The Governor of Iowa is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Iowa . The governor is the head of the executive branch of Iowa's state government [ 2] and is charged with enforcing state laws.[ 3] The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Iowa State Legislature ,[ 4] to convene the legislature,[ 5] and to grant pardons , except in cases of treason and impeachment .[ 6] The governor is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces .[ 7]
There have been 41 governors of Iowa. The longest-serving governor is Terry Branstad , who served from 1983 to 1999, was elected again in 2010 and took office on January 14, 2011. He is the longest-serving governor in U.S. history, surpassing the previous record of 21 years set by George Clinton . The shortest-serving governor was Robert D. Fulton , who served 16 days.
List of Governors
Governors of the Territory of Iowa
For the period before Iowa Territory was formed, see the list of Governors of Wisconsin Territory .
Iowa Territory was formed on July 4, 1838, from Wisconsin Territory . It had three governors appointed by the President of the United States . The first governor did not arrive for six weeks after the territory had been created; in the interim, territorial secretary William B. Conway acted as governor.[ 8]
Governors of the State of Iowa
The southeast portion of Iowa Territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Iowa on December 3, 1846; the remainder became unorganized territory .
The first state constitution of 1846 created the office of governor, to have a four-year term,[ 11] with no specific start date for the term. The original constitution of 1857 reduced this term to two years,[ 12] but an amendment in 1972 increased this back to four years.[ 13] The 1857 constitution set the start of the term to the second Monday in the January following the election,[ 14] which was changed to the day after that by a 1988 amendment.[ 15]
The office of lieutenant governor was created in the 1857 constitution, elected for the same term as the governor.[ 16] An amendment in 1988 specified that the lieutenant governor would be elected on the same ticket as the governor.[ 17] If the office of governor becomes vacant, the office devolves upon the lieutenant governor for the remainder of the term or vacancy.[ 18] Prior to 1857, if the office of governor became vacant, the state secretary of state would act as governor.[ 19] There is no term limit on the number of terms a governor may serve.
Parties
Democratic (10)
Whig (1)
Republican (31)
#[ d]
Image
Governor
Term start
Term end
Party
Lt. Governor [ e] [ f]
Term[ g]
1
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Ansel Briggs
December 3, 1846
December 4, 1850
Democratic
None
1[ h]
2
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Stephen P. Hempstead
December 4, 1850
December 9, 1854
Democratic
2
3
bgcolor=Template:Whig Party (United States)/meta/color |
James W. Grimes
December 9, 1854
January 13, 1858
Whig
3[ i]
4
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Ralph P. Lowe
January 13, 1858
January 11, 1860
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Oran Faville
4[ j]
5
rowspan="2" bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Samuel J. Kirkwood
January 11, 1860
January 14, 1864
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Nicholas J. Rusch
5–6
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
John R. Needham
6
rowspan="2" bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
William M. Stone
January 14, 1864
January 16, 1868
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Enoch W. Eastman
7–8
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Benjamin F. Gue
7
rowspan="3" bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Samuel Merrill
January 16, 1868
January 11, 1872
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
John Scott
9–10
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Madison Miner Walden [ k]
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Henry C. Bulis
8
rowspan="2" bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Cyrus C. Carpenter
January 11, 1872
January 13, 1876
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Henry C. Bulis
11–12
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Joseph Dysart
9
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Samuel J. Kirkwood
January 13, 1876
February 1, 1877
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Joshua G. Newbold
13...[ l]
10
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Joshua G. Newbold
February 1, 1877
January 17, 1878
Republican
Vacant
...13[ m]
11
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
John H. Gear
January 17, 1878
January 12, 1882
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Frank T. Campbell
14–15
12
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Buren R. Sherman
January 12, 1882
January 14, 1886
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Orlando H. Manning
16–17
13
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
William Larrabee
January 14, 1886
February 27, 1890[ n]
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
John A. T. Hull
18–19
14
rowspan="2" bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Horace Boies
February 27, 1890[ n]
January 11, 1894
Democratic
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Alfred N. Poyneer [ o]
20–21
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Samuel L. Bestow
15
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Frank D. Jackson
January 11, 1894
January 16, 1896
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Warren S. Dungan
22
16
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Francis M. Drake
January 16, 1896
January 13, 1898
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Matt Parrott
23
17
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
L. M. Shaw
January 13, 1898
January 16, 1902
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
James C. Milliman
24–25
18
rowspan="2" bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Albert B. Cummins
January 16, 1902
November 24, 1908
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
John Herriott
26–28...[ l] [ p]
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Warren Garst
19
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Warren Garst
November 24, 1908
January 14, 1909
Republican
Vacant
...28[ m]
20
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Beryl F. Carroll
January 14, 1909
January 16, 1913
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
George W. Clarke
29–30
21
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
George W. Clarke
January 16, 1913
January 11, 1917
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
William L. Harding
31–32
22
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
William L. Harding
January 11, 1917
January 13, 1921
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Ernest Robert Moore
33–34
23
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Nathan E. Kendall
January 13, 1921
January 15, 1925
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
John Hammill
35–36
24
rowspan="2" bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
John Hammill
January 15, 1925
January 15, 1931
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Clem F. Kimball [ q]
37–39
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Arch W. McFarlane
25
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Dan W. Turner
January 15, 1931
January 12, 1933
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Arch W. McFarlane
40
26
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Clyde L. Herring
January 12, 1933
January 14, 1937
Democratic
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Nelson G. Kraschel
41–42
27
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Nelson G. Kraschel
January 14, 1937
January 12, 1939
Democratic
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
John K. Valentine
43
28
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
George A. Wilson
January 12, 1939
January 14, 1943
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Bourke B. Hickenlooper
44–45
29
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Bourke B. Hickenlooper
January 14, 1943
January 11, 1945
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Robert D. Blue
46
30
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Robert D. Blue
January 11, 1945
January 13, 1949
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Kenneth A. Evans
47–48
31
rowspan="3" bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
William S. Beardsley
January 13, 1949
November 21, 1954
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Kenneth A. Evans
49–51...[ q]
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
William H. Nicholas
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Leo Elthon
32
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Leo Elthon
November 21, 1954
January 13, 1955
Republican
Vacant
...51[ m]
33
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Leo Hoegh
January 13, 1955
January 17, 1957
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Leo Elthon
52
34
rowspan="2" bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Herschel C. Loveless
January 17, 1957
January 12, 1961
Democratic
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
William H. Nicholas [ o]
53–54
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Edward Joseph McManus
35
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Norman A. Erbe
January 12, 1961
January 17, 1963
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
W. L. Mooty [ r]
55
36
rowspan="2" bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Harold Hughes
January 17, 1963
January 1, 1969
Democratic
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
W. L. Mooty
56–58...[ l]
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Robert D. Fulton
37
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Robert D. Fulton
January 1, 1969
January 16, 1969
Democratic
Vacant
...58[ m]
38
rowspan="3" bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Robert D. Ray
January 16, 1969
January 14, 1983
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Roger Jepsen
59–63[ s]
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Arthur A. Neu
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Terry Branstad
39
rowspan="3" bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Terry Branstad
January 14, 1983
January 15, 1999
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Robert T. Anderson [ r]
64–67
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Jo Ann Zimmerman [ r]
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Joy Corning
40
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Tom Vilsack
January 15, 1999
January 12, 2007
Democratic
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Sally Pederson
68–69
41
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Chet Culver
January 12, 2007
January 14, 2011
Democratic
bgcolor=Template:Iowa Democratic Party/meta/color |
Patty Judge
70
42
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Terry Branstad
January 14, 2011
Incumbent
Republican
bgcolor=Template:Republican Party of Iowa/meta/color |
Kim Reynolds
71–72[ t]
As of May 2015[update] , there are four former U.S. governors of Iowa who are currently living at this time, the oldest U.S. governor of Iowa being Robert D. Ray (1969–1983, born 1928). The most recent U.S. governor of Iowa to die was Leo Hoegh (1955–1957, born 1908), on July 15, 2000. The most recently serving U.S. governor of Iowa to die was Harold Hughes (1963–1969, born 1922), on October 23, 1996.
Governor
Term
Date of birth (and age)
Robert D. Fulton
1969
(1929-05-13 ) May 13, 1929 (age 95)
Robert D. Ray
1969–1983
(1928-09-26 ) September 26, 1928 (age 96)
Tom Vilsack
1999–2007
(1950-12-13 ) December 13, 1950 (age 73)
Chet Culver
2007–2011
(1966-01-25 ) January 25, 1966 (age 58)
Notes
^ a b Chambers was appointed on March 25 to the position of territorial governor, to take office when sworn in. He arrived in the state on May 12 and took office the next day. Lucas was out of the capital at the time and did not formally resign his commission until June 17, per a letter written to U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster .[ 9]
^ a b Clark was appointed on November 18;[ 10] it is unknown what specific date he assumed office. Cite error: The named reference "chambers-clarke" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page ).
^ Although Ansel Briggs was sworn in as governor of the state on December 3, it remained a territory until December 28.[ 10]
^ There is no official numbering, and different governors have interpreted it differently, based on if repeat terms are numbered.[ 20] This article includes numbering for every distinct term in office.
^ The office of Lieutenant Governor was created in the 1857 constitution.[ 16]
^ Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
^ This indicates which terms a governor served; some served in multiple terms, indicated by a number with a trailing ellipsis (for those who started a term but did not finish it) or preceding ellipsis (for those who ended a term but did not start it), while others served for multiple terms, indicated by a given number range.
^ Briggs was sworn into office 25 days before the state was formally admitted.[ 21]
^ The election schedule changed during Grimes' term, switching to odd-numbered years and shortening his term by nearly a year.
^ Lowe was the first governor elected under the 1857 constitution, which shortened terms to two years.
^ Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States House of Representatives .
^ a b c Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate .
^ a b c d As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.
^ a b All sources state Boies was sworn in on February 27, 1890, with no explanation given for the delay.
^ a b Represented the Republican Party .
^ Amendment 11 to the Iowa constitution, passed in 1904, shifted the state's election cycle forward one year, such that terms would begin on odd years. This lengthened Cummins' second term to three years, 1904 to 1907.
^ a b Died in office.
^ a b c Represented the Democratic Party .
^ Ray was the first governor elected following a constitutional amendment that lengthened terms to four years; his latter two terms were four years long.
^ Governor Branstad's second term expires on January 11, 2019.
References
General
Constitutions
Specific
^ "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries" . The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014 .
^ IA Const. art. IV, § 1
^ IA Const. art. IV, § 9
^ IA Const. art III, § 16
^ IA Const. art. IV, § 11
^ IA Const., art. IV, § 16
^ IA Const. art. IV, § 7
^ Shambaugh, Benjamin F., ed. (1903). "The Messages and Proclamations of the Governors of Iowa" . The Messages and Proclamations of the Governors of Iowa . Vol. 1. Iowa City, Iowa : State Historical Society of Iowa. p. 208.
^ Executive Journal of Iowa 1838–1841, Governor Robert Lucas . State Historical Society of Iowa. 1906. pp. 277–279.
^ a b c Benjamin F. Gue (1903). Iowa biography . Century History Company. p. 52.
^ 1846 Const. article V, § 2
^ IA Const. art. IV, § 2
^ IA Const. amendment 32
^ IA Const. art. IV, § 15
^ IA Const. amendment 42
^ a b IA Const. art. IV, § 3
^ IA Const. amendment 41
^ IA Const. art. IV, § 17
^ 1846 Const. art V, § 18
^ "No 41st Governor for Iowa?" . The Gazette (Cedar Rapids) . November 5, 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2014 .
^ Secretary Of State, Iowa (1951). Iowa Official Register – 1951–1952 . p. 97.
External links
Territorial (1838–1846) State (since 1846)
Template:Iowa year nav