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Governor of Ohio

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For a list, see List of governors of Ohio.
Governor of the State of Ohio
Seal of the governor of Ohio
Standard of the governor of Ohio
Incumbent
Mike DeWine
since January 14, 2019
Government of Ohio
StyleThe Honorable
ResidenceOhio Governor's Mansion
Term lengthFour years, renewable once consecutively
Inaugural holderEdward Tiffin
FormationMarch 3, 1803
SuccessionLine of succession
DeputyLieutenant Governor of Ohio
Salary$168,106 (2022)[1]
Websitegovernor.ohio.gov

The governor of Ohio is the head of government of Ohio and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state's military forces. The officeholder has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Ohio General Assembly, the power to convene the legislature and the power to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.

The current governor is Mike DeWine, a member of the Republican Party who took office on January 14, 2019 following the 2018 Ohio gubernatorial election. He was re-elected to a second term in 2022.

Qualifications

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The governor's working office is in the Vern Riffe State Office Tower in downtown Columbus

To become governor of Ohio, a candidate must be a qualified elector in the state. This means that any candidate for governor must be at least 18 years old at the time of election, a resident of Ohio, and a U.S. citizen. Convicted felons and those deemed by the courts as incompetent to vote are not eligible. There is a term limit of two consecutive terms as governor.[2]

Powers

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The governor is the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to execute state laws; the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Ohio State Legislature; the power to convene the legislature; and the power to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.[3]

Other duties and privileges of the office include:

  • Making an annual address to the General Assembly, with recommendation for legislation
  • Convening extraordinary sessions of the legislature with limited purposes[4]
  • Adjourning the legislature when the two chambers cannot agree to do so themselves, not to include the privilege of adjourning the legislature past the next meeting time set for the regular session[4]
  • Keeping and using "The Great Seal of the State of Ohio"
  • Signing and sealing all commissions granted in the name of the state of Ohio
  • Nominating, in the event of a vacancy in the Lieutenant Governor's office, a new officer, subject to a confirmatory vote of both chambers of the legislature[5]
  • Making vacancy appointments for all "key state officers" (the Auditor, the Treasurer, the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General.) Such appointments are for the remainder of the term when the next general election is less than 40 days away and until the next general election otherwise[5]
  • Accepting a report from the head of each executive department at least once a year, not later than five days before the regular session of the legislature convenes, and including the substance of those reports in the annual address to the legislature
  • Making all appointments not otherwise provided for, with the advice and consent of the Senate, unless the Senate refuses to act, in which case the Governor's appointee takes offices by default[3]
  • Sitting on the Ohio Redistricting Commission[3]

Succession

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

Should the office of governor become vacant due to death, resignation, or conviction of impeachment, the lieutenant governor assumes the title of governor. Should the office of lieutenant governor also become vacant, the president of the senate becomes the acting governor.[6] If the vacancy of both offices took place during the first twenty months of the term, a special election is to be held on the next even-numbered year to elect new officers to serve out the current term.[7] Prior to 1851, the speaker of the senate acted as governor for the term.[8] Since 1978, the governor and lieutenant governor have been elected on the same ticket; prior to then, they could be (and often were) members of different parties.[9]

Timeline

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries". The Council of State Governments. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  2. ^ Muhammad, Mariyam. "Can Mike DeWine run for Ohio governor in 2026? What to know about term limits". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "FAQ: Power of the Governor and Lt. Governor" (PDF). ALCU of Ohio. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 14, 2025. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Organizing the General Assembly" (PDF). Ohio Legislative Services Comission. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  5. ^ a b "FILLING VACANCIES IN ELECTIVE OFFICES" (PDF). Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  6. ^ Ohio Constitution article III, § 15
  7. ^ Ohio Constitution article III, § 17
  8. ^ Ohio Constitution article II, § 12
  9. ^ Steinglass, Steven H.; Scarselli, Gino J. (2004). The Ohio State Constitution: A Reference Guide. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 7. ISBN 0-313-26765-0. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
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