List of governors of Connecticut
| Governor of Connecticut | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Style | His Excellency |
| Residence | Connecticut Governor's Residence |
| Term length | Four years |
| Inaugural holder | Jonathan Trumbull |
| Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut |
| Salary | $150,000 (2009)[1] |
| Website | www.ct.gov/governor |
The Governor of Connecticut is the head of the executive branch of Connecticut's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Connecticut General Assembly and to convene the legislature.[2] Unusual among U.S. governors, the Governor of Connecticut has no power to pardon.[3]
There have been 68 governors of the state, serving 72 distinct spans in office. The longest terms in office were in the state's early years, when four governors were elected to nine or more one-year terms. The longest was that of the first governor, Jonathan Trumbull, who served over 14 years, but 7 of those as colonial governor; the longest-serving state governor — with no other position included in the term — was his son, Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., who served over 11 years. The shortest term was that of Hiram Bingham III, who served only one day before resigning to take an elected seat in the U.S. Senate. Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., is noted for a rare third party win in American politics, having been elected to a term in 1990 representing A Connecticut Party. The current governor is Dan Malloy, who took office on January 5, 2011.
Governors
- For the period before independence, see the list of colonial governors of Connecticut.
Connecticut was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and was admitted as a state on January 9, 1788.[4] Before it declared its independence, Connecticut was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain. Like most early states, Connecticut had claims to western areas, but did not cede all of its claims during the formation of the country like the other states. It maintained its Western Reserve until 1800, at which time it was reassigned to the Northwest Territory.[5]
The current Constitution of Connecticut, ratified in 1965, calls for a four-year term for the governor,[6] commencing on the Wednesday after the first Monday in the January following an election.[7] The previous constitution of 1818 originally had only a one-year term for governor; this was increased to two years in 1875,[8] and four years in 1948.[9] The 1875 amendment also set the start date of the term to its current date; before then, it was the first Wednesday in the May following an election.[10] The constitution provides for the election of a lieutenant governor for the same term as the governor. The two offices are elected on the same ticket; this provision was added in 1962.[11] In the event of a vacancy in the office of governor, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.[12] Before the adoption of the 1965 constitution, the lieutenant governor only acted as governor.[13] There is no limit of any kind on the number of terms one may serve.
Connecticut did not create a state constitution for itself until several decades after it became a state; until 1818, the state operated under the provisions of its colonial charter. The charter called for the election of a governor every year, but not more than once every two years, with the term commencing on the second Thursday in May.[14]
A Connecticut Party (1) American (1) Democratic (22)[a] Democratic-Republican (2) Federalist (7) National Republican (1) No party (1) Republican (32)[a] Whig (6)
Other high offices held
Thirty-three governors have served other high office, including four Cabinet secretaries (one of whom served in two different departments) and four ambassadors. One served as a judge on a U.S. Court of Appeals. Three represented Connecticut in the Continental Congress and 28 have represented the state in the U.S. Congress, including one Speaker of the House. Four (marked with *) resigned to take other offices, and one (marked with †) resigned his seat in the U.S. House to take office as governor.
All representatives and senators listed represented Connecticut.
| Governor | Gubernatorial term | Other offices held | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Huntington | 1786–1796 | Continental Delegate (including President of the Continental Congress) | [23] |
| Oliver Wolcott | 1796–1797 | Continental Delegate | [24] |
| Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. | 1797–1809 | Representative (including Speaker of the House), Senator | [25] |
| John Treadwell | 1809–1811 | Continental Delegate | [26] |
| Roger Griswold | 1811–1812 | Representative | [27] |
| John Cotton Smith | 1812–1817 | Representative | [28] |
| Oliver Wolcott, Jr. | 1817–1827 | Secretary of the Treasury | [29] |
| Gideon Tomlinson | 1827–1831 | Representative, Senator* | [30] |
| Henry W. Edwards | 1833–1834, 1835–1838 | Representative, Senator | [31] |
| Samuel A. Foot | 1834–1835 | Representative†, Senator | [32] |
| William W. Ellsworth | 1838–1842 | Representative | [33] |
| Chauncey Fitch Cleveland | 1842–1843 | Representative | [34] |
| Roger Sherman Baldwin | 1844–1846 | Senator | [35] |
| Isaac Toucey | 1846–1847 | Representative, Senator, Attorney General, Secretary of the Navy | [18] |
| Joseph Trumbull | 1849–1850 | Representative | [36] |
| Thomas Hart Seymour | 1850–1853 | Representative, Minister to Russia* | [37] |
| William A. Buckingham | 1858–1866 | Senator | [38] |
| Joseph R. Hawley | 1866–1867 | Representative, Senator | [39] |
| James E. English | 1867–1869, 1870–1871 | Representative, Senator | [40] |
| Marshall Jewell | 1869–1870, 1871–1873 | Minister to Russia, Postmaster General | [41] |
| Richard D. Hubbard | 1878–1879 | Representative | [42] |
| Morgan G. Bulkeley | 1889–1893 | Senator | [43] |
| George P. McLean | 1901–1903 | Senator | [44] |
| George L. Lilley | 1909 | Representative | [45] |
| Hiram Bingham III | 1925 | Senator | [46] |
| Raymond E. Baldwin | 1939–1941, 1943–1946 | Senator* | [47] |
| Chester Bowles | 1949–1951 | Representative, Ambassador to India, Ambassador to Nepal | [48] |
| John Davis Lodge | 1951–1955 | Representative, Ambassador to Argentina, Ambassador to Spain, Ambassador to Switzerland | [49] |
| Abraham A. Ribicoff | 1955–1961 | Representative, Senator, Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare* | [50] |
| Thomas J. Meskill | 1971–1975 | Representative, Second Circuit Court Judge | [51] |
| Ella T. Grasso | 1975–1980 | Representative | [52] |
| Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. | 1991–1995 | Representative, Senator | [53] |
| John G. Rowland | 1995–2004 | Representative | [54] |
Living former governors
As of August 2014[update], there are three living former governors, the oldest being Lowell P. Weicker, Jr (1991–1995, born 1931). The most recent death of a former governor was that of William O'Neill (1980–1991), who died on November 24, 2007; he is also the most recently serving governor to have died.
| Governor | Term of office | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|
| Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. | 1991–1995 | May 16, 1931 |
| John G. Rowland | 1995–2004 | May 24, 1957 |
| M. Jodi Rell | 2004–2011 | June 16, 1946 |
Notes
- ^ a b Includes two terms served by repeat governors.
- ^ According to the Connecticut State Library, the official listing goes back to the first governor of Connecticut Colony in 1639, and did not include repeat governors serving non-consecutive terms in the colonial period; this makes Trumbull the 16th governor.[15] The official numbering since statehood includes repeat and acting governors.
- ^ The office of Lieutenant Governor was known as Deputy-Governor under the colonial charter, but the name 'Lieutenant Governor' was predominantly used after independence.[14]
- ^ Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
- ^ The fractional terms of some governors are not to be understood absolutely literally; rather, they are meant to show how many times a governor was elected, and to show single terms during which multiple governors served, due to resignations, deaths and the like.
- ^ The Connecticut General Assembly approved the United States Declaration of Independence on October 10, 1776, and resolved that the state's government would continue as established under the charter. So, as colonial governor, Jonathan Trumbull became state governor, serving roughly 7+1⁄2 years.[16]
- ^ As deputy governor, became governor upon the death of William Pitkin.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Died in office.
- ^ a b c d e f g As lieutenant governor, acted as governor for unexpired term, and was subsequently elected in their own right.
- ^ Appointed by the general assembly to fill the vacant Lieutenant Governor office.[17]
- ^ Wolcott was the first governor elected under the provisions of the 1818 constitution, which shifted the start date of his third term from May 13 to May 5.
- ^ Represented the National Republican Party.
- ^ a b c Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
- ^ Lost election, but was appointed by state legislature.[18]
- ^ Resigned to be U.S. Minister to Russia.
- ^ a b c d As lieutenant governor, acted as governor for unexpired term.
- ^ James English won the popular vote, but a canvassing committee found the election was fraudulent, and named Jewell governor several days into the term.[19]
- ^ The end date of Ingersoll's term was moved back from May 3, 1876, to January 3, 1877, due to the adoption of the 26th amendment to the state constitution.
- ^ Hubbard was the first governor elected under the provisions of the 26th amendment to the state constitution, increasing term lengths to two years and moving the start date of his term to January 3.
- ^ Morgan Bulkeley did not run for re-election in 1890, but due to such a close contest and controversies, the results were not certified, and the legislature spent two years debating the issue; Bulkeley essentially served as governor by default.[20]
- ^ a b c Represented the Republican Party.
- ^ a b c As president pro tempore of the state senate, filled vacancy in office of lieutenant governor.[17]
- ^ a b Represented the Democratic Party.
- ^ John Davis Lodge was the first governor elected under the provisions of the 45th amendment to the state constitution, lengthening terms to four years.
- ^ Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.
- ^ a b Resigned to become a superior court judge.[17]
- ^ a b c d As president pro tempore of the state senate, became lieutenant governor.[17]
- ^ Resigned due to ovarian cancer.
- ^ a b As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term, and was subsequently elected in their own right.
- ^ Resigned due to a federal corruption investigation;[21] he later pleaded guilty to corruption.[22]
- ^ Governor Malloy's first term expires on January 7, 2015.
References
- General
- "Governors of Connecticut". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 24, 2009. [dead link]
- "Governors of Connecticut". Connecticut State Library. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
- Loomis, Dwight; Joseph Gilbert Calhoun (1895). The Judicial and Civil History of Connecticut. The Boston History Company. pp. 114–117. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- Constitutions
- "Constitution of the State of Connecticut". Connecticut State Library. 1965. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
- "Constitution of the State of Connecticut". Secretary of the State of Connecticut. 1818. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
- "Charter of the Colony of Connecticut". National Humanities Institute. 1662. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
- Specific
- ^ "Salaries of Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Office of Governor full time". General Statutes of Connecticut (2009). Connecticut General Assembly. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
- ^ CT Const. art. IV
- ^ "Pardons Power in Connecticut". Archived from the original on June 13, 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
- ^ "Today in History: January 9". Library of Congress. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
- ^ "Research Guide to Connecticut's "Western Lands" or "Western Reserve"". Connecticut State Library. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
- ^ CT Const. art. IV, § 1
- ^ CT Const. art. IV, § 2
- ^ 1818 Const. amendment XVI
- ^ 1818 Const. amendment XLV
- ^ 1818 Const. art. IV § 1
- ^ 1818 Const. new amendment VII
- ^ CT Const. art. IV § 19
- ^ 1818 Const. art. IV § 14
- ^ a b 1662 Charter
- ^ "Roster of Connecticut Governors". Connecticut State Library. Retrieved April 4, 2008.
- ^ "Jonathan Trumbull". Connecticut State Library. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
- ^ a b c d "Brief Descriptions of Connecticut State Agencies: Lieutenant Governor". Connecticut State Library. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
- ^ a b "Toucey, Issac". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Connecticut Governor James Edward English". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 24, 2009. [dead link]
- ^ "Connecticut Governor Morgan Gardner Bulkeley". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 24, 2009. [dead link]
- ^ "Connecticut's Governor Steps Down". The New York Times. June 22, 2004.
{{cite news}}: Cite uses deprecated parameter|authors=(help) - ^ Robert D. McFadden (December 24, 2004). "An Ex-Governor Says He's Guilty". The New York Times.
- ^ "Huntington, Samuel". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Wolcott, Oliver". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Trumbull, Jonathan, Jr". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Treadwell, John". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Griswold, Roger". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Smith, John Cotton". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Connecticut Governor Oliver Wolcott". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 22, 2009. [dead link]
- ^ "Tomlinson, Gideon". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Edwards, Henry Waggaman". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Foot, Samuel Augustus". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Ellsworth, William Wolcott". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Cleveland, Chauncey Fitch". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Baldwin, Roger Sherman". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Trumbull, Joseph". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Seymour, Thomas Hart". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Buckingham, William Alfred". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Hawley, Joseph Roswell". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "English, James Edward". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Connecticut Governor Marshall Jewell". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 22, 2009. [dead link]
- ^ "Hubbard, Richard Dudley". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Bulkeley, Morgan Gardner". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "McLean, George Payne". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Lilley, George Leavens". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Bingham, Hiram". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Baldwin, Raymond Earl". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Bowles, Chester Bliss". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Lodge, John Davis". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Ribicoff, Abraham Alexander". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Meskill, Thomas Joseph". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Grasso, Ella Tambussi". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Weicker, Lowell Palmer, Jr". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ "Rowland, John". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
External links
 Connecticut constitutional officers | |
|---|---|