List of governors of Connecticut facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Governor of Connecticut
Seal of the governor
Incumbent Ned Lamont since January 19, 2019
Government of Connecticut
Style	Governor (informally) His Excellency (formal)
Member of	Cabinet
Residence	Governor's Residence
Seat	Connecticut State Capitol, Hartford, Connecticut
Nominator	Political parties
Appointer	Popular vote
Term length	Four years, no limit
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Connecticut
Precursor	Governor of Saybrook (merged with Connecticut, 1644) Governor of New Haven (merged with Connecticut, 1665)
Formation	1639; 386 years ago (1639)
Succession	Line of succession
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut
Salary	$150,000 (2013)
Website	Office of the Governor

The governor of Connecticut is the leader of the government in Connecticut. They are also the head of the state's military forces. The governor's main job is to make sure state laws are followed. They can also approve or reject new laws passed by the Connecticut General Assembly. The governor can also call the state's law-making group (the General Assembly) together.

Unlike many other governors, Connecticut's governor cannot forgive people for crimes. The governor is automatically part of the state's money-borrowing committee. They also help lead the University of Connecticut and Yale University.

Since the American Revolution, Connecticut has had 69 governors. Four of them served terms that were not in a row. The first governor, Jonathan Trumbull, served for over 14 years. However, 7 of those years were as a colonial governor. His son, Jonathan Trumbull Jr., was the longest-serving state governor. He served for over 11 years. The shortest term was by Hiram Bingham III, who served only one day. He resigned to become a U.S. Senator. Lowell Weicker is known for winning as a third-party candidate in 1990. He represented A Connecticut Party.

The current governor is Ned Lamont. He is a Democrat and started his term on January 9, 2019.

Understanding the Governor's Role
- What the Governor Does
How Connecticut's Governors Are Chosen
- Changes to Governor Terms
- The Lieutenant Governor's Role
Timeline of Connecticut Governors
Images for kids
See Also

Understanding the Governor's Role

The governor of Connecticut is a very important leader. They are in charge of the state's executive branch. This means they lead many state departments and agencies.

What the Governor Does

The governor has several key responsibilities:

Enforcing Laws: They make sure that all state laws are carried out.
Approving or Vetoing Bills: When the General Assembly passes a new law, the governor decides if it becomes official. They can sign it (approve) or veto it (reject).
Leading the Military: The governor is the commander-in-chief of Connecticut's military forces.
State Budget: They play a big part in creating the state's budget. This budget decides how state money is spent.
Appointing Officials: The governor chooses many people to work in state government.

How Connecticut's Governors Are Chosen

Connecticut was one of the original Thirteen Colonies. It became a state on January 9, 1788. For many years, Connecticut used its old colonial rules instead of a state constitution.

Changes to Governor Terms

The old rules said governors were elected every year. But they could not serve more than once every two years. Their term started in May.

The current Constitution of Connecticut was approved in 1965. It says the governor serves a four-year term. This term starts in January after an election. Before 1965, the term length changed over time:

The 1818 constitution first set a one-year term.
In 1875, this changed to two years.
In 1948, it became four years.

The 1875 change also set the start date of the term to January. Before that, it was in May.

The Lieutenant Governor's Role

The constitution also says a lieutenant governor is elected for the same four-year term. Since 1962, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected together. If the governor's office becomes empty, the lieutenant governor becomes the new governor. Before 1965, the lieutenant governor only acted as governor. There is no limit to how many terms a person can serve as governor in Connecticut.