R. Hopewell
15 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Ashton C. Shallenberger
(1862–1938) 		Democratic January 7, 1909 January 5, 1911 Melville R. Hopewell
16 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Chester H. Aldrich
(1863–1924) 		Republican January 5, 1911 January 9, 1913 Melville R. Hopewell
17 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  John H. Morehead
(1861–1942) 		Democratic January 9, 1913 January 4, 1917 Samuel R. McKelvie (Republican)
James Pearson (Democratic)
18 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Keith Neville
(1884–1959) 		Democratic January 4, 1917 January 9, 1919 Edgar Howard
19 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Samuel R. McKelvie
(1881–1956) 		Republican January 9, 1919 January 3, 1923 Pelham A. Barrows
20 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Charles W. Bryan
(1867–1945) 		Democratic January 3, 1923 January 8, 1925 Fred Gustus Johnson (Republican)
21 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Adam McMullen
(1872–1959) 		Republican January 8, 1925 January 3, 1929 George A. Williams
22 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Arthur J. Weaver
(1873–1945) 		Republican January 3, 1929 January 8, 1931 George A. Williams
23 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Charles W. Bryan
(1867–1945) 		Democratic January 8, 1931 January 3, 1935 Theodore Metcalfe (Republican)
Walter H. Jurgensen (Democratic)
24 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Robert Leroy Cochran
(1886–1963) 		Democratic January 3, 1935 January 9, 1941 Walter H. Jurgensen (Democratic)
Nate M. Parsons (Democratic)
William E. Johnson (Republican)
25 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Dwight Griswold
(1893–1954) 		Republican January 9, 1941 January 9, 1947 William E. Johnson
Roy W. Johnson
26 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Val Peterson
(1903–1983) 		Republican January 9, 1947 January 8, 1953 Robert B. Crosby
Charles J. Warner
27 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Robert B. Crosby
(1911–2000) 		Republican January 8, 1953 January 6, 1955 Charles J. Warner
28 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Victor E. Anderson
(1902–1962) 		Republican January 6, 1955 January 8, 1959 Charles J. Warner
Dwight W. Burney
29 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Ralph G. Brooks
(1898–1960) 		Democratic January 8, 1959 September 9, 1960 Dwight W. Burney Died[7]
30 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Dwight W. Burney
(1892–1987) 		Republican September 9, 1960 January 5, 1961 Dwight W. Burney Lieutenant Governor[6]
31 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Frank B. Morrison
(1905–2004) 		Democratic January 5, 1961 January 5, 1967 Dwight W. Burney (Republican)
Philip C. Sorensen (Democratic)
32 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Norbert Tiemann
(1924–2012) 		Republican January 5, 1967 January 7, 1971 John E. Everroad
33 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  J. James Exon
(1921–2005) 		Democratic January 7, 1971 January 4, 1979 Frank Marsh (Republican)
Gerald T. Whelan (Democratic)
34 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Charles Thone
(1924–2018) 		Republican January 4, 1979 January 6, 1983 Roland A. Luedtke
35 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  J. Robert Kerrey
(b. 1943) 		Democratic January 6, 1983 January 9, 1987 Donald F. McGinley
36 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Kay A. Orr
(b. 1939) 		Republican January 9, 1987 January 9, 1991 William E. Nichol [8]
37 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Ben Nelson
(b. 1941) 		Democratic January 9, 1991 January 7, 1999 Maxine B. Moul
Kim M. Robak
38 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Mike Johanns
(b. 1950) 		Republican January 7, 1999 January 20, 2005 David I. Maurstad
Dave Heineman 		Resigned[9]
39 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Dave Heineman
(b. 1948) 		Republican January 20, 2005 January 8, 2015 Rick Sheehy
Lavon Heidemann
John E. Nelson 		Lieutenant Governor[10]
40 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|  Pete Ricketts
(b. 1964) 		Republican January 8, 2015 Incumbent[11] Mike Foley

Notes

  1. ^ "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  2. ^ Elected, but not inaugurated, before Nebraska's statehood. Impeached and removed from office for misappropriation of state funds; the impeachment was expunged six years later.
  3. ^ As state secretary of state, acted as governor for unexpired term.
  4. ^ a b James Boyd won the 1890 election, and was sworn in on January 8, 1891. However, due to a question of his U.S. citizenship and eligibility for the office, he did not take office until February 8, 1892.
  5. ^ Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
  6. ^ a b As lieutenant governor, became governor for unexpired term.
  7. ^ Died in office.
  8. ^ First and (as of June 2016) only female governor of Nebraska
  9. ^ Resigned to become United States Secretary of Agriculture.
  10. ^ As lieutenant governor, succeeded to the office of governor for Johann's unexpired term, and was later elected in his own right.
  11. ^ Ricketts's second term began on January 10, 2019 and will expire on January 12, 2023; he will be term-limited.

Succession

Main article: Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States § Nebraska

Other high offices held

This is a table of other governorships, congressional seats and other national public offices held by governors of Nebraska. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Nebraska except where noted.

* denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.
p. = Political Party; D = Democrat; R = Republican;
the footnotes [P 1], etc., indicate the presidential administration(s) under which an unelected Federal office was held (see Appointing presidents below the table).
Name p. Service as
Governor 		U.S. Congress Other offices held
(beyond Nebraska)
House Senate
William A. Richardson D 1858 (territorial) U.S. Representative & Senator from Illinois (D, 1847–1856; 1861-1865)
J. Sterling Morton D 1858–1859
1861 (territorial) 		U.S. Secretary of Agriculture[P 1]
Algernon Paddock R 1861 (territorial) S
Alvin Saunders R 1861–1867 (territorial) S
John Milton Thayer R 1887–1892 S Governor of Wyoming Territory (1875-1878) [P 2]
Lorenzo Crounse R 1893–1895 H
Charles Henry Dietrich R 1901 S *
Ashton C. Shallenberger D 1909–1911 H
John H. Morehead D 1913–1917 H
Charles W. Bryan D 1923–1925
1931–1935 		1924 Democratic nominee for Vice President (lost)
Robert Leroy Cochran D 1935–1941 Ambassador (UNRRA; Am. Mission for Aid to Greece)[P 3][C]
Dwight Griswold R 1941–1947 S
Val Peterson R 1947–1953 Ambassador to Denmark;[P 4] Ambassador to Finland[P 5]
J. James Exon D 1971–1979 S
Charles Thone R 1979–1983 H
Bob Kerrey D 1983–1987 S
Ben Nelson D 1991–1999 S
Mike Johanns R 1999–2005 S U.S. Secretary of Agriculture * [P 6]

Appointing presidents

  1. ^ Grover Cleveland (D, 1893-1897)
  2. ^ Ulysses Grant (R, 1869-1877) and Rutherford B. Hayes (R, 1877-1881)
  3. ^ Franklin Roosevelt (D, 1933-45) and Harry Truman (D, 1945-53)
  4. ^ Dwight Eisenhower (R, 1953-1961)
  5. ^ Richard Nixon (R, 1969-1974)
  6. ^ George W. Bush (R, 2001-2009)

Living former governors of Nebraska

As of January 2019, 5 former U.S. governors of Nebraska are still living. The oldest of these is Kay A. Orr (born 1939; served 1987–1991). The most recent Governor to die was Charles Thone (born 1924; served 1979–1983), on March 7, 2018.

Name Gubernatorial term Date of birth (and age)
Bob Kerrey 1983–1987 (1943-08-27) August 27, 1943 (age 80)
Kay A. Orr 1987–1991 (1939-01-02) January 2, 1939 (age 85)
Ben Nelson 1991–1999 (1941-05-17) May 17, 1941 (age 82)
Mike Johanns 1999–2005 (1950-06-18) June 18, 1950 (age 73)
Dave Heineman 2005–2015 (1948-05-12) May 12, 1948 (age 76)

See also

References

  1. ^ 2012-13 Nebraska Blue Book (Nebraska State Government) Archived 2013-05-15 at the Wayback Machine, page 418
  2. ^ 2012-13 Nebraska Blue Book Archived 2013-05-15 at the Wayback Machine, pages 418–419
  3. ^ Nebraska Governor Robert Leroy (Roy) Cochran at the National Governors Association web site, retrieved May 27, 2013.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_governors_of_Nebraska&oldid=997510949"