The governor of Iowa is the head of government of the U.S. state of Iowa. The governor is the head of the executive branch of the state government[2] and is charged with enforcing state laws.[3] The officeholder has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Iowa General Assembly,[4] to convene the legislature,[5] as well as to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.[6] The governor of Iowa is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.[7]
| Governor of Iowa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Government of Iowa | |
| Style | The Honorable |
| Residence | Terrace Hill |
| Term length | Four years, no term limits |
| Precursor | Governor of Iowa Territory |
| Inaugural holder | Ansel Briggs |
| Formation | December 3, 1846 |
| Salary | $130,000 (2013)[1] |
| Website | governor |
_(cropped).jpg)
There have been 41 individuals who held the position of Iowa governor, with two of those serving multiple distinct terms, Samuel J. Kirkwood and Terry Branstad. The current governor, Kim Reynolds, is the first woman to hold the position and was sworn in on May 24, 2017. The longest-serving is Terry Branstad, who served from 1983 to 1999 and then again from 2011 to 2017. He is the longest-serving governor in U.S. history, surpassing the previous record of 21 years set by George Clinton of New York. The shortest-serving was Robert D. Fulton, who served 16 days.
List of governors
editTerritory of Iowa
editIowa Territory was formed on July 4, 1838, from Wisconsin Territory. It had four governors appointed by the president of the United States, though the first resigned days after he was confirmed by the Senate and before ever reaching the territory.
| No. | Governor | Term in office[a] | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Henry Atkinson (1782–1842) | June 13, 1838 – July 7, 1838 (resigned before taking office)[b] | Martin Van Buren |
| 2 |  | Robert Lucas[c] (1781–1853) [10] | July 7, 1838[d] – June 17, 1841 (successor appointed)[e] | Martin Van Buren |
| 3 |  | John Chambers (1780–1852) [15] | March 25, 1841[f] – November 18, 1845 (successor appointed) | John Tyler |
| 4 |  | James Clarke (1812–1850) [20] | November 8, 1845[g] – December 3, 1846 (statehood) | James K. Polk |
State of Iowa
editThe southeast portion of Iowa Territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Iowa on December 28, 1846. The first Constitution of Iowa, adopted in 1846, created the office of governor with a four-year term,[24] with no specific start date. The 1857 constitution reduced this term to two years,[25] but an amendment in 1972 increased this back to four years.[26] The 1857 constitution also set the start of the term to the second Monday in the January following the election,[27] which was moved one day later by a 1988 amendment.[28]
The office of lieutenant governor was created in the 1857 constitution, elected for the same term as the governor.[29] An amendment in 1988 specified that the lieutenant governor would be elected on the same ticket as the governor.[30] If the office becomes vacant, it devolves upon the lieutenant governor for the remainder of the term or vacancy.[31] Prior to 1857, if the office became vacant, the Secretary of State of Iowa would act as governor.[32] There is no term limit on the number of terms a governor may serve.
| No.[h] | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor[i][j] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Ansel Briggs (1806–1881) [34][35] | December 3, 1846[36] – December 4, 1850 (did not run) | Democratic[37] | 1846 | Office did not exist | ||
| 2 |  | Stephen P. Hempstead (1812–1883) [38][39] | December 4, 1850[40] – December 9, 1854 (did not run) | Democratic[37] | 1850 | |||
| 3 |  | James W. Grimes (1816–1872) [41][42] | December 9, 1854[43] – January 14, 1858 (did not run) | Whig[44] | 1854[k] | |||
| 4 |  | Ralph P. Lowe (1805–1883) [45][46] | January 14, 1858[47] – January 11, 1860 (did not run)[l] | Republican[44] | 1857[m] | Oran Faville | ||
| 5 |  | Samuel J. Kirkwood (1813–1894) [48][49] | January 11, 1860[50] – January 14, 1864 (did not run)[48] | Republican[51] | 1859 | Nicholas J. Rusch | ||
| 1861 | John R. Needham | |||||||
| 6 |  | William M. Stone (1827–1893) [52][53] | January 14, 1864[54] – January 16, 1868 (did not run) | Republican[51] | 1863 | Enoch W. Eastman | ||
| 1865 | Benjamin F. Gue | |||||||
| 7 |  | Samuel Merrill (1822–1899) [55][56] | January 16, 1868[57] – January 11, 1872 (did not run) | Republican[51] | 1867 | John Scott | ||
| 1869 | Madison Miner Walden (resigned 1871)[n] | |||||||
| Vacant | ||||||||
| Henry C. Bulis (appointed September 13, 1871) | ||||||||
| 8 |  | Cyrus C. Carpenter (1829–1898) [59][60] | January 11, 1872[61] – January 13, 1876 (did not run) | Republican[51] | 1871 | |||
| 1873 | Joseph Dysart | |||||||
| 9 | | Samuel J. Kirkwood (1813–1894) [48][49] | January 13, 1876[62] – February 1, 1877 (resigned)[o] | Republican[51] | 1875 | Joshua G. Newbold | ||
| 10 |  | Joshua G. Newbold (1830–1903) [63][64] | February 1, 1877[65] – January 17, 1878 (did not run) | Republican[51] | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | Vacant | ||
| 11 |  | John H. Gear (1825–1900) [66][67] | January 17, 1878[68] – January 12, 1882 (did not run) | Republican[51] | 1877 | Frank T. Campbell | ||
| 1879 | ||||||||
| 12 |  | Buren R. Sherman (1836–1904) [69][70] | January 12, 1882[71] – January 14, 1886 (did not run) | Republican[51] | 1881 | Orlando H. Manning | ||
| 1883 | ||||||||
| 13 |  | William Larrabee (1832–1912) [72][73] | January 14, 1886[74] – February 27, 1890[p] (did not run) | Republican[51] | 1885 | John A. T. Hull | ||
| 1887 | ||||||||
| 14 |  | Horace Boies (1827–1923) [75][76] | February 27, 1890[p] – January 11, 1894 (lost election) | Democratic[51] | 1889 | Alfred N. Poyneer[q] | ||
| 1891 | Samuel L. Bestow | |||||||
| 15 |  | Frank D. Jackson (1854–1938) [78][79] | January 11, 1894[80] – January 16, 1896 (did not run)[78] | Republican[51] | 1893 | Warren S. Dungan | ||
| 16 |  | Francis M. Drake (1830–1903) [81][82] | January 16, 1896[83] – January 13, 1898 (did not run)[81] | Republican[51] | 1895 | Matt Parrott | ||
| 17 |  | L. M. Shaw (1848–1932) [84][85] | January 13, 1898[86] – January 16, 1902 (did not run) | Republican[51] | 1897 | James C. Milliman | ||
| 1899 | ||||||||
| 18 |  | Albert B. Cummins (1850–1926) [87][88] | January 16, 1902[89] – November 24, 1908 (resigned)[r] | Republican[51] | 1901 | John Herriott | ||
| 1903[s] | ||||||||
| 1906 | Warren Garst | |||||||
| 19 |  | Warren Garst (1850–1924) [90] | November 24, 1908[91] – January 14, 1909 (successor took office) | Republican[51] | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | Vacant | ||
| 20 |  | Beryl F. Carroll (1860–1939) [92][93] | January 14, 1909[94] – January 16, 1913 (did not run) | Republican[51] | 1908 | George W. Clarke | ||
| 1910 | ||||||||
| 21 |  | George W. Clarke (1852–1936) [95][96] | January 16, 1913[97] – January 11, 1917 (did not run) | Republican[51] | 1912 | William L. Harding | ||
| 1914 | ||||||||
| 22 |  | William L. Harding (1877–1934) [98][99] | January 11, 1917[100] – January 13, 1921 (did not run) | Republican[51] | 1916 | Ernest Robert Moore | ||
| 1918 | ||||||||
| 23 |  | Nathan E. Kendall (1868–1936) [101][102] | January 13, 1921[103] – January 15, 1925 (did not run)[101] | Republican[51] | 1920 | John Hammill | ||
| 1922 | ||||||||
| 24 |  | John Hammill (1875–1936) [104][105] | January 15, 1925[106] – January 15, 1931 (did not run)[t] | Republican[51] | 1924 | Clem F. Kimball (died September 10, 1928) | ||
| 1926 | ||||||||
| Vacant | ||||||||
| Arch W. McFarlane (appointed November 15, 1928) | ||||||||
| 1928 | ||||||||
| 25 |  | Dan W. Turner (1877–1969) [107][108] | January 15, 1931[109] – January 12, 1933 (lost election) | Republican[51] | 1930 | |||
| 26 |  | Clyde L. Herring (1879–1945) [110][111] | January 12, 1933[112] – January 14, 1937 (did not run)[u] | Democratic[51] | 1932 | Nelson G. Kraschel | ||
| 1934 | ||||||||
| 27 |  | Nelson G. Kraschel (1889–1957) [113][114] | January 14, 1937[115] – January 12, 1939 (lost election) | Democratic[51] | 1936 | John K. Valentine | ||
| 28 |  | George A. Wilson (1884–1953) [116][117] | January 12, 1939[118] – January 14, 1943 (did not run)[v] | Republican[51] | 1938 | Bourke B. Hickenlooper | ||
| 1940 | ||||||||
| 29 |  | Bourke B. Hickenlooper (1896–1971) [119][120] | January 14, 1943[121] – January 11, 1945 (did not run)[w] | Republican[51] | 1942 | Robert D. Blue | ||
| 30 |  | Robert D. Blue (1898–1989) [122][123] | January 11, 1945[124] – January 13, 1949 (did not run) | Republican[51] | 1944 | Kenneth A. Evans | ||
| 1946 | ||||||||
| 31 |  | William S. Beardsley (1901–1954) [125][126] | January 13, 1949[127] – November 21, 1954 (died in office) | Republican[51] | 1948 | |||
| 1950 | William H. Nicholas | |||||||
| 1952 | Leo Elthon | |||||||
| 32 |  | Leo Elthon (1898–1967) [128][129] | November 21, 1954[130] – January 13, 1955 (successor took office) | Republican[51] | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | Vacant | ||
| 33 |  | Leo Hoegh (1908–2000) [131][132] | January 13, 1955[133] – January 17, 1957 (lost election) | Republican[51] | 1954 | Leo Elthon | ||
| 34 | .jpg) | Herschel C. Loveless (1911–1989) [134][135] | January 17, 1957[136] – January 12, 1961 (did not run) | Democratic[51] | 1956 | William H. Nicholas[q] | ||
| 1958 | Edward Joseph McManus | |||||||
| 35 | .jpg) | Norman A. Erbe (1919–2000) [137][138] | January 12, 1961[139] – January 17, 1963 (lost election) | Republican[51] | 1960 | W. L. Mooty[x] | ||
| 36 |  | Harold Hughes (1922–1996) [140][141] | January 17, 1963[142] – January 1, 1969 (resigned)[y] | Democratic[51] | 1962 | |||
| 1964 | Robert D. Fulton | |||||||
| 1966 | ||||||||
| 37 |  | Robert D. Fulton (1929–2024) [143][144] | January 1, 1969[145] – January 16, 1969 (successor took office) | Democratic[51] | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | Vacant | ||
| 38 | .png) | Robert D. Ray (1928–2018) [146][147] | January 16, 1969[148] – January 14, 1983 (did not run) | Republican[51] | 1968 | Roger Jepsen | ||
| 1970 | ||||||||
| 1972 | Arthur Neu | |||||||
| 1974[z] | ||||||||
| 1978 | Terry Branstad | |||||||
| 39 |  | Terry Branstad (b. 1946) [149] | January 14, 1983[150] – January 15, 1999 (did not run) | Republican[149] | 1982 | Robert T. Anderson[x] | ||
| 1986 | Jo Ann Zimmerman[x] | |||||||
| 1990 | Joy Corning | |||||||
| 1994 | ||||||||
| 40 | .jpg) | Tom Vilsack (b. 1950) [151] | January 15, 1999[152] – January 12, 2007 (did not run) | Democratic[151] | 1998 | Sally Pederson | ||
| 2002 | ||||||||
| 41 |  | Chet Culver (b. 1966) [153] | January 12, 2007[154] – January 14, 2011 (lost election) | Democratic[153] | 2006 | Patty Judge | ||
| 42 |  | Terry Branstad (b. 1946) [149] | January 14, 2011[155] – May 24, 2017 (resigned)[aa] | Republican[149] | 2010 | Kim Reynolds | ||
| 2014 | ||||||||
| 43 |  | Kim Reynolds (b. 1959) [157] | May 24, 2017[158] – Incumbent[ab] | Republican[157] | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | Vacant | ||
| Adam Gregg (appointed May 25, 2017)[ac] | ||||||||
| 2018 | ||||||||
| 2022 | ||||||||
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ The range given is from the date the governor was confirmed by the Senate, or appointed by the President during a Senate recess, to the date the governor left office.
- ^ Atkinson was nominated on June 12, 1838,[8] and confirmed by the Senate on June 13.[9] However, he declined the post;[10] no source gives a date for when this happened, so his term is marked as having ended when his successor was confirmed.
- ^ Lucas did not arrive for six weeks after the territory had been created; in the interim, territorial secretary William B. Conway acted as governor.[11]
- ^ Lucas was nominated,[12] and confirmed by the Senate,[13] on July 7, 1838. He took office on August 15.[10]
- ^ Lucas was out of the capital when Chambers arrived, and did not formally resign his commission until June 17, per a letter written to U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster.[14]
- ^ Chambers was appointed on March 25, 1841,[15] during a Senate recess; nominated on June 17;[16] and confirmed by the Senate on July 15.[17] He took office on May 13.[15] He was reappointed on July 2, 1844, during a Senate recess,[18] and reconfirmed by the Senate on December 23.[19]
- ^ Clarke was appointed during a Senate recess; McMullin says it was on November 8, 1845,[20] but some sources say November 18.[21] He was formally nominated on December 23, 1845,[22] and confirmed by the Senate on February 3, 1846.[23]
- ^ There is no official numbering, and different governors have interpreted it differently, depending on if they give a new number when a governor has multiple distinct terms in office.[33] This article includes numbering for every distinct term in office.
- ^ The office of lieutenant governor was created in 1857.[29]
- ^ Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
- ^ The election schedule changed with this term, switching to odd-numbered years and shortening the term by nearly a year.
- ^ Lowe was instead elected to the Iowa Supreme Court.[45]
- ^ First term under the 1857 constitution, which shortened terms to two years.[25]
- ^ No source appears to know which date Walden resigned, just that it was after being elected to the United States House of Representatives for a term beginning March 4.[58]
- ^ Kirkwood resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.[49]
- ^ a b Boies' inauguration was delayed for six weeks;[77] the legislature was deadlocked in organizaing itself, so Larrabee remained in office until Boies was certified.[51]
- ^ a b Represented the Republican Party
- ^ Cummins resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.[88]
- ^ The election schedule changed with this term, switching to odd-numbered years and lengthening the term by nearly a year.
- ^ Hamill instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate.[104]
- ^ Herring was instead elected to the United States Senate.[110]
- ^ Wilson was instead elected to the United States Senate.[116]
- ^ Hickenlooper was instead elected to the United States Senate.[119]
- ^ a b c Represented the Democratic Party
- ^ Hughes resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.[141]
- ^ First term under a 1972 constitutional amendment which lengthened terms to four years.[26]
- ^ Branstad resigned, having been confirmed as United States Ambassador to China.[156]
- ^ Reynold's second full term began on January 13, 2023, and will expire January 15, 2027.
- ^ Gregg was appointed acting lieutenant governor by Reynolds but, while he had the full powers and salary of the office, he was not in the line of succession until after he won the 2018 election.
References
edit
- General
- "Former Iowa Governors". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- Sobel, Robert (1978). Biographical directory of the governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. II. Meckler Books. ISBN 9780930466008. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- McMullin, Thomas A. (1984). Biographical directory of American territorial governors. Westport, CT : Meckler. ISBN 978-0-930466-11-4. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-1439-0.
- Dubin, Michael J. (2014). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1861-1911: The Official Results by State and County. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-5646-8.
- Kallenbach, Joseph Ernest (1977). American State Governors, 1776-1976. Oceana Publications. ISBN 978-0-379-00665-0. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Meckler Books. ISBN 978-0-930466-17-6.
- "Our Campaigns - Governor of Iowa - History". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- Constitutions
- "Constitution of the State of Iowa". Iowa General Assembly. 1857. Archived from the original on July 3, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- "Amendments to the Constitution of Iowa". Iowa General Assembly. 1998. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- "Constitution of the State of Iowa". Iowa General Assembly. 1846. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- Specific
External links
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