List of governors of Idaho facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Governor of Idaho |
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Government of Idaho | |
Residence | None |
Term length | Four years, no term limit |
Inaugural holder | George L. Shoup |
Formation | October 1, 1890 |
Succession | Line of succession |
Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Idaho |
Salary | $117,000 (2013) |
The governor of Idaho is like the chief executive officer for the state of Idaho. This person is the head of government and also the commander-in-chief of Idaho's military forces. The governor's main job is to make sure state laws are followed. They also have the power to approve or reject bills that the Idaho Legislature passes.
The current governor of Idaho is Brad Little. He is a member of the Republican Party and started his term on January 7, 2019. Since Idaho became a state in 1890, 31 different people have served as governor. Two of them served terms that were not back-to-back. The first governor, George L. Shoup, had the shortest term, lasting only three months. Cecil Andrus served the longest, for 14 years.
Contents
Idaho's Early Governors: The Territory Years
Idaho Territory was created on March 4, 1863. It was formed from parts of other territories like Dakota, Nebraska, and Washington.
Before Idaho became a state, it had sixteen territorial governors. These governors were chosen by the president of the United States. Because Washington, D.C., was so far from Boise, it often took a long time for a new governor to arrive. In fact, four governors even resigned before they ever reached Idaho!
No. | Governor | Term in office | Appointed by | |
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1 | ![]() |
William H. Wallace (1811–1879) |
March 10, 1863 – December 1863 (resigned) |
Abraham Lincoln |
2 | ![]() |
Caleb Lyon (1822–1875) |
February 26, 1864 – June 14, 1866 (successor appointed) |
Abraham Lincoln |
3 | ![]() |
David W. Ballard (1824–1883) |
April 10, 1866 – July 16, 1870 (successor appointed) |
Andrew Johnson |
— | ![]() |
Samuel Bard (1825–1878) |
March 30, 1870 – June 5, 1870 (resigned before taking office) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
— | ![]() |
Gilman Marston (1811–1890) |
June 7, 1870 – December 3, 1870 (resigned before taking office) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
— | ![]() |
Alexander H. Conner (1831–1891) |
January 12, 1871 – April 19, 1871 (resigned before taking office) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
4 | ![]() |
Thomas M. Bowen (1835–1906) |
April 19, 1871 – September 30, 1871 (resigned) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
5 | ![]() |
Thomas W. Bennett (1831–1893) |
October 24, 1871 – December 4, 1875 (resigned) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
6 | ![]() |
David P. Thompson (1834–1901) |
December 16, 1875 – July 1, 1876 (resigned) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
7 | ![]() |
Mason Brayman (1813–1895) |
July 24, 1876 – July 24, 1880 (successor appointed) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
8 | ![]() |
John Baldwin Neil (1842–1902) |
July 12, 1880 – March 2, 1883 (successor appointed) |
Rutherford B. Hayes |
9 | ![]() |
John N. Irwin (1844–1905) |
March 2, 1883 – December 20, 1883 (resigned) |
Chester A. Arthur |
10 | ![]() |
William M. Bunn (1842–1923) |
March 26, 1884 – July 3, 1885 (resigned) |
Chester A. Arthur |
11 | Edward A. Stevenson (1831–1895) |
September 29, 1885 – April 1, 1889 (successor appointed) |
Grover Cleveland | |
12 | ![]() |
George L. Shoup (1836–1904) |
April 1, 1889 – December 8, 1890 (elected state governor) |
Benjamin Harrison |
Idaho's State Governors: Leading the Gem State
Idaho officially became a state in the Union on July 3, 1890. The governor and lieutenant governor of Idaho serve four-year terms. These terms start on the first Monday in January after the election. Before 1946, governors only served two-year terms.
If the governor's office becomes empty, or if the governor is out of state or cannot do their job, the lieutenant governor steps in. They act as governor until the situation changes. If both the governor and lieutenant governor cannot serve, the President pro tempore of the Idaho Senate is next in line. After that, it's the Speaker of the Idaho House of Representatives.
A rule used to say that a governor could not be re-elected right after their term. But in 1956, voters approved a change to the state constitution. This change allowed governors to run for re-election. Now, there is no limit to how many terms a governor can serve. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected at the same time, but they are not on the same ballot.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
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1 | ![]() |
George L. Shoup (1836–1904) |
December 8, 1890 – December 19, 1890 (resigned) |
Republican | 1890 | N. B. Willey | ||
2 | ![]() |
N. B. Willey (1838–1921) |
December 19, 1890 – January 2, 1893 (lost nomination) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
John S. Gray | ||
3 | ![]() |
William J. McConnell (1839–1925) |
January 2, 1893 – January 4, 1897 (did not run) |
Republican | 1892 | F. B. Willis | ||
1894 | F. J. Mills | |||||||
4 | ![]() |
Frank Steunenberg (1861–1905) |
January 4, 1897 – January 7, 1901 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1896 | George F. Moore | ||
1898 | J. H. Hutchinson | |||||||
5 | Frank W. Hunt (1861–1906) |
January 7, 1901 – January 5, 1903 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1900 | Thomas F. Terrell | |||
6 | ![]() |
John T. Morrison (1860–1915) |
January 5, 1903 – January 2, 1905 (lost nomination) |
Republican | 1902 | James M. Stevens | ||
7 | ![]() |
Frank R. Gooding (1859–1928) |
January 2, 1905 – January 4, 1909 (did not run) |
Republican | 1904 | Burpee L. Steeves | ||
1906 | Ezra A. Burrell | |||||||
8 | ![]() |
James H. Brady (1862–1918) |
January 4, 1909 – January 2, 1911 (lost election) |
Republican | 1908 | Lewis H. Sweetser | ||
9 | ![]() |
James H. Hawley (1847–1929) |
January 2, 1911 – January 6, 1913 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1910 | |||
10 | ![]() |
John M. Haines (1863–1917) |
January 6, 1913 – January 4, 1915 (lost election) |
Republican | 1912 | Herman H. Taylor | ||
11 | ![]() |
Moses Alexander (1853–1932) |
January 4, 1915 – January 6, 1919 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1914 | |||
1916 | Ernest L. Parker | |||||||
12 | ![]() |
D. W. Davis (1873–1959) |
January 6, 1919 – January 1, 1923 (did not run) |
Republican | 1918 | Charles C. Moore | ||
1920 | ||||||||
13 | ![]() |
Charles C. Moore (1866–1958) |
January 1, 1923 – January 3, 1927 (did not run) |
Republican | 1922 | H. C. Baldridge | ||
1924 | ||||||||
14 | ![]() |
H. C. Baldridge (1868–1947) |
January 3, 1927 – January 5, 1931 (did not run) |
Republican | 1926 | O. E. Hailey | ||
1928 | W. B. Kinne (died October 1, 1929) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
O. E. Hailey (appointed October 25, 1929) |
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15 | ![]() |
C. Ben Ross (1876–1946) |
January 5, 1931 – January 4, 1937 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1930 | G. P. Mix | ||
1932 | George Hill | |||||||
1934 | G. P. Mix | |||||||
16 | ![]() |
Barzilla W. Clark (1880–1943) |
January 4, 1937 – January 2, 1939 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1936 | Charles C. Gossett | ||
17 | ![]() |
C. A. Bottolfsen (1890–1964) |
January 2, 1939 – January 6, 1941 (lost election) |
Republican | 1938 | Donald S. Whitehead | ||
18 | ![]() |
Chase A. Clark (1883–1966) |
January 6, 1941 – January 4, 1943 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1940 | Charles C. Gossett | ||
19 | ![]() |
C. A. Bottolfsen (1890–1964) |
January 4, 1943 – January 1, 1945 (did not run) |
Republican | 1942 | Edwin Nelson | ||
20 | ![]() |
Charles C. Gossett (1888–1974) |
January 1, 1945 – November 17, 1945 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1944 | Arnold Williams | ||
21 | ![]() |
Arnold Williams (1898–1970) |
November 17, 1945 – January 6, 1947 (lost election) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
A. R. McCabe (appointed March 20, 1946) |
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22 | ![]() |
C. A. Robins (1884–1970) |
January 6, 1947 – January 1, 1951 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1946 | Donald S. Whitehead | ||
23 | ![]() |
Leonard B. Jordan (1899–1983) |
January 1, 1951 – January 3, 1955 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1950 | Edson H. Deal | ||
24 | ![]() |
Robert E. Smylie (1914–2004) |
January 3, 1955 – January 2, 1967 (lost nomination) |
Republican | 1954 | J. Berkeley Larsen | ||
1958 | W. E. Drevlow | |||||||
1962 | ||||||||
25 | ![]() |
Don Samuelson (1913–2000) |
January 2, 1967 – January 4, 1971 (lost election) |
Republican | 1966 | Jack M. Murphy | ||
26 | ![]() |
Cecil Andrus (1931–2017) |
January 4, 1971 – January 24, 1977 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1970 | |||
1974 | John Evans | |||||||
27 | ![]() |
John Evans (1925–2014) |
January 24, 1977 – January 5, 1987 (did not run) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
William J. Murphy (appointed January 28, 1977) |
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1978 | Phil Batt | |||||||
1982 | David H. Leroy | |||||||
28 | ![]() |
Cecil Andrus (1931–2017) |
January 5, 1987 – January 2, 1995 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1986 | Butch Otter (resigned January 3, 2001) |
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1990 | ||||||||
29 | ![]() |
Phil Batt (1927–2023) |
January 2, 1995 – January 4, 1999 (did not run) |
Republican | 1994 | |||
30 | ![]() |
Dirk Kempthorne (b. 1951) |
January 4, 1999 – May 26, 2006 (resigned) |
Republican | 1998 | |||
Vacant | ||||||||
Jack Riggs (appointed January 30, 2001) |
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2002 | Jim Risch | |||||||
31 | ![]() |
Jim Risch (b. 1943) |
May 26, 2006 – January 1, 2007 (did not run) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
Mark Ricks (appointed June 15, 2006) |
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32 | ![]() |
Butch Otter (b. 1942) |
January 1, 2007 – January 7, 2019 (did not run) |
Republican | 2006 | Jim Risch (resigned January 3, 2009) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
Brad Little (appointed January 6, 2009) |
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2010 | ||||||||
2014 | ||||||||
33 | ![]() |
Brad Little (b. 1954) |
January 7, 2019 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2018 | Janice McGeachin | ||
2022 | Scott Bedke |
Timeline of Idaho Governors
Timeline of Idaho governors |
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See also
- List of lieutenant governors of Idaho
- Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Idaho
- List of Idaho state legislatures
- Elections in Idaho