Governor of Colorado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Governor of Colorado
Seal of the Executive Office
Incumbent Jared Polis since January 8, 2019
Government of Colorado
Style	The Honorable
Residence	Colorado Governor's Mansion
Term length	Four years, renewable once consecutively
Inaugural holder	John Long Routt
Formation	August 1, 1876
Deputy	Dianne Primavera
Salary	$123,193 (2019)

The governor of Colorado is the head of government of the U.S. state of Colorado. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Colorado General Assembly, to convene the legislature, and to grant pardons, except in cases of treason or impeachment. The governor is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.

Seven people served as governor of Colorado Territory over eight terms, appointed by the president of the United States. Since statehood, there have been 38 governors, serving 43 distinct terms. One governor Alva Adams served three non-consecutive terms, while John Long Routt, James Hamilton Peabody, and Edwin C. Johnson each served during two non-consecutive periods. The longest-serving governors were Richard "Dick" Lamm (1975–1987) and Roy Romer (1987–1999), who each served 12 years over three terms. The shortest term occurred on March 16 and 17, 1905, when the state had three governors in the span of 24 hours: Alva Adams won the election, but soon after he took office, the legislature declared his opponent, James Hamilton Peabody, governor, but on the condition that he immediately resign, so that his lieutenant governor, Jesse McDonald, could be governor. Thus, Peabody served less than a day as governor.

The current governor is Democrat Jared Polis, who took office on January 8, 2019.

List of governors

Territory of Jefferson

The self-proclaimed Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson was organized on November 7, 1859. Jefferson Territory included all of present-day Colorado, but extended about 3 miles (5 km) farther east, 138 miles (222 km) farther north, and about 50 miles (80 km) farther west. The territory was never recognized by the federal government in the tumultuous days before the American Civil War. The Jefferson Territory had only one governor, Robert Williamson Steele, a pro-union Democrat elected by popular vote. He proclaimed the territory dissolved on June 6, 1861, several months after the official formation of the Colorado Territory, but only days after the arrival of its first governor.

Territory of Colorado

The Territory of Colorado was organized on February 28, 1861, from parts of the territories of New Mexico, Utah, and Nebraska, and the unorganized territory that was previously the western portion of Kansas Territory.

Governors of the Territory of Colorado

No.	Governor		Term in office	Appointed by
1		William Gilpin (1813–1894)	March 25, 1861 – March 26, 1862 (successor appointed)	Lincoln, AbrahamAbraham Lincoln
2		John Evans (1814–1897)	March 26, 1862 – October 17, 1865 (resigned)	Lincoln, AbrahamAbraham Lincoln
3		Alexander Cummings (1810–1879)	October 17, 1865 – May 8, 1867 (resigned)	Johnson, AndrewAndrew Johnson
4		Alexander Cameron Hunt (1825–1894)	May 8, 1867 – April 19, 1869 (successor appointed)	Johnson, AndrewAndrew Johnson
5		Edward M. McCook (1833–1909)	April 19, 1869 – April 17, 1873 (successor appointed)	Grant, Ulysses S.Ulysses S. Grant
6		Samuel Hitt Elbert (1833–1899)	April 17, 1873 – July 26, 1874 (successor appointed)	Grant, Ulysses S.Ulysses S. Grant
7		Edward M. McCook (1833–1909)	June 19, 1874 – February 8, 1875 (successor appointed)	Grant, Ulysses S.Ulysses S. Grant
8		John Long Routt (1826–1907)	February 8, 1875 – November 3, 1876 (elected state governor)	Grant, Ulysses S.Ulysses S. Grant

State of Colorado

The State of Colorado was admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876.

To serve as governor, one must be at least 30 years old, be a citizen of the United States, and have been a resident of the state for at least two years prior to election. The state constitution of 1876 originally called for election of the governor every two years, with their term beginning on the second Tuesday of the January following the election. An amendment passed in 1956, taking effect in 1959, increased terms to four years. Originally, there was no term limit applied to the governor; a 1990 amendment allowed governors to succeed themselves only once. There is however no limit on the total number of terms one may serve as long as one who has served the two term limit is out of office for four years.

Should the office of governor become vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor. If both the offices governor and lieutenant governor are vacant, the line of succession moves down through the senior members of the state senate and state house of representatives of the same party as the governor. The lieutenant governor was elected separately from the governor until a 1968 amendment to the constitution made it so that they are elected on the same ticket.

Governors of the State of Colorado

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
1			John Long Routt (1826–1907)	November 3, 1876 – January 14, 1879 (did not run)	Republican	1876		Head, LafayetteLafayette Head
2			Frederick Walker Pitkin (1837–1886)	January 14, 1879 – January 9, 1883 (did not run)	Republican	1878		Tabor, HoraceHorace Tabor
						1880
3			James Benton Grant (1848–1911)	January 9, 1883 – January 13, 1885 (did not run)	Democratic	1882		Meyer, William H.William H. Meyer
4			Benjamin Harrison Eaton (1833–1904)	January 13, 1885 – January 11, 1887 (did not run)	Republican	1884		Breene, Peter W.Peter W. Breene
5			Alva Adams (1850–1922)	January 11, 1887 – January 8, 1889 (did not run)	Democratic	1886		Meldrum, Norman H.Norman H. Meldrum
6			Job Adams Cooper (1843–1899)	January 8, 1889 – January 13, 1891 (did not run)	Republican	1888		Smith, William GroverWilliam Grover Smith
7			John Long Routt (1826–1907)	January 13, 1891 – January 10, 1893 (did not run)	Republican	1890		Story, WilliamWilliam Story
8			Davis Hanson Waite (1825–1901)	January 10, 1893 – January 8, 1895 (lost election)	People's	1892		Nichols, David H.David H. Nichols
9			Albert McIntire (1853–1935)	January 8, 1895 – January 12, 1897 (did not run)	Republican	1894		Brush, Jared L.Jared L. Brush
10			Alva Adams (1850–1922)	January 12, 1897 – January 10, 1899 (did not run)	Democratic	1896
11			Charles S. Thomas (1849–1934)	January 10, 1899 – January 8, 1901 (did not run)	Democratic	1898		Carney, Francis PatrickFrancis Patrick Carney
12			James Bradley Orman (1849–1919)	January 8, 1901 – January 13, 1903 (did not run)	Democratic	1900		Coates, David C.David C. Coates
13			James Hamilton Peabody (1852–1917)	January 13, 1903 – January 10, 1905 (lost election)	Republican	1902		Haggott, Warren A.Warren A. Haggott
14			Alva Adams (1850–1922)	January 10, 1905 – March 16, 1905 (declared loser in election)	Democratic	1904		Cornforth, ArthurArthur Cornforth
15			James Hamilton Peabody (1852–1917)	March 16, 1905 – March 17, 1905 (resigned)	Republican			McDonald, Jesse FullerJesse Fuller McDonald
16			Jesse Fuller McDonald (1858–1942)	March 17, 1905 – January 8, 1907 (did not run)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Cornforth, ArthurArthur Cornforth (removed July 5, 1905)
								Parks, Fred W.Fred W. Parks
17			Henry Augustus Buchtel (1847–1924)	January 8, 1907 – January 12, 1909 (did not run)	Republican	1906		Harper, ErastusErastus Harper
18			John F. Shafroth (1854–1922)	January 12, 1909 – January 14, 1913 (did not run)	Democratic	1908		Fitzgarrald, Stephen R.Stephen R. Fitzgarrald
						1910
19			Elias M. Ammons (1860–1925)	January 14, 1913 – January 12, 1915 (did not run)	Democratic	1912		Montgomery, Benjamin F.Benjamin F. Montgomery
20			George Alfred Carlson (1876–1926)	January 12, 1915 – January 9, 1917 (lost election)	Republican	1914		Lewis, Moses E.Moses E. Lewis
21			Julius Caldeen Gunter (1858–1940)	January 9, 1917 – January 14, 1919 (did not run)	Democratic	1916		Pulliam, JamesJames Pulliam
22			Oliver Henry Shoup (1869–1940)	January 14, 1919 – January 9, 1923 (did not run)	Republican	1918		Stephan, GeorgeGeorge Stephan
						1920		Cooley, EarlEarl Cooley
23			William Ellery Sweet (1869–1942)	January 9, 1923 – January 13, 1925 (lost election)	Democratic	1922		Rockwell, Robert F.Robert F. Rockwell
24			Clarence Morley (1869–1948)	January 13, 1925 – January 11, 1927 (did not run)	Republican	1924		Lacy, Sterling ByrdSterling Byrd Lacy
25			Billy Adams (1861–1954)	January 11, 1927 – January 10, 1933 (did not run)	Democratic	1926		Corlett, George MiltonGeorge Milton Corlett
						1928
						1930		Johnson, Edwin C.Edwin C. Johnson
26			Edwin C. Johnson (1884–1970)	January 10, 1933 – January 2, 1937 (resigned)	Democratic	1932		Talbot, Ray HerbertRay Herbert Talbot
						1934
27			Ray Herbert Talbot (1896–1955)	January 2, 1937 – January 12, 1937 (successor took office)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
28			Teller Ammons (1895–1972)	January 12, 1937 – January 10, 1939 (lost election)	Democratic	1936		Hayes, FrankFrank Hayes
29			Ralph Lawrence Carr (1887–1950)	January 10, 1939 – January 12, 1943 (did not run)	Republican	1938		Vivian, John CharlesJohn Charles Vivian
						1940
30			John Charles Vivian (1887–1964)	January 12, 1943 – January 14, 1947 (did not run)	Republican	1942		Higby, William EugeneWilliam Eugene Higby
						1944
31			William Lee Knous (1889–1959)	January 14, 1947 – April 15, 1950 (resigned)	Democratic	1946		Pearson, Homer L.Homer L. Pearson
						1948		Johnson, Walter WalfordWalter Walford Johnson
32			Walter Walford Johnson (1904–1987)	April 15, 1950 – January 9, 1951 (lost election)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Murphy, Charles P.Charles P. Murphy
33			Daniel I. J. Thornton (1911–1976)	January 9, 1951 – January 11, 1955 (did not run)	Republican	1950		Allott, GordonGordon Allott
						1952
34			Edwin C. Johnson (1884–1970)	January 11, 1955 – January 8, 1957 (did not run)	Democratic	1954		McNichols, StephenStephen McNichols
35			Stephen McNichols (1914–1997)	January 8, 1957 – January 8, 1963 (lost election)	Democratic	1956		Hays, Frank L.Frank L. Hays
						1958		Knous, Robert LeeRobert Lee Knous
36			John Arthur Love (1916–2002)	January 8, 1963 – July 16, 1973 (resigned)	Republican	1962
						1966		Hogan, Mark AnthonyMark Anthony Hogan
						1970		Vanderhoof, John D.John D. Vanderhoof
37			John D. Vanderhoof (1922–2013)	July 16, 1973 – January 14, 1975 (lost election)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Strickland, Ted L.Ted L. Strickland
38			Richard Lamm (1935–2021)	January 14, 1975 – January 13, 1987 (did not run)	Democratic	1974		Brown, George L.George L. Brown
						1978		Dick, Nancy E.Nancy E. Dick
						1982
39			Roy Romer (b. 1928)	January 13, 1987 – January 12, 1999 (term-limited)	Democratic	1986		Callihan, MikeMike Callihan (resigned May 10, 1994)
						1990
							Vacant
								Cassidy, Samuel H.Samuel H. Cassidy (took office May 11, 1994)
						1994		Schoettler, GailGail Schoettler
40			Bill Owens (b. 1950)	January 12, 1999 – January 9, 2007 (term-limited)	Republican	1998		Rogers, JoeJoe Rogers
						2002		Norton, Jane E.Jane E. Norton
41			Bill Ritter (b. 1956)	January 9, 2007 – January 11, 2011 (did not run)	Democratic	2006		O'Brien, BarbaraBarbara O'Brien
42			John Hickenlooper (b. 1952)	January 11, 2011 – January 8, 2019 (term-limited)	Democratic	2010		García, JosephJoseph García (resigned May 12, 2016)
						2014
								Lynne, DonnaDonna Lynne
43			Jared Polis (b. 1975)	January 8, 2019 – Incumbent	Democratic	2018		Primavera, DianneDianne Primavera
						2022

See also

• Index of Colorado-related articles
• List of Colorado state legislatures
• Outline of Colorado
• State of Colorado
• Government of Colorado
• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Colorado
• Lieutenant Governor of Colorado